Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Intel Corporation (INTC) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mary Cluney who wrote (67939)	11/8/1998 3:00:00 AM
From: stak	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 186894

Mary, Yes, this is one of the devices that will begin to appear very shortly. This particular one addresses the coming PC-TV convergence. Combined with digital TVs, I believe that they will become popular in short order. STBs (set-top boxes) will feature many different capabilities, but the key one for PC companies and cable companies will be interactivity. The TV is already a one-way very high speed cable modem but it lacks the ability to transfer data or data requests back to the source. With STBs this changes completely. People will be able to control the content that is coming into their homes. Some would call this asynchronous transfer. Any interactive device that wants to take itself seriously and be called revolutionary must address the connection that it makes to its content. This device IMHO doesn't cut it. Front and center they should be talking of cable modems and how they are seemlessly integrated into the STB. The modem should be built into the unit. At the curent time there are numerous standards used by the cable companies so it's not an easy job to do. Each STB would have to be specially tested for compatibility depending on the cable that is used. @Home, RoadRunner etc. Each consumer would be asked which cable company he uses and then sold the appropriate STB. Ex. @Home ready STB or a Roadrunner ready STB. This would save a lot of time and money. Now, cable modems are installed by a team of 2 techies. One for software and one for the hardware. If the cable modem software and hardware are pre-installed then a lot of time will be saved! JMO stak