> > > I wonder the
> > > following thing : can we route the PCI channel through an other
> > > channel ?
> > > A converter or an adaptater like in an external hard-disk (IDE to USB),
> snip
> > > Is it possible ?
> > 
> > Computers can and often do have multiple Ethernets.  Yes, they make
> > PCI cards that supply Ethernet ports.  You can even get PCI cards
> > with multiple Ethernet ports.  I've seen PCI cards with 4 ports.
> > Some mainboards have more than one Ethernet onboard.  They also make
> > USB-to-Ethernet adapters, so you can get an Ethernet port without
> > using up a PCI slot, assuming the computer already has USB.
> > 
> > You don't necessarily need a dedicated Ethernet to run this, even if
> > you are viewing HD video.  
> So, I understand that my wish doesn´t need a "special" chip which would
> make the relation between the PCI interface and the Ethernet interface,
> right ?

If you are looking for a PCI card that provides Ethernet ports, they are widely
available.

US$12.99 for 10/100 Mbps
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=252929

US$18.99 for 10/100/1000 Mbps
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=252918

(I don't know if these particular cards are good or not, but if not there
are lots of choices.)

Or do I misunderstand you, and you want a device that works the other way 
around?
One that plugs into Ethernet and provides a PCI slot?  The only way I know of to
do that is to use a computer.  I am always short on slots, and would love to 
find
a Ethernet/SCSI/USB/Firewire/whatever-to-slot adapter.

> Of course a T base 1000 is better, is it more expensive ?

The prices of 1000 Mbps PCI Ethernet cards are pretty low now.  I'm pretty
sure I've seen lower prices than the ones above.  (again, the cards might
be low quality, I don't know)  Prices on 1000 Mbps hubs/switches still
seem quite a bit higher than prices for 100 Mbps.

> Moreover, I suppose that if the g-card in the terminal has to decode, it
> will be a little more hot and more expensive.

According to the nvidea pdf that Vesa recently posted a URL to,
http://www.nvidia.com/object/TB_purevideo.html
it takes less power (longer battery life) to decode using graphics hardware
than decoding with software in a general purpose CPU.  Of course nvidia is
biased.

My hope is that the OGC chip will handle enough of the decoding that we
can use an inexpensive, low power CPU.

> Anyway, can we envisage in the flat panel a board with an Ethernet
> connector and a PCI slot on which one plugs the g-card ?

If you want to do it that way, you would need a board with CPU, memory,
Ethernet chip, PCI slot, and a few other things.

I was thinking of taking the OGC chip and putting it directly on that
board.  Save the cost of the PCI connectors.

> Does that require a "special" chip between the PCI slot and the Ethernet
> connector ?

Ah, perhaps this is what you were trying to get at above.

If you want a single chip it would probably have to be special.  I think we can
do it with a few off the shelf chips, but I expect it would take more than one.

It would be really nice if we could find a way to avoid needing a general
purpose CPU.

> And here, the idea to offer a monitor with a g-card inside begins
> interesting when one considers this configuration :
> the PC->the DSL box->the screen
> since most of the ISP´s DSL box are more than a modem/router.

By "more than a modem/router", do you mean "have multiple Ethernet
ports", or something else?  Certainly, if you have a DSL modem with
some variety of hub/switch/router built-in, you could plug the
screen into the DSL hub rather than into the computer.  Assuming
the DSL modem has a built-in firewall that you trust.

> As well one can foreseen that the next generation of TV will have far
> more logic inside, more capacities to handle graphics or codec, and
> maybe not so different than a terminal.

Any current TV that has a tuner for OTA digital will be able to decode
whatever codec is used for OTA.  (here OTA uses mpeg2ts)  Whether there
is a way to feed such a TV mpeg2ts data via a path other than the RF
input is another question.

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