@Home launches TV channel for and controlled by viewers

Everyone can appear on TV with ZiZone

Ambitions to become a television director? Or an actor? Or a presenter? As from 7 September this is no longer a dream but is a reality for everyone. This is the day when Essent Kabelcom's @Home service is launching ZiZone.
ZiZone is a digital television channel where viewers decide and organise the content themselves via an internet site. @Home is thus taking a new step forwards in the world of interactive television that is unique in Europe.

@Home launches TV channel for and controlled by viewers

Anyone with a camera can make a contribution via www.ZiZone.tv . A parody of a TV commercial, one's own weather forecast, an account of a holiday that went disastrously wrong, or a family bloomer that was accidentally recorded, everything is possible. In addition, each film submitted has the chance of actually being broadcast on television. And, furthermore, anyone taking part via www.ZiZone.tv has the chance of winning interesting prizes in the weekly competition.

ZiZone: 'the next generation video site'
The provision of video content on internet platforms where people can vote afterwards is something that has already been around for some time. There is Shoobidoo (KPN), video.google.com (Google), www.youtube.com and more recently VideoTalent.nl (NCRV). Whereas on these sites the films sent in can only be viewed 'online', ZiZone goes one step further. ZiZone is very different from its predecessors in that the contributions are also actually broadcast on television. This is done via TV Digitaal, the free digital television package from @Home. ZiZone is therefore the 'next generation video site', where everyone can become acquainted with all the facets of actually making real TV
programmes. There is therefore nothing like ZiZone anywhere in Europe.

How does it work?
The principle is simple: anyone can place a short film on the internet site www.ZiZone.tv. It may be a contribution on one of the fixed themes or subject matter you have thought up in your own video log (VLOG). Visitors to www.ZiZone.tv can then vote for their favourite film. The best entries in each category will be broadcast each day in compilations lasting approximately 20 minutes. Each compilation will therefore be different in content each time. Next month on www.ZiZone.tv all the contributions will be collected in until there is sufficient material for the first broadcast.

Directing role
Literally anyone can take on a directing role at ZiZone. Not only can you record your own weather forecast in a virtual studio, as a presenter you can also announce your own entry or even put together the entire evening's programme yourself. But that’s not all: subscribers can take part in forums and information services by texting or take part in auctions. Schools, residents’ associations and sport clubs will all soon play their part on
www.ZiZone.tv Apart from this, @Home in ZiZone works very closely with Brevidius Multi-media Projecten in Amsterdam. Brevidius has many years of experience in the development of multimedia projects in which the use of interactive video plays a central role.

Published: 08 August 2006