Stocktaking vision is the motto o f this year's transmediale. In other words: ten days o f video, television and multimedia.
We have reserved the final day o f the festival to take a look ahead at media territories in which all three fields are united: television on the Internet. It will also be an opportunity to throw some light on other forms, such as digital and Interactive TV. A number o fpilot projects relating to interactiveTVwerestartedin Germany over the past few years. None o f them was particularly successful. Leo Kirch met a similar fate with his attempted launch of digital television with varying interactive forms.
Another innovation has to be sized up: can TV on the Internet be a serious option as a distribution medium1
New, combined forms are emerging: Internet-ready television sets, or PCs allowing the reception ofTVprogrammes. Set-top boxes o f very different kinds are already on sale or in planning: Kirch's version for digital TV, models allowing Internet access by Grundig, Edgar Online, and others. Yet again, a race has begun to establish one particular system; terms like „digital" and„interactive" are being thrown around with little concern for precise definitions.
The major media, computer and tele­ communications corporations are pursuing their strategies. And they will ultimatelydeterminethestandards. Beyond the battle for the market, are niches for culture likely to open up? Can the Internetprovide high-standard „television" that is retrievable on demand? Or even„art on demand" -a n e w distribution channel for artists?
Where does the future lie?
We invited a number o f experts to talk about the current situation with regard to the different systems, to show examples, and debate with the audiences.