Cable companies wary of the heavy capital investment required to upgrade their networks to two-way service for offering Internet access are exploring a wide range of options for offering less expensive Web surfing over television.

The most widespread, ready platform for TV Web access may be advanced analog video set-top terminals from General Instrument Corp., Pioneer New Media, Scientific-Atlanta Inc. and Zenith Electronics Corp.

GI alone said it has shipped more than 1.5 million CFT-2200 terminals. The unit handles analog video but has onboard graphics processors and memory to support interactive applications.

Last week, GI announced co-development partnerships with three software providers that are porting Internet TV to the CFT-2200. WorldGate Communications Inc., which delivers e-mail, Internet access and local Web content to the set-top with the vertical blanking interval, or VBI, of analog video broadcasts; ICTV Inc., which dedicates entire analog video channels to single-user online TV sessions; and Planet Web, which has created a browser for Sega of America's Sega Saturn game player and is now doing the same for the CFT-2200.

Four cablers, Adelphia Communications, Cablevision Systems Corp., Continental Cablevision Corp.-U S West Media Group and Charter Communications Inc., have committed to market trials of WorldGate's TVOnline service next month.

WebTV Networks Inc. president and CEO, Steve Perlman, is also seeking cable company participation as a member of a New Media panel, as is Intercast Industry Group's Mariah Scott, whose organization broadcasts Web content over the VBI of a broadcast signal.

All those Internet software developers have begun porting their systems to digital cable terminals expected next year, a platform that will deliver multimegabit speeds.

Source: Inter@ctive Week