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Technology Stocks : Compaq -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Steven N who wrote (36079)	11/10/1998 7:42:00 AM
From: Lynn	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 97611

Going with your news item, Steve, here's some more on Compaq's involvement with computer digital TV, this time with Matsushita. The paragraph I am quoting is the last, and only relevant paragraph for people interested in CPQ. After citing the news item I pose a question. >Elsewhere, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co was up 42 yen at 1,975. >The company and Compaq Computer Corp (NYSE:CPQ - news) said on Monday >they had launched the first digital television tuner-decorder for >personal computers. Source: biz.yahoo.com Title: Tokyo stocks slip, uninspired by econ proposal Now my question(s): Does anyone know if receiving digital TV through a PC is going to be whole screen or if it is going to enable people to receive programs merely in a small window as well, similar to picture in a picture available on some regular TVs? Also, does anyone know if the boards being devised are going to be usable no matter how one receives a TV signal, whether off the air (antenna), cable, or satellite? Lynn

To: Steven N who wrote (36079)	11/10/1998 8:30:00 AM
From: rupert1	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 97611

Steven N: This is going to be a big market. The concept of digital, at least for TV boxes is enthusiastically received in the UK. There is a lot of talk of chanelling it through computers next. SKY Television (Rupert Murdoch) is the first to offer digital by satellite, starting in October. Cable companies will follow in January. The BBC and other programme makers are already broadcasting in wide-screen. SKY is charging existing analogue customers $50 connection fee and about $310 for the new box and satellite dish then about $50 a month for the top package - and extras are charged a la carte. (Non-customers are charged a lot more). At the moment, it is one-way broadcasting, but it is set up with channels for interactive buying, banking and so on. These channels are to come later. If you want the "subsidised" installation price, as I have quoted it, you have to sign a contract to hook up your phone line for one year; apparently we are gong to be innundated with advertising and other interactive wheezes. In anticipation of demand SKY beefed up its customer service personnel and telephone banks. Demand has been so great that the media are reporting people waiting hours on the telephone in order to speak to a living representative (and most of the calls are long-distance to Scotland, and none of them are toll-free). Sky is so "embarrassed" it is taking on hundreds of extra staff. Even after a customer pays up-front, it takes about 2-3 weeks to get connected. Sky is now saying it will easily exceed its target of 200,000 by Christmas. I've got one. Very good pictures, nice wide screen, annoying remote control - very complicated and designed to make you impulse buy extra movies etc. But even with all the high definition and digital sound Mark Haines's complexion on CNBC Squawk Box still looks grotty. (That's another word for you Elwood!). BTW, I don't think SKY is part of the Murdoch Fox Group, 14% of which is an IPO next week. Victor