Well, I'll respond to what I can:
1) thruput - theoretical thruput is 150kbs according to Norpak (the people who make VBI-broadcast encoders - I'm not certain they're making the encoders wavetop is using but it's a logical assumption, if you read their client list). Why/where-from the 14.4 figure, I dunno. It depends on how many VBI lines they're using of the 11 available. That is, btw, per TV channel -- so if you could somehow multilink content on channels 10, 11, and 12, you'd have ~450kbs. Not in the works for public-broadcast at the moment, as far as I know.
It also includes the error correction. Adds up to 69mb/hour. norpak.com
2) re: the speculation (mine and others) regarding restriction of cableTV based input, I should point out (and I was remiss in prior post for not doing so) that Wavephore investor relations indicates that PBS should not be scrambled pre-cable-box (which, from my tests with intercast, would mean they're passing the VBI content through to you). WNET-13 is indeed not scrambled on time-warner cable in NYC; I checked.
3 & 4) content providers & 'house ads' - I wouldn't get too vexed about this until oh 6 months after launch. who knows who's going to sign up once this is rolled out. How about all of Yahoo available via VBI? That'd meet my "compelling use" test...not sure they can cram it into a 150mb disk cache tho'
5) I agree; my only explanation is that people aren't seeing this as a push service because, well, wavephore hasn't attached the "P Word" to it (smart move) and people are latching onto terms like "high speed" and "internet" and "free".
6) wellll...I can see some benefit for Mr. Gates. How about distributing all those bug-fix patches for W98 so's they're automatically on your computer the next time you fire it up*? Or re-installing MSIE each time you've deleted it...the possibilities are endless. >:)
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* er, I mean, next time you sit down at it..since if you're an avid wavetop user, there will be no turning the computer on & off, lest you miss some content that's broadcast maybe 1x or 2x per 24-hour period. |
