From Videotex to Hybrid Television: A Historical Perspective on Interactivity in European Broadcasting

This paper analyses the concept of interactivity considering the interactive and digital television experiences that became widespread in Europe during the 1980s and 1990s. The concept of interactivity, and television itself, channelled advances in digital technology as they were adapted for domestic use, conceptualising interactive television as a new media rather than an evolution of conventional television. Thus, we examine the development of European standards for the creation of interactive television services. First, we review the main European videotex initiatives, and then we analyse the most recent open standards in a context characterised by a high degree of technological convergence.

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