An exerpt from the press release issued today by the iTV Production Standards Initiative...

"LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 10, 2003 - The iTV Production Standards Initiative released today version 1.1 of its open XML specification for writing interactive television (iTV) applications. The updated specification supports static interactive content, such as TV magazines, virtual channels, and electronic programming guides (EPGs). Several improvements to the spec also increase its flexibility and clarity. "

ICTV announced a product today that seems to attempt to control individual "digital ready" televisions from a headend by using a  DOCSIS modem to transmit IR TV remote control commands from the consumer [i.e. play this movie] to the HE, and to respond to those commands from the HE with an IR instruction [i.e. tune to this "hidden channel" where the desired program is then broadcast in the clear].