Some Excerpt from BAM's articles:
Per Cuban, streaming technology, like set top box engineering, is seen as an infrastructure issue by the carriers. Ie. there is too much at stake to allow this component to upset planning.
" Among streaming media specialists, Cuban predicted RealNetworks Inc. will be acquired within a year, not by a software giant like Microsoft or a traditional media giant, but by a telephone company or specialized carrier that wants to add streaming media capabilities to bandwidth access schemes. "
Finally a recognition of the VOD AOD problem:
" And Cuban saw an even more unusual replacement for film and CD distribution. He said that charging customers by downloads of individual songs or movie titles probably will not work, in part because the search space of possible audio and video clips is so
huge. nstead, he said, smart record companies will turn to a subscription-based service for a particular artist, in which a monthly fee will allow a select community to receive all new works by an artist for that month."
Suppose Ampex can produce and end to end demo site using their technology and the facilities of their alliances where the "search space" is demonstrated to be rendered into an infrastructure issue? Does Ampex become like a RealNetworks matter?
"Bandwidth issues are a key concern to Broadcast.com, a leading provider of audio and video programming. In a videotaped introduction to his talk, Cuban said his company runs 700 video servers that accommodate as many as half a million simultaneous users.
Indicating his company's growth, Cuban noted that in the three months since he made the video, the number of Broadcast.com servers had expanded to 1100. "
Eleven hundred video servers would have to each have their own storage capability. While some of them grouped together in nearby proximity could use a fibre optic access to a storage SAN service, there still would be a need to have the topology replicated at many sites worldwide (and this is only the BCST service):
Finally for the opposition:
" Where is broadcasting over the Internet headed? Cuban reeled off a number of controversial predictions, including "the death of network television" in the next seven years. "TV stations won't need networks with so much digital content available over the Net," Cuban says."
IMO, don't expect them to just roll over and go dead. CBS, NBC, ABC, Disney and others will come out swinging and will bring fistfulls of cash accumulated from almost 50 years of operations. Whatever infrastructure issues are in the way will be dealt with or leveled.
"Seat belts are advised"
Ed Perry. |
