SAN JOSE, CA (November 5, 2008) ­– John Callahan, one of the foremost innovators in the development of television-based interactivity, will headline a comprehensive overview of the power of Web-infused television services as part of the ActiveVideo Networks™ presence at CTAM Summit next week.

Callahan, who joined ActiveVideo Networks as CTO earlier this year, will be a panelist at the workshop titled “Consumer Control of the Video Experience” during the November 9-11 event, the leading marketing conference for the cable telecommunications industry.  The panel, scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 9 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, will discuss how improvements in technology and consumer options are helping cable to maintain its leadership role in the video market.

In addition to the Callahan presentation, ActiveVideo Networks will emphasize the value of Web-infused television through demonstrations of a new portal to an immersive personal TV experience, and through the publication of a white paper that offers the most comprehensive overview to date of the value of combined server-side/set-top box interactive solutions.

“While consumers continue to explore alternatives to traditional video delivery models, the robustness and flexibility of the cable platform remain real advantages for the industry,” said Callahan.  “By combining server-side solutions such as ActiveVideo with the ETV and tru2way platforms being deployed, the industry can provide consumers with the personalized content and viewing experience they’ve come to expect from the Web, and the video quality and immediacy that are hallmarks of cable.” 

The CTAM Summit debut of ActiveVideo Networks’ new platform capabilities will enable cable system operators and programmers to deliver an immersive personal TV environment that includes:  new ETV applications for unparalleled video-rich interactivity via any digital STB; user-generated content; Web-driven channels from CNN, HSN, TAG Networks and other brands; VoD menuing that drives usage; advertising showcases that lead directly to product information and purchases; and applications that allow engagement with programming in a social networking context. 

The whitepaper, titled “EBIF and ActiveVideo,” shows how cable can realize its full interactive potential by leveraging the respective strengths of the ActiveVideo® Distribution Network and the industry’s ETV platform.  The whitepaper outlines several use cases for the combined solutions, including:  Telescoping to Multimedia Ad Showcases with Broadcast Video Inserts; Extending Digital Properties with Bonus Materials; and Creating and Customizing ETV Interfaces.

ActiveVideo immerses viewers in an engaging experience that combines Web video, Web 2.0 functionality and traditional television. With ActiveVideo, viewers can navigate a completely interactive environment of both linear and broadband programming including rich interfaces and graphics optimized for TV and remote control navigation; social networking; personal media; niche content; and targeted, actionable advertising. ActiveVideo uses intelligent MPEG streaming to deliver the Web 2.0 experience to any digital cable set-top box or broadband-connected CE device.

About ActiveVideo Networks
ActiveVideo Networks™, formerly ICTV®, provides programming and technology that infuse television with Web content and interactivity.  Based on standard Web authoring and delivery technologies, the company’s ActiveVideo® Distribution Network simply and inexpensively enables expanded programming, navigation and advertising possibilities, allowing viewers to define and share TV experiences.   ActiveVideo combines Web-based media and targeted, clickable advertisements with the high-quality video, immediate responsiveness and remote control navigation of television for uniform interactivity across all digital set-tops and Web-connected televisions. ActiveVideo Networks is based in the heart of Silicon Valley, with offices in Los Angeles, Baltimore, Beijing and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.avnetworks.com.