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                                 [LETTER HEAD]



                                                                October 26, 1995
ACTV, Inc.
1270 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020

Gentlemen:

     You have  requested  our  opinion,  as counsel  for ACTV  Inc.,  a Delaware
corporation  (the 'Company'),  in connection with the registration  statement on
Form S-1 (the 'Registration  Statement'),  under the Securities Act of 1933 (the
'Act'), being filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

     The Registration  Statement  relates to (i) an offering by the Company (the
'Offering')  of up to 2,500,000  shares (the 'Company  Shares') of common stock,
par value $.10 (the 'Common  Stock'),  and (ii) 3,850,000 shares of Common Stock
(the 'Security Holders' Shares').  Up to 265,239 of the Security Holders' Shares
may be issued by the Company (i) upon the exercise of options and warrants  that
have been issued and are not currently  exercisable,  and (ii) to consultants or
others.  Up to 3,584,761 of the Security Holders' Shares may be sold by security
holders who have  acquired or will acquire such shares from the Company (i) upon
exercise of currently  exercisable  options and warrants,  (ii) upon issuance to
consultants  pursuant  to  existing  agreements,  and  (iii)  upon  issuance  in
connection with certain financings.

     We have examined such records and documents and made such  examinations  of
law as we have  deemed  relevant  in  connection  with this  opinion.  It is our
opinion that when there has been compliance with the Act, the Company Shares and
the Security Holders Shares, when issued, delivered, and paid for, will be fully
paid and nonassessable.

     No  opinion is  expressed  herein as to any laws other than the laws of the
State of New York and of the United States.

     We hereby  consent  to the  filing of this  opinion  as an  exhibit  to the
Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm under the caption 'Legal
Matters' in the Registration Statement. In so doing, we do not admit that we are
in the category of persons whose consent is required  under Section 7 of the Act
or  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission
promulgated thereunder.

                                        Very truly yours,

                                        GERSTEN, SAVAGE, KAPLOWITZ & CURTIN

                                        GERSTEN, SAVAGE, KAPLOWITZ & CURTIN, LLP


