The ActiveHome Game Show Contest Winner

October 17, 2001 - On our August 23rd How2, (How2 Host Your Own Game Show) we announced a contest. The premise of the contest was to come up with a cool game show using ActiveHome and other X10 products. The contest was to close on September 21, 2001, and the winners would be announced on September 30. Due to certain unforeseen events, that deadline had been pushed back just a little, but here’s the winning entry, and the recipient of the $30.00 gift certificate.

Our winning entry comes from Lee G. A.K.A. - Dr. Technology as he calls himself, and he patterns his game after the popular CD-ROM computer game "You Don’t Know Jack?" "The computer game has been out for years" he says, "and it is a blast." So Lee’s proposal is to set up a live "You Don’t Know Jack?" game, complete with buzzers, lights, and XCam2s.

First of all, you start out with two or three teams. "For best game show results, and the most professional look, there is one XCam2 and one SlimLine Wall Switch needed per person," he says.

Each person will also have a plug-in lamp box. The lamp box you will need to nail to the table. (So be sure and use an appropriate table. Kids, ask your parents before you go nailing anything to the dining room table.) If nailing doesn’t work, then try something less drastic, like clamps.

Once the lamp box is nailed to the table, put a light bulb into each lamp box.

Plug the lamp box into an ActiveHome Lamp Module and you have what Lee calls "Insta-Game show light-no lamp needed." Lee says this looks better, and you can use different color bulbs for each team.

The host will also have an ActiveHome remote, and an XCam2 on him or her as well.

Have a TV with a VCR ready to record the show, or as Lee says, "maybe a computer with XRay Vision to transmit the game show live to the web." Or you can use both. You can transmit live onto tape, as well as live up to the web.

The TV and VCR should be near the host so that he or she can record and pause the tape as they deem necessary. The host also has a mic, and there is a mic in front of each contestant. (Very inexpensive tabletop mics can be purchased at your local electronics store.) "The host can control which mic is on or off from a small karaoke machine he or she has below them connected to a splitter so that all the mics run into it."

Once the game is ready to start, "one of the contestants pushes their SlimLine switch and his or her light comes up, and their bell rings," Lee says. "The host then uses the Camera Remote to turn on their Camera, and then turn on their mic."

The host asks a question... they have 30 seconds to answer. "Funny or lesser-known stuff is used here, just like on the real game," Lee says. "That’s what’s so funny about the game. No one knows the answers and everybody struggles to get any points. It’s funny to watch," he says, "Real funny."

The host can throw the question open, or choose to ask another one. It’s all at their discretion. As the game progresses, the host can use his or her ActiveHome remote to "control bells, lights, and more as the game goes on."

When the game is over, the host has a tape that everyone can watch for generations to come. They can see how the show went, enjoy some of the jokes and goofs, or comment on the faces that each person made as they struggled to find an answer somewhere in the hidden resources of their brains.

Lee says the show "may be real popular as the net's first live game show!" His advice to all future game show hosts is to, "Be creative. Imagination can make this even better as you make a special 'Stage for the Show’ and more!"

And that’s our winner for the Game Show Contest.

X10 and Lee/Dr. Technology could make game show history by being the first person/persons ever to broadcast a live game show over the net, and XRay Vision would make that possible. We can’t wait to see it.

Send comments or feedback on this article to xzone@x10.com