I, personally, do not profess to be "expert" in technology issues. However, I do happen to know a little bit of everybody. They come to my parties, for example. And since I live in Cambridge, I have very good people resources. Well, I've put my think-tank together on the technology questions, and this is how it all breaks down.
The first conclusion my sources tell me, is that the recent posts on the SI board regarding the technology are on the wrong track. Clearly it is
difficult, if not impossible to deliver high quality video based ads via the internet. You
really do need at least an ISDN connection, or preferably a T1 line, to deliver
acceptable quality video in real time.
However, there is always more than one way to skin a cat. Consider the concept of
"connected CD" or "connected DVD." Just about every new personal computer
includes a CD-ROM today. By the end of the year most new personal computers will
include a DVD-ROM drive. DVD was designed to deliver "broadcast" quality video
and audio, and has the capacity to store at least 4.7 GBytes and up to 17 Gbytes of
data on a single disc.
In fact, NB Digital Solutions--a component of the ESVS/Zulu group almost nobody seems to want to talk much about--already developed software that delivers content to an end-user through a combination of Internet and DVD technology. It uses
the DVD drive to deliver "broadcast" quality video and audio, and the internet to
deliver traditional web based content that can be updated in real time. Using this
combination of two technologies solves the limited bandwidth problems inherent
in today's standard 28.8 kbps modem connection to the internet.
Essentially this is what EchoMedia has also demonstrated, although they used a
CD-ROM to deliver MPEG-1 style video (which is VHS quality).
I'm confident when all is said and done, Zulu-tek will pass muster. I believe it will be among several futuristic technologies to play a role in our everyday life. Personally, I think it's a worthy bet at the present price near .50. And as Aleta correctly pointed out, if all of the present controversy gets sorted out on the positive side, it will be a worthwhile investment down the road.
Sure there's some bad stuff out there. But there's also some very good stuff. Good luck in whatever decision you make. I know where I'm at: Long on NETZ! My parties will only get bigger!
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