Internet vs. Interactive TV

The two media differ significantly in several aspects:

• Applications (support for community vs. Video-On-Demand, Home Shopping)
• Users (workers, scholars vs. homes)
• Data Types (data vs. streams)
• Terminal Devices (computer vs. set-top boxes)
• Geographics scope (global vs. national)
• Media (phone lines vs. cable)
• Access ethic (user/publisher vs. central production)
• Economic orientation (free vs/ charge)
• Information valuation (sharing vs. copyright + royalties)
• Rollout schedule (present vs. future)

See also: Larry Press, "The Internet and Interactive Television", Communication of the ACM, (36)12, 1993, 19-23.

The disctinctive features of the Internet can be summarized as:

• reciprocal
• contribution based
• unrestricted
• accessible and inexpensive
• modifiable

See also: Doug Schuler, "Community Networks: Building a New Participatory Medium", Communications of the ACM, (37)1, 1994, 38-51. or Community Networks in Canada http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/ifla/services/commun.htm.