This is why DSL was created in the 1980's -- interactive TV. It's
not the unused portion -- it is DSL itself. It's the Internet
connectivity that uses that "unused" portion left vacant when the
US carriers failed to pursue TV route.
The use of the word "subsidize" is interesting -- exactly what does
it mean in terms of the business structure? Either you're
overpaying for DSL or the video service isn't economically viable
in its own right.
In the US I think the carriers who passed on using DSL for its
original purpose have decided to put all their money into a brand
new fiber deployment that seems to repeat the original design point
of DSL -- aiming at TV again rather than creating a more general
purpose infrastructure usable for symmetric data transport with
video being just one form of "content".
Note also that there are technologies available to increase the
capacity of DSL-- check out http://www.dslreports.com
I’m going to be in Zaragoza this week and will see if I can learn
more about this. As an aside, I find it interesting (and annoying)
that according to Renfe one must be inside the country to buy a
railroad ticket and their web site appears to only be available
during business hours. Transitioning to a real marketplace is not
easy.
As a different aside -- responding to another letter about the need
to switch to DTV for ATSC -- it reminds me of the WAP/WML/HDML
debacle. Cell phones "required" a special protocol rather than
HTML. It was a convenient fiction that helped maintain their walled
garden. It seems irresponsible to require a special infrastructure
just for ATSC. It's like building a new version of the PSTN just as
the whole idea of a special phone network is becoming economically
untenable.
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-ip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-ip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of David Farber
Sent: Saturday, June 11, 2005 08:25
To: Ip ip
Subject: [IP] "unused" portion of their DSL lines to broadcast
video signals.
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Damien V. Del Porto" <damien@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: June 11, 2005 7:07:41 AM EDT
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [IP] more on The Digital TV Fiasco
This is slightly off-topic but relevant I think.
For the last few months, Spain's former telephone monopoly has
been using the "unused" portion of their DSL lines to broadcast
video signals. There are some 40 channels (there are only 5-7
channels available over the air and w/o satellite). The DSL line
charges, which are between 30 and 40 €, subsidize this service,
which is 12 € per month. I mention this because, while we dont
have HDTV here, the quality is quite good. The service also
includes an on-demand videoclub (with a horrible selection of
movies...unless you're into adult-themed movies) and PPV soccer
games. From what I understand, the service is using 4 Mbits or so
of the total 6-8 available. The base subscriber package is 512/128
(which will be doubled for free next month to 1M/320), and can
scale up to 2.
Is anyone in the US trying this approach? Does anyone know whether
an HDTV signal could fit into the DSL bandwidth? -d
Link: http://www.telefonicaonline.es/imagenio/
David Farber wrote:
Begin forwarded message:
From: Chris Beck <cbeck@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: June 10, 2005 6:55:13 PM EDT
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx, Tim Onosko <onosko@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [IP] more on The Digital TV Fiasco
Rumour has it Tim Onosko, on or about 10/06/2005 2:32:51 PM EDT,
whispered:
Brad Templeton is absolutely right on this, but he doesn't
mention the
very real reason why digital TV must move from MPEG2 to MPEG4
(specifically the new H.264 or "AVC" codec): Picture quality.
Anyone who has watched digital cable or satellite signals can
tell you
that the quality is TERRIBLE.
As someone who suffers under the iron heel of Videotron cable in
Montreal,
Quebec I can second that argument. They are shoving internet,
digital TV and
regular cable and compressing the heck out of my digital
channels. This is
especially visible for some reason in ocean documentaries, the
banding in the
water is atrocious. I have not even bothered investing in an HDTV
because of a
complete lack of confidence in their ability to actually deliver
any watchable
high def content.
Cheers,
Chris
--
Chris Beck - http://pacanukeha.blogspot.com
He needs a lang shanket spoon that sups kail wi' the de'il
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