Intercast
Encyclopedia
Intercast was a short-lived technology developed in 1996 by Intel for broadcasting information such as web page
s and computer software, along with a single television channel. It required a compatible TV tuner card
installed in a personal computer
and a decoding program called Intel Intercast Viewer. The data for Intercast was embedded in the Vertical Blanking Interval
(VBI) of the video signal carrying the Intercast-enabled program.
With Intercast, a computer user could watch the TV broadcast in one window
of the Intercast Viewer, while being able to view HTML
web pages in another window. Users were also able to download software transmitted via Intercast as well. Most often the web pages received were relevant to the television program being broadcast, such as extra information relating to a television program, or extra news headlines and weather forecasts during a newscast. Intercast can be seen as a more modern version of teletext
.
The Intercast Viewer software was bundled with several TV tuner cards at the time, such as the Hauppauge
Win-TV card. Also at the time of Intercast's introduction, Compaq
offered some models of computers with built-in TV tuners installed with the Intercast Viewer software.
Upon its debut, Intercast was used by several TV networks, such as NBC
, CNN
, The Weather Channel, and M2
(now MTV2).
Intel discontinued support for Intercast a couple of years later.
NBC
's series Homicide: Life on the Street
was a show that was Intercast-enabled.
Web page
A web page or webpage is a document or information resource that is suitable for the World Wide Web and can be accessed through a web browser and displayed on a monitor or mobile device. This information is usually in HTML or XHTML format, and may provide navigation to other web pages via hypertext...
s and computer software, along with a single television channel. It required a compatible TV tuner card
TV tuner card
A TV tuner card is a kind of television tuner that allows television signals to be received by a computer. Most TV tuners also function as video capture cards, allowing them to record television programs onto a hard disk much like the Tivo digital video recorder does.-Variants: The interfaces for...
installed in a personal computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
and a decoding program called Intel Intercast Viewer. The data for Intercast was embedded in the Vertical Blanking Interval
Vertical blanking interval
The vertical blanking interval , also known as the vertical interval or VBLANK, is the time difference between the last line of one frame or field of a raster display, and the beginning of the first line of the next frame. It is present in analog television, VGA, DVI and other signals. During the...
(VBI) of the video signal carrying the Intercast-enabled program.
With Intercast, a computer user could watch the TV broadcast in one window
Window (computing)
In computing, a window is a visual area containing some kind of user interface. It usually has a rectangular shape that can overlap with the area of other windows...
of the Intercast Viewer, while being able to view HTML
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
web pages in another window. Users were also able to download software transmitted via Intercast as well. Most often the web pages received were relevant to the television program being broadcast, such as extra information relating to a television program, or extra news headlines and weather forecasts during a newscast. Intercast can be seen as a more modern version of teletext
Teletext
Teletext is a television information retrieval service developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s. It offers a range of text-based information, typically including national, international and sporting news, weather and TV schedules...
.
The Intercast Viewer software was bundled with several TV tuner cards at the time, such as the Hauppauge
Hauppauge Computer Works
Hauppauge Computer Works , or just Hauppauge, is a US manufacturer and marketer of electronic video hardware for personal computers. Although it is most widely known for its WinTV line of TV tuner cards for PCs, Hauppauge also produces personal video recorders, digital video editors, digital media...
Win-TV card. Also at the time of Intercast's introduction, Compaq
Compaq
Compaq Computer Corporation is a personal computer company founded in 1982. Once the largest supplier of personal computing systems in the world, Compaq existed as an independent corporation until 2002, when it was acquired for US$25 billion by Hewlett-Packard....
offered some models of computers with built-in TV tuners installed with the Intercast Viewer software.
Upon its debut, Intercast was used by several TV networks, such as NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, The Weather Channel, and M2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
(now MTV2).
Intel discontinued support for Intercast a couple of years later.
NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's series Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street is an American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons on NBC from 1993 to 1999, and was succeeded by a TV movie, which also acted as the de-facto series finale...
was a show that was Intercast-enabled.