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MUMBAI: A quarter-century after the first diagnosed cases surfaced,
HIV/AIDS continues to spread rapidly throughout the world. To help
shed more light on the history of this pandemic and educate people
about what can be done to stop it, Microsoft Corp. principal researcher
Curtis Wong has teamed up with producers of the PBS television series
Frontline to develop an enhanced broadband television web
site for a new documentary titled The Age of AIDS.
Wong, who manages the Next Media Research group within Microsoft Research,
worked closely with WGBH Interactive and the producers of Frontline
to design the technology for the web site. Beginning on 2 June,
the web site at http://www.pbs.org/frontline/aids will allow visitors
to view The Age of AIDS video on demand, in its entirety or
chapter by chapter, along with related, interactive online content
that is tightly integrated with the video footage.
"What's unique about this approach is that it seamlessly combines
a compelling television program with rich web resources to significantly
enhance people's understanding of a complex topic like AIDS. It highlights
the tremendous potential of Internet television with rich interactivity
to deliver in-depth content to a global audience," said Wong.
As people watch The Age of AIDS documentary online, contextual
links appear beside the video to inform viewers about topics directly
related to that portion of the program. Clicking on any link automatically
pauses the video, allowing viewers to explore related resources
at their leisure and then return to the documentary without missing
a moment.
Other links will take the viewer to a detailed explanation of the
science of HIV/AIDS or an interactive timeline cross-referenced
to the video and other resources in the site. The site also hosts
an oral history archive of extended interviews with the top scientists,
physicians, public-health officials and activists who have been
fighting this battle for 25 years.
Wong's group at Microsoft Research explores how advances in connectivity,
data storage, computing devices, network bandwidth and other technologies
influence traditional as well as emerging forms of media. "The
HIV/AIDS epidemic has so many facets -- from the science to the
politics to the social ramifications to the human stories -- that
cry out to be examined in greater depth and dimension than a four-hour
television program can deliver," Wong said.
"It's an honor to work with WGBH Interactive and the Frontline
producers to provide innovative ideas and technology as a tool
for enhancing public understanding and hopefully shaping public
policy on HIV/AIDS. And this has been a great opportunity to support
public television and build on Microsoft's insights into the future
of media," Wong added.
Filmed in 19 countries, The Age of AIDS features interviews
with dozens of scientists, political figures, activists and HIV
patients. The documentary is a co-production of WGBH/Frontline
and Paladin InVision Ltd. with Silverbridge Productions Ltd.
and Channel 4.
PBS stations will air the two-part Frontline documentary.
"Curtis has brought crucial expertise to this production in
terms of combining interactive web technology tools and deep stores
of online information with the rich storytelling power of television.
The Age of AIDS companion web site will enable us to convey
far more in-depth information about this pandemic to a much larger
global audience than would otherwise be possible with this documentary
alone," said Frontline creator and executive producer
David Fanning.
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