pk : > >> > 7. there is audio AND 'video' data am : > >> There is no data in strict sense as long as it is ANALOG that is regular PAL type TV signals. When the contents of a given channel are MODULATED at the HeadEnd i.e at Cable providers premises, then the particular channel carries DIGITAL DATA and is obtained at the customer's premises upon DEMODULATION,
pk : > > this is simple to understand .. i believe the Mod/DeMod is tuning into the channel .. there are other things involved as well .. Mux-ing/DeMux-ing and also the Compression/DeCompression (digital only ?) am : > >> yes we are talking of Cable Modem. pk : > > .. ah ! .. music to our ears .. when ? how ? .. go on .. any installations up and running commercially yet ? > > > > as of now, the cable tv operators are offering WAN thru RJ45 .. the CableModems are too costly to buy/install and the provider end equipment and s/w are costly too > > > > we have been talking to RPG and others and they just seem to be blissfully ignorant of such things > > > > breifly .. this would need a splitter .. at our end .. which sends the tv signals to the tv and the digital signals to the pc .. this CableModem is different from the DSL .. err .. ADSL based broadband implementations of bsnl .. then how in the world will bsnl provide video-on-demand thru THEIR broadband ? .. 'digital' video specifically am : > Aha.... now I see. That is over simplified. No, tuning into a particular frequency is not demodulation. As an analogy "Tuning" can be better understood as using a hearing aid to catch the sound by the ear (this relates to the so far unanswered query i.e. perception problem as above) and then the sound which one hears can be some words, sentences, song, music etc. First of all to realize that the sounds are not sounds but some words, sentences etc. and then the ability to comprehend the information conveyed from such sound, words , song etc. can be understood as demodulation. Understanding the Language may be termed as can be "decoding". These are again to be considered as analogy only. MODULATION/DEMODULATION, ENCODING/DECODING, COMPRESSION/UNCOMPRESSION, ERROR-CHECKING, ERROR-CORRECTION etc. are all HIGHER LEVEL functions which are to be carried out by some already present intelligence i.e through some computations as in computers with logic, memeory etc. or as by brain in humans."TUNING" is much lower level function. It is like, are we getting desired "voltage" ?can be measured and changed, similarly are we able to perceive the desired frequency and then tune to a particular frequency / channel i.e. adjust the perception / reception level. > > The day Indian society (especially the middle class and lower middle class, i.e. mass consumers) can easily afford to pay (rather throw away) about Rs.5000/- per month for TV viewing, High Speed Internet etc. then why RPG, even the local cable wallah will know about all this technology overnight (educated by all those foreign techies trying to sell their cheap prototypes for testing in Indian markets). Again I am saying, what we are discussing here is already a reality in India and by Indians for Indians, pliot projects (commercially oriented) are already underway in a few cities, none of which are in eastern part of India though. > > This will sound offending to a few - Such pilot projects can be carried out (with economic viability) only in such places where consumers are aware and > can afford, on both these counts even the Megacity of the east i.e. our own Calcutta falls below the standards. > > Digital Video on ADSL or Cable can only be offered when the receiver units can receive such digital video i.e. a PC Desktop or a DIGITAL TV. So we > again come back to consumers and their ability to spend. How many of us will actually buy the DIGITAL TV or a Costly PC Desktop with VGA Accelerator card at a prohibitive cost of Rs.70,000/- or plus to enjoy the service even if the service is offered for free. > > Someone may, very insignificantly say, let the services be launched, the markets will do it and the costs will go down for the PCs or DigiTVs. > > OK, for such an argument I inform and then ask : > > BSNL offers free SMS from landline phones. Such phones are available in the market at Rs.1500/- approx. how many of us have bought it ? Even if one sends 10 SMS per day you recover the whole cost in how many months (taking the present tariff of SMS on mobile) ? Everyone is happy to send 20 SMS on mobiles sitting on the desk / bedroom and even where a landline is already present and pay Rs.20/- for the same with no problems. > > Calcutta Telephones is the first to offer this service, that too free. What is the Calcutta society doing about it ? > > Do not ask others, ask yourself. When I ask myself - I say I have not bought a phone with SMS as the department gives an instrument which is free and therefore I am not paying for my own instrument, the next day I go buy a cordless worth Rs.3000/- but not an SMS phone. > > Basically, I am trying to highlight the awarness level of this part of the country as consumers and their behaviour which prevents any Tech oriented project to be tried in the city at all. The guys in a Bangalore based Indian company did a fantastic job with ADSL, pilot project carried out at one of the prestigious Housing Complex of Calcutta which had highly learned and rich dwellers about 3 years back. The choice of site was made with some objectives, one of them was, that learned people will provide a good and informative and analysed feedback. About 32 users enjoyed high speed internet at that time, free of cost and the project was termed as failure. After a year or so a foreign company with its unreliable products, not meant for Indian conditions provides the largest ISP of India, the hardware to roll out the Broadband. Think again, if the Indian project was made successful, the service rates would have been lower as the hardware would be cheaper and more reliable being designed for Indian conditions. > > Is there anyone here, willing to change all this ? -- To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the body "unsubscribe ilug-cal" and an empty subject line. FAQ: http://www.ilug-cal.org/node.php?id=3
