Interactive television, a new frontier in a market of new public offerings. Recent momentum in these high flying companies as of late is proving that many may be looking towards the future with high expectations. With many recent IPO's and surely more in the works you have to wonder what is propelling these new media ironsides.
The sector that is now emerging as convergence is on a ride like the freedom trail, only seven months ago companies like ACTV, Inc. (Nasdaq:IATV) , Worldgate Comms.(Nasdaq:WGAT), Tivo Inc..(Nasdaq:TIVO), were either rarely spoken about or existing at all. (TIVO), (WGAT), Open TV (Nasdaq:OPTV) , and a few others have recently been brought to market, these IPO's, also known as initial public offerings came in with a bang and are currently gaining stride as they continue their upward momentum.
These recent momentous patterns have many scratching their heads, is this the continuation of the "net stocks" or is this a brave new medium?
At the Western Cable Show in Anaheim California, Dec 14-17, 1999 ACTV, Inc. was busy giving a presentation on their new HyperTV network which includes an up and coming Austin Powers event. This Austin Powers movie is most well known for it's recent box-office success, THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME "had the most successful opening weekend in history for a comedy, and has proven to be a marketing phenomenon, generating over $205 million at the box office".
By now if you are still scratching your head ACTV also hyperactively presented Cyberbond, the 15 Days of 007' movie festival on Saturday, Nov 27, 1999. To top it off TBS Superstation hosted ACTV's new groundbreaking television medium. HyperTV offered compelling interactive Web content nationally that would be automatically delivered and synchronized to intertwine with each and every Bond film as they aired on the TBS Superstation.
Imagine for a moment, Jeopardy & Wheel of Fortune brought to your homes with a new twist, this time around you are able to interact with other players during the same aired event. It has been known for some time, Scientific Atlanta (NYSE:SFA) and General Instruments(NYSE:GIC), (General Instruments recently was bought out by Motorola) has been making cable boxes that are interactive. ACTV and others have made their technology available already inside these new devices or gadgets, whatever you prefer to call these new media lunchboxes. Enjoy a relaxing end of day sports event, aim your remote control at your cable box, watch Major League Baseball and have each pitch show on your screen in three dimensions. The pitcher throws the ball strike. was it a strike, did the umpire call it right, click that remote! Questec.com Inc. (OTC BB:QSTI) (Name changed today per their shareholders meeting) has the ability using Silicon Graphics (NYSE:SGI) to present live MLB stats at a touch of a button, all you want to know. If you prefer the speed of the pitch and it's trajectory well Questec has it covered, again using it's technology to replay each and every throw. Interested in Questec's new technology visit their newly released site, www.ereplays.com (October 13, 1999 QuesTec Announces eReplays.com). " www.eReplays.com " is a business-to-business technology content enabler that will revolutionize the way leagues, teams, internet and interactive television providers choose to entertain, inform and educate their sports fans. www.eReplays.com captures, transmits and reconstructs live action during sporting events and offers comprehensive, unique and informative content that complements existing information offerings as well as live network television coverage.
Questec.com Inc. eReplays Quote "eReplays(TM) are created through proprietary video- and computer-based tracking systems designed, developed and provided by QuesTec and its partners. These systems instantly analyze the live game and convert that action into real-time filtered and encrypted digital streams. This digital information is then delivered to the sports information provider over the Internet by QuesTec's eSports(TM) technology. The digital information is used for the re-creation of live game action on home computers and interactive television set-top boxes. eReplays are available and displayed via the Internet seconds after live play".
Many folks these days have little time to catch up with recent developments, it's hard enough keeping up with your own computer and it's in your living room next to your TV. Amazingly it's been reported by companies like Jupiter and Gartner Group, well-respected research companies that almost 45% of computer users are watching television at the same time their hands are clicking away on their mice. Many companies are there and growing stronger, Time Warner(NYSE:TWX), America Online (NYSE:AOL) are all gaining the consumer eyeballs in this interactive hyperness.
I remember recently writing a segment on Pizza Hut and the endless possibilities of your cable box remembering where you live. With a click of the mouse (IATV) ACTV, Inc could have a pizza at your doorstep.
Another avenue, gather investment dollars in the devices that make it all possible, Spyglass Inc., (Nasdaq: SPYG) has shown promise to tie together the internet and most handheld devices on a global scale, remember folks if you have a service for hire on the net the entire globe is your potential profit margin.
Shares of Spyglass soared in the beginning of November, from ten dollars per share to over thirty in less than two weeks or three hundred percent, IATV shares have seen a skyrocketing but well deserved ride from two dollars per share back in January 1999 to over thirty-six dollars per share as of last week, more than two thousand percent.
This sector is Red-Hot!
Looking at the recent Nasdaq rally one has to take the current technical explosions with stride, where do we go from here? Y2K, also known as the year 2000 is almost upon us, what can we expect? Let's take a look, first things first, for those who think they have the answers for you remember, it's never happened before thus know one has any idea what will take place, right?
The technicals turned positive for (IATV) back near September 1st of 1999, the Moving average convergence divergence (AKA:MACD) presented a buy signal, from twelve dollars per share we have now followed this up with two more buy signals at fourteen and sixteen dollars per share. IATV presently has a relative strength of 99 from a 1-100 spread of strength. A relative strength of Ninety-nine out of one-hundred is a healthy number for shares of ACTV in any situation. I expect IATV shares to end the year at about forty-four to fifty per share.
o Technical chart on ACTV, Inc. (Nasdaq: IATV)
The fundamentals here are strong, with a recent backing by four of the most widely followed and respected underwriters on Wallstreet, Credit Suisse First Boston, Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Salomon Smith Barney ACTV is organizing a road show expected to brighten the minds of many on wallstreet including most interested investors.
Those watching this sector can ride the wires of the unexpected as one of the last years of the millennium approaches, many will take a few profits and the rest will invest for their future maybe expecting a company like ACTV, Inc to be the next Intel Inside. ACTV is in the Scientific-Atlanta and General Instruments ~DIGITAL~ cable boxes, can we expect them to also be all around our daily lives, I think so!
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