[opendtv] Re: Technology years
- From: "Dale Kelly" <dalekelly@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2007 23:10:02 -0800
Stephen eloquently makes my earlier point that began this "technology years"
thread; every technology has a finite window of opportunity and these
windows seemingly shorten with every generation. That window likely passed
us by when we let ourselves be hoodwinked into the present course.
I seriously doubt that changing course at this late date is an option.
Therefore we must try to make a go of ATSC but we must find a way to resolve
the current hardware and Standards bottlenecks.
Dale
> -----Original Message-----
> From: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Stephen W. Long
> Sent: Friday, January 19, 2007 6:46 PM
> To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [opendtv] Re: Technology years
>
>
> I made the offer a few years ago that when everything totally
> melts down, I
> would volunteer to Chair a committee of folks to draft a new American DTV
> standard. The new standard would feature OFDM modulation, H.264
> compression, native IP delivery of metadata (none of this PSIP cxxp) and
> other data, integrated mobile and fixed modes, true HDTV (no more
> interlace
> cxxp), etc., etc., etc.
>
> The only question in my mind is will this happen before or after
> I retire to
> write and travel the world (not too many years ahead).
>
> In my new position in the Government, I get to hear all sorts of
> interesting
> briefings. This past week I received an astonishing briefing
> about wireless
> technology standards, learning about standards that travel a few feet, to
> standards for global satellite IP delivery. Nearly EVERY standard for
> wireless delivery of data (802.xxy, where xx is 11 to 99 and y is
> almost any
> letter...) uses variations of OFDM. NONE, and I repeat NONE, of the
> emerging standards use fragile single carrier modulation.
>
> Now the class should ask, what is the point? Well, if you see
> the depth and
> breadth of what is about to unfold across the world and the USA
> in wireless
> data distribution domain, you have to ask yourself, why even bother with
> digital OTA television? Given the projected bandwidth delivery
> capabilities
> of these new systems (well beyond WiFi - hundreds of Mbps), one could
> entirely replace television broadcasting with wireless multi-cast IP
> broadcasting to every home in America. No need for cable, no need for big
> stick TV transmitters, no need for .... The Son of WiFi could
> replace TV as
> we know it on every city block and in every rural community. And
> oh by the
> way, you can be fixed or mobile. The OFDM bits do not care.
>
> Maybe the entire 8VSB disaster is a blessing. Maybe it has to be
> so bad, so
> unprofitable, so "80s" in its thinking and implementations, that the USA
> will be forced to do a leapfrog even beyond DVB-T or ISDB-T, and just move
> to a universe of IP transmission, from feet to thousands of miles
> - pick the
> system for the community that needs it. These technologies are so
> potentially cheap (the briefer talked about these wireless
> technology chips
> would show up in light bulbs, in wall switches (no need for
> copper wire for
> switches, just feed power to outlet, use wireless to turn light
> off or on))
> that every existing business model could be disrupted (who needs
> cell phones
> if WiFi phones work everywhere). If there is nearly free Son of WiFi
> transmitted to every home in America, then what do we need DTV for? Maybe
> the disastrous choice of 8VSB will be seen as a really good reason to
> rethink everything we know about television broadcasting - throw
> all of the
> old think out and start with a really clean sheet of paper.
>
> The other thing I learned from the briefing was the ravenous
> hunger for more
> spectrum. UHF spectrum is just about perfect for the things
> people want to
> do with broad area high bandwidth delivery of IP bandwidth.
>
> So, to those that continue to talk about the virtues of 8VSB - my
> new advice
> is to go for it!!! Work your tails off to get it turned on
> across America,
> spend as much money as possible, borrow even more money, spend
> that as well.
> It just means an eventually better and brighter future will get closer and
> closer. I think there was a Country Music hit song about being
> thankful for
> unanswered prayers. Maybe our collective inability to get 8VSB overturned
> for a COFDM system, was our unanswered prayer. Maybe 8VSB is the
> absolutely
> best choice if you want to kill television as we know it, for once it is
> dead, we have to reinvent everything from the ground up.
>
> 2009 will be fun after all.
>
> Stephen Long
>
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