Question

i need help

Answer 1

Merging the TV and the Computer


Major media companies are not sure how to
invest their time and money in upcoming
ventures. But many are taking the leap into
digital TV interactive devices and systems.
Right now, at the very beginning of the 21th
century, Europe is ahead of the U.S. in
developing these services. But soon, the U.S.
will catch up; interactive TV will start to become
common in U.S. households in a few years.

What is digital interactive TV?
This innovation is a blend of television and
computer components that lets you run searches
on the Internet and use e-mail and e-commerce
from a TV set. News services, delivered by
satellite or cable, could be available in a form
tailored to the individual viewer. Digital video
recording features would be widely available. So
you could pause live programming, tape it, and
view the entire show when you come back to it.

What are the problems?
Because the market will be fragmented while
companies try out different services, no one
knows what platform will prevail to deliver these
services. Some programs may be delivered
differently in various regions of the country. Also,
TVs and computers are different animals, as are
their users. Some critics of interactive TV see it
as a passive medium that one sits back and
absorbs. The Internet, in contrast, is active. This
suggests people won't use both at the same
time, although some people do say they use the
Internet while watching TV. That group, about 25
percent of Internet users, could form a good
market niche for the services.
Other differences between TVs and
computers also need to be resolved to happily
merge the two. A low-resolution TV screen
displays Web pages poorly - so poorly that
they are often unreadable. Also, Internet users
who scorn aspects of TV don't want it to define
the Internet. For instance, TV marketing has a
mass appeal that could lower the quality of
Internet interactions. Similarly, by making the
services accessible to all, a "dumbed down"
look could become typical.
Therefore, media companies are looking
into high-definition TV screens that will look like
computer screens. Also, high-speed cable
systems could help retain the sophistication of
computers while allowing the easy access of a TV.

What is the author's purpose in this passage?
In the middle
Mostly explanatory
Mostly persuasive

Answer 2

i am not 100% sure but i think its still Mostly explanatory