# Intercast

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{{Short description|Short-lived technology developed in 1996 by Intel for broadcasting information}}
'''Intercast''' was a technology developed in 1996 by [Intel](/source/Intel) for broadcasting information such as [web page](/source/web_page)s and computer software, along with a single television channel. It required a compatible [TV tuner card](/source/TV_tuner_card) installed in a [personal computer](/source/personal_computer) and a decoding program called Intel Intercast Viewer. The data for Intercast was [embedded](/source/wiktionary%3Aembed) in the [Vertical Blanking Interval](/source/Vertical_Blanking_Interval) (VBI) of the video signal carrying the Intercast-enabled program, at a maximum of 10.5 Kilobytes/sec in 10 of the 45 lines of the VBI.<ref>{{Citation|title=Intercast|url=https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Intercast|work=The Free Dictionary|access-date=2019-07-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cnet.com/Content/Features/Techno/Intercast/index.html|title=features - techno - Intercasting|last=Stellin|first=Susan|date=1997-04-04|website=CNET|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970119145831/http://www.cnet.com/Content/Features/Techno/Intercast/index.html|archive-date=1997-01-19|url-status=dead|access-date=2019-07-01}}</ref>

With Intercast, a computer user could watch the TV broadcast in one [window](/source/Window_(computing)) of the Intercast Viewer, while being able to view [HTML](/source/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](/source/teletext).

The Intercast Viewer software was bundled with several TV tuner cards at the time, such as the [Hauppauge](/source/Hauppauge_Computer_Works) Win-TV card.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/hauppauge-offering-card-for-intercast/|title=Hauppauge offering card for Intercast|last=Crothers|first=Brooke|date=1996-07-01|website=CNET|language=en|access-date=2019-07-01}}</ref> Also at the time of Intercast's introduction, [Compaq](/source/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](/source/NBC), [CNN](/source/CNN), [The Weather Channel](/source/The_Weather_Channel_(United_States)), and [MTV Networks](/source/Viacom_Media_Networks).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/interactive-tv-primer/|title=Interactive TV primer|last=Lemos|first=Robert|date=1996-01-16|website=ZDNet|language=en|access-date=2019-07-01}}</ref>

On June 25, 1996, Intel and NBC announced an arrangement which enabled users to watch coverage of the [1996 Summer Olympics](/source/1996_Summer_Olympics) and other programming from [NBC News](/source/NBC_News).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/intel-nbc-to-cover-olympics-on-pc-tv/|title=Intel, NBC to cover Olympics on PC-TV|last=Crothers|first=Brooke|website=CNET|language=en|access-date=2019-06-30}}</ref>

Intel discontinued support for Intercast a couple of years later.{{When|date=July 2019}}

[NBC](/source/NBC)'s series ''[Homicide: Life on the Street](/source/Homicide%3A_Life_on_the_Street)'' was a show that was Intercast-enabled.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/19991005123221/http://www.intercast.com/ Archived copy of Intercast's web site from archive.org]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20021126053210/http://news.com.com/2100-1023-215703.html Article about Intercast, NBC, and the 1996 Summer Olympics]
* [https://archive.today/20130119011558/http://www.businessweek.com/1996/52/b3507114.htm Businessweek article]
* [https://archive.today/20130129073208/http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/1998/Apr98/intelpr.aspx Microsoft press release regarding Intercast and Windows 98]
* [http://news.cnet.com/Intercast-dying-of-neglect/2100-1001_3-266113.html Intercast dying of neglect]

{{Teletext}}
Category:Television technology
Category:Multimedia
Category:Streaming television in the United States
Category:Computer-related introductions in 1996

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Intercast](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intercast) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intercast?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.