Spyglass Joins Advanced Television Enhancement Forum For Development Of Interactive TV Content

Internet pioneer Spyglass Inc. (NASDAQ: SPYG) has announced that it has joined The Advanced Television Enhancement Forum (ATVEF), a global, cross-industry alliance of companies representing the broadcast and cable networks, television transports, consumer electronics and PC industries. The ATVEF is committed to accelerating the creation and distribution of HTML-based television content so that consumers can receive programming in the least expensive and most convenient way possible. By joining the ATVEF, Spyglass has allied themselves with convergence industry leaders and will help shape the future of Web-enabled television programming moving into the next millennium.The ATVEF has defined and published a baseline content specification for enhanced and interactive TV programming that is based on familiar and existing Web standards (HTML 4.0, ECMAScript, and Multicast IP) and broadcast extensions that enable receivers to recognize and view enhanced content.Once ATVEF-compliant enhanced content is written, it can be delivered over analog or digital terrestrial, satellite and cable systems. Consumers can receive the enhanced content on any compliant receiver, including a set-top box, digital TV or PC. This eliminates the need for content creators to develop multiple versions of their programming.These specifications will be used by Spyglass and leading cross-industry vendors in the television industry as a guideline for enhanced television content and the manner in which it will be distributed to the consumer.""Joining the ATVEF demonstrates Spyglass' dedication to contributing to the development and deployment of enhanced programming,"" said Eric Kelleher, Spyglass solutions architect. ""We are currently working with a number of our partners on developing interactive services for TV, including video-on-demand, Internet access and advanced gaming. By implementing ATVEF standards in the work we are doing, we will be paving the way for enhanced television content and programs to easily reach a global audience.""By implementing the ATVEF specifications in its technologies, Spyglass can offer its content partners and customers a means of developing and programming Internet and interactive television content. Spyglass joins several of its announced customers in ATVEF, including LG Electronics, Sony, Tektronix and Thomson Consumer Electronics.""We are especially delighted that Spyglass, such a practiced and established company, has joined the forum to assist with industry standards,"" said C.J. Fridricksen, Director, ATVEF. ""With the massive acceptance of the Internet, it is only a short time before the Internet and interactivity become integrated with television content. Spyglass is not simply joining the forum, but using their expertise to focus on the development of standards that ensure compatibility and enable delivery of enhanced programming.""About ATVEFThe Forum has 14 founding members and more than 80 adopters (licensees) globally representing broadcast and cable networks, television stations, cable and satellite service providers, consumer electronics and PC and software vendors. The specification and more information about the Forum are available at www.atvef.com.About SpyglassInternet pioneer Spyglass (NASDAQ: SPYG) provides solutions for the expanding information appliance market. The company provides expertise, software, and services primarily to the interactive television and mobile data segments. Market-leading companies using Spyglass solutions include GTE, General Instrument, Microsoft, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Sony, Thomson Consumer Electronics, and Xerox. Spyglass is headquartered in Naperville, Ill. and has regional offices in Lexington, Mass., Silicon Valley, Calif., London and Tokyo. Visit www.spyglass.com for more information.

For more information about ATVEF visit the Web Site at http://www.atvef.com.