Big players in the cable industry are gearing up to compete with AOL and Microsoft TV initiatives. Interactive TV start-up ICTV has lined up investments totaling $87 million from leading cable TV companies including Liberty Digital, TV Guide, Shaw Communications, Adelphia, Open TV and Motorola. Whereas the interactive television systems announced by AOL and Microsoft rely on high-powered set-top boxes, ICTV's technology runs on the equipment where the television signal originates while providing similar features like TV based internet access, email, and interactive gaming.
