"In the 21st century, power resides not in the barrel of a gun, but in the technology of a TV remote." -- A humble sports fan.
On Saturday, Hockey Night in Canada introduced interactive television to Canadian sports. It's called HNIC Plus.
Most subscribers to the Bell ExpressVu satellite system -- about 700,000 dish owners -- were able to decide how they wanted to watch the two games: Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs or Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers.
By clicking to a number on the remote, viewers could exit the main screen and look at a camera shot from one end of the arena. They also could watch a picture from a camera isolated on a particular player. If they happened to miss a goal being scored, they could go to a tape delay of 45 seconds. The final two options were a statistical screen and highlights package.
Did it work? Yes, ExpressVu and the CBC delivered on their promises, although we were expecting alternative shots from both ends of the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, not just one. At times, the highlights package was weak.
The system was set up on Channel 276. A window on the top left corner of the screen showed the main telecast. A larger window in the centre of the screen carried the viewer's choice.
For consumers with a 48-inch TV set, the two windows would have been big enough to provide a good look at both. For the rest of us making do with something less, the main screen at the top left corner -- the one that gave the telecast continuity and context -- seemed small.
The interactivity of a hockey telecast is also hampered by the speed and fluidity of the game. So much happens in such a short period of time that you can miss a great deal by watching an isolated shot for a few seconds and then looking over to the main screen to get a sense of what's actually going on.
Moreover, switching from one option to another is not seamless. There is a split-second delay, and in a hockey game, a split second seems like an eternity.
A final observation from somebody who has spent most of his life as a passive, not active, viewer of sports on TV: A good telecast of a well-played, compelling hockey game draws the viewer in. On the big screen, it grabs you and takes hold. Clicking on a screen consisting of two windows breaks the spell and can become disorienting.
Still, this is technology for the Gen-X viewer and it's pretty exciting stuff. As it evolves, additional camera angles and isolations would make the show even better. The statistics package offers a respite from commercials, although you still see the ads on the smaller main screen. Moreover, the National Hockey League reports that surveys show its consumer base to be more technologically savvy than fans of other sports.
Hockey Night and ExpressVu will provide the interactive service free through Jan. 10. Then it starts to cost -- $4.99 for one regular-season game, $7.99 for a playoff game, $29.99 for the duration of the regular season, $109.99 for the regular season and playoffs and $99.99 for the playoffs only. After Jan. 10, the question will become: Is the market ready for interactive hockey viewing?