Intercast-enabling a mainstream broadcast medium for the personal computer

Abstract

Summary form only given. This paper describes the purpose, features and architecture of Intercast, a project under development in Intel's Internet Technology Lab (ITL) which enhances conventional television programming with additional, structured data, allowing the PC to add value to the TV experience. This associated digital information augments the broadcast television content and can be watched live or browsed at leisure. This browsing allows for the impression of a new interactive medium without the requirement for bi-directional communications. Development of the Intercast program focused on the following key issues: 1. Tools for the broadcaster to add and synchronize digital information with traditional programming content. 2. Protocols for transporting associated data from the broadcaster to the home consumer. 3. Client application software utilizing a standard data display mechanism that can scale to support a fully interactive, bi-directional communications environment. Intel's contribution has been to enable the creation of a new broadcast medium through the development of technology to merge traditional TV programming with a computer-based communications environment. Through relationships developed with broadcast industry partners and PC OEMs, this new medium has the potential to rapidly enable new business opportunities for broadcasters, advertisers, and independent software vendors-all without a costly investment in a new communications infrastructure.