Digital Convergence : RallyPoint Combines HDTV with Internet TV

Rallypoint offers software and services for Internet-enabled HTDVs, including their patent-pending “widgets on TV” - software embedded in the chipsets shipped to TV OEMs. They aggregate Internet information and content, develop the applications (widgets), and provision the services that you will be able to access through your remote after an on-line “configure your TV” session. News, voting, social networking, sports and fantasy sports, shopping, TV-related search engine, and video-on-demand – all through your TV remote, coming to your screen sometime in 2009.





Internet on TV?
Where did this idea come from? The answer is simple. The founders of Rallypoint are completely guilty of watching TV with their laptops out. While they watch college football or NFL games, they also surf the web to get rankings, stats, see replays and highlight videos, and check on their fantasy leagues....

They are also guilty of “smack talk”, chatting online and text messaging with friends and fellow fans at game time. They developed Rallypoint to fill a need they have – to get information already on the Web in one place – that place being their large format HDTV.

Voting, Texting, Bidding Through Your TV?

Sports and social networking are cool, but just imagine all the other applications. The reality TV craze has brought “voting” to the forefront of truly interactive television – imagine voting with your remote, for starters. How about texting from the TV to your friends mobile phone – or sending a text from your own phone to your family’s TV? How about being alerted of your eBay outbid notice, and responding with a successful bid using your TV remote? The possibilities are endless ... but how much time will that leave for a REAL, MEANINGFUL LIFE?