Previewing the Future   

Companies are working together across the country to test interactive multimedia services. Below is a sampling of what may be coming soon to your neighborhood.

Castro Valley

This summer Viacom International and AT&T will test new interactive services over Viacom's cable system, which is located 20 miles southeast of San Francisco and serves about 13,000 customers.

By the end of September the partners plan to have at least 1,000 homes receiving interactive content, including video-on-demand, a home-shopping service and an on-screen program guide. Viacom also will test some interactive versions of programming from its current networks, including MTV, Nickelodeon and Showtime.

Cerritos

For four years, GTE has tested interactive TV using what have been the standard distribution conduits – coaxial cable and copper-wire telephone lines. Working with Apollo Cablevision, the 60 information services of GTE's Main Street have been provided to 350 cable customers in Cerritos, 25 miles south of Los Angeles.

In the past year, Main Street also has been offered by two other cable systems to 35,000 Continental Cablevision customers in six towns west of Boston and 50,000 subscribers of Daniels Cablevision in the San Diego area. Thus far, GTE says 700 customers in Massachusetts and another 2,000 have signed on in San Diego.

Main Street content in the Boston area includes educational references, home shopping, travel services, financial services and entertainment. Main Street's news and sports information is provided by UPI and Accu-Weather.

Omaha

Early this year U S West will begin testing video services as part of its announced plans to install a high capacity network using fiber optics throughout its 14-state territory. The company says its projected 100,000 customers in the Omaha test will have access to video on demand as well as interactive games, educational programs and home shopping by the end of this year.

U S West will work with several technology partners, including DSC Communications Corp., AT&T Network Systems and Scientific-Atlanta Inc., which will provide video equipment for the network.

Orlando

Beginning in April, 4,000 households will test Time Warner's Full Service Network, an interactive information and entertainment system to be delivered over Time Warner's local cable system. CUC International has signed on to provide access to its electronic shopping service, which sells 250,000 products.

FSN subscribers also will be able to output images from their TV. Time Warner Cable has entered into a venture with Hewlett-Packard that will allow FSN customers to print on a high-resolution color printer any image, such as coupons, retail ads and promotions, maps, invoices and articles, from their TV screens. – P.M.