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Technology Stocks : Concurrent Computer (CCUR) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Starowl who wrote (10254)	7/22/1999 2:34:00 PM
From: Christiaan McDonald	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 21143

From what I have read in reputable journals/newspapers, such as Steve O's favorite, the Wall Street Jr., most of the top artists will not agree to downloading the entire CD because they fear that there will be widespread copying. Also, from what I have read, that is going to be the problem, also, with Internet streaming of movies. Eventually, I am sure, that problem will be solved, they will come up with a security system that will meet the approval of the popular music/video owners. However, these computer guys are so good I will bet they will figure out a way to beat the system, no matter what they do. Ken

To: Starowl who wrote (10254)	7/22/1999 2:51:00 PM
From: Nimbus	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 21143

MPEG-1 RATES MPEG-1, full SIF, is 150KBytes/sec (CDROM 1x speed). This rate was specified by MPEG so that movies could distributed on 1st gen CDROMs. 150KBps equals 1.2M bits/sec, so if you can get this rate on a high speed connection it can be delivered in 2 hours for a 2 hour movie. At 150KBytes/sec and 2 hours, it will occupy a bit over a gig on your hard drive. The nature of TCP is such that the file does not need to received in the order sent ...ie: the protocol allows some packets (data blocks) to arrive "late" and be stitched in to the final file before completely "closed" by your file system. This makes watching it as it arrives a bit questionable but people are doing this today. It will arrive in the order sent if there are not errors along the way. Today's cable modem speeds will increase, as they have on phone lines over time, and it won't be long before 10 Mbits/sec service will be permitted allowing MPEG2 rates (400KBytes/sec or so) with ease (DVD equivalent quality). HDTV quality MPEG is about 2250 KBytes/sec, or 15 times today's cable modem rates, and it will be a good while before we will get interactive pipes to the home in this range ... but it will happen. The downloadable "threat" is not going away. It has many advantages, primarily because it is simple and cheap to do, and many people will be able to do it. But it also is not a "TV" answer (yet) as Jeff points out and the quality is only MPEG1 where a VOD server w/STB will operate at MPEG2 right out of the chute. Keep an eye on it. CDNow did announce that they will offer Movie downloads once the Music Download site is working.