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From: dz@lime.ucsb.edu (Daniel James Zerkle)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.amiga.tech,comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Subject: Re: CDTV Idea!
Keywords: CDTV,Networking,Cable
Message-ID: <5908@hub.ucsb.edu>
Date: 7 Jul 90 21:01:36 GMT
References: <9350@life.ai.mit.edu>
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Reply-To: dz@cornu.ucsb.edu (Daniel James Zerkle)
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Organization: University of California, Santa Barbara
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In article <9350@life.ai.mit.edu> thor@wookumz.ai.mit.edu (Ray Cromwell) writes:
>
>modems are too slow, and faster ones are more expensive than CDTV itself.
>I have a better idea! How about a sort of ethernet coax-cable port. This
>will be used to hook into Cable-TV, and instead of 'downloading' new programs
>and data, owners will watch the 'CDTV' channel and set their CDTV's to record
>(in VCR jargon) programs. This strips away the computer jargon of downloading
>and adds the more intuitive one of 'recording' a program/show.
> ....
>a program that takes 10 hours at 2400 baud, you receive a program at video
>bandwidth speeds in minutes. I can see it now, companies lining up to
>advertise interactive commercials, producers lining up to make interactive
>....
>(instead of
> 'Can you spell this word, say it with me.' , it would be 'spell the word
>using the remote on your CDTV'.

Hmmmm.  Very interesting idea.  With a little bit of hardware, it would
be very possible to do this sort of thing.  The FCC is now letting cable
companies do "interesting" things during the vertical retrace period.  It
would be possible to come up with some effective way to broadcast software
over this sort of medium, if it has not already been done.

While doing this, it would be very possible to download small portions of
software at the same time a TV program is running.  Of course, you would
then be able to locally control some of what goes on the screen.  This
would make for such things as interactive educational programs, etc.

Of course, there would be some problems.  You would need some sort of
_writable_ medium to permanently store software.  The massive programs
that go on CD-ROM would be the most trouble, since CD-ROM is not (yet)
a writable medium.  In addition, your storage medium would have to be
able to STORE the information at that speed.  Hard disks probably could,
but floppy disks don't go that fast, especially when you consider that
they may well be out of operation for large chunks of time while the 
operator swaps the floppies.

For small programs, however, this system would be very quick and efficient.
No need to run off to the store or wait for a mail order to arrive.
You could just record your software off of some cable station.  You 
don't even need an (expensive and hard to get) internet connection!
It would certainly be much faster and accessible than a BBS (probably
cheaper, too, once you count long-distance bills).

The biggest problem I can with distribution of small programs is billing --
How do you make people pay for it?  Do they just get a subscription to
some cable station, the way you get HBO or Showtime or Cinemax or whatever?
The scrambling methods can use up a substantial chunk of the vertical
retrace, thus nullifying some of the benefits.  You can't bill people
for only the programs they take, since they get broadcast to everybody...
or can you?  Perhaps people could dial up requests that can be read only
by their particular machine (this can be done with certain encipherment
techniques).

This is starting to sound like what people could do once the dreamers'
fiber-optic network gets installed in everybody's house.

| Dan Zerkle home:(805) 968-4683 work:687-0110                        |
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