Editing TechTV (section)

{{short description|American cable channel}}
{{good article}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox television channel
| name = TechTV
| logo = TechTV Horizontal.svg
| logo_alt = Five dots arranged to form a letter T. The upper right and middle center dot are red and are connected to each other; the others are black. All of this is encased in a black ring, with the words "Tech" and "TV" lowercase in an extended sans serif, "Tech" bolder than "TV", to the right.
| logo_caption = 
| image = 
| launch_date = {{Start date and age|1998|05|11}}, as ZDTV
| airdate = 
| closed_date = {{End date and age|2004|05|28}}
| picture_format = 
| network = 
| owner = {{Plainlist|
* [[Ziff Davis|Ziff-Davis]] (1998–2000)
* [[Vulcan Ventures]] (2000–2004)
* [[G4 Media (TV company)|G4 Media]] (2004)
}}
| key_people = 
| country = United States
| language = [[American English|English]]
| area = 
| affiliates = [[KAGW-CD|KTQW]]
| headquarters = [[San Francisco]], California
| former_names = ZDTV (1998–2000)
| replaced = 
| replaced_by = {{Plainlist|
* [[G4techTV]] (2004–2005)
* [[G4 (American TV network)|G4]] (2005–2014, 2021–2022)
}}
}}

'''TechTV''' was an American [[cable television]] channel with a focus on technology. It was launched as '''ZDTV''' on May 11, 1998, by computer magazine publisher [[Ziff Davis|Ziff-Davis]] following two short-lived technology-based programs by the company. Initially targeting tech enthusiasts with programming including ''[[The Screen Savers]]'', ''Call for Help'' and ''GameSpot TV'' (later named ''Extended Play'' and then ''[[Xplay|X-Play]]''), it aimed to report and inform on computers and the internet during the [[dot-com bubble]].

In 2000, ZDTV was sold to [[Vulcan Ventures]], owned by [[Paul Allen]], and rebranded as TechTV. As the dot-com bubble burst, the network shifted toward broader tech-related content such as gaming and pop culture. The [[anime]] programming block Anime Unleashed premiered during this time, as well as a late-night block on which the revamped ''X-Play'' debuted. Although the network had a reach of 43 million homes, its ratings remained scant.

Facing ongoing operating losses and the growth of the internet, TechTV merged with [[Comcast]]'s [[G4 (American TV network)|G4]] network in 2004, briefly becoming [[G4techTV]] before the TechTV brand was phased out entirely by 2005, as G4 pivoted to a younger, gaming-centric audience. ''X-Play'', ''Call for Help'' and the Anime Unleashed block outlived their original network, and a number of TechTV alumni went on to establish the [[multi-channel network]] [[Revision3]].