Tim Newsham wrote:
Interesting product. Unfortunately my wee little uplink from
verizon just wouldn't cut it.
This is something I am very much interested in finding out. 768kbs
may not be as bad as we think (depends on the compression I
suppose). There is another option called ORB, which requires a PC at
the transmitting end. The Sling is a standalone box.
My uplink is consideraly slower than 768kbps. Try 160kbps-ish.
This is why they invented BitTorrent
I've often wondered why PBS dumps a ton of money into HDTV instead
of streaming their content online.
Streaming video is for the general public, whereas HDTV is for those
who can afford one. When the president of CPB used to be a
co-chainperson of the you-know-what party, which way do you think the
funding is going to go.
You can blame in on the reps if you want, but the HDTV push happened
under the dems in the late 90s. "What!?" you say, "The democratic
senators are against us [EMAIL PROTECTED]" Yah, its a shocker.
DTV (like HDTV without the H) has to be supported by any new TeeVee >
13" and all other receivers (such as VCRs, DV
Ds, etc.) by 2007.
HDTV (by which I mean at least 720p) is a different animal, of course.
The first two solutions below will decode > 480p, but getting a
broadcaster to *send* 720p, 1080i or 1080p is a different kettle of
fish. (But hey, I'm over here on the rainy/windward side, and DTV is
hard to come by anyway.)
DTV on linux can be had for $170 per card (with up to 4 cards in a
system, for those of you who want to build a MythTV box.)
http://www.pchdtv.com/hd_3000.html
If you're way itno "just do it in software" (and damn the Broadcast
Flag, for when they eventually get it passed), then you could spend
about $650 on a USSR + TVRX from ETTUS Research: http://www.ettus.com/
These run GNU Radio
http://www.gnu.org/software/gnuradio/
I may end up with one for some "experimentation". When I do, I'll see
about bringing it to some meeting or other.
Of course, you'll learn more watching the *other* screen. :-)
Since I sorta mentioned Software Defined Radio (GNU Radio implements a
SDR) I should also mention a plethora of SDR-based information here:
http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/sdr.html
And of course, what every geek HAM wants for Christmas:
http://www.flex-radio.com/ (Also has a full GPLed SDR stack.)
Jim
