[mythtv-users] prebuilt pvrs for developers benefit?

[Jarod C. Wilson]

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On Tuesday 04 May 2004 11:35, Bill Chmura wrote:
> On Tuesday 04 May 2004 02:22 pm, Chris Petersen wrote:
> > > What is interesting is the concept of the shows being recorded at the
> > > cable company itself and then you watching them on your schedule.  So
> > > you have your own version of the interface and you think you're tagging
> > > shows, but perhaps all channels, 24/7 for 30 days are being kept, and
> > > you just access content you are already paying for, just at a shifted
> > > time. You think it is recorded just for you.
> >
> > That's just on-demand TV - Comcast has been heavily advertising this
> > recently in my area.  Although time will tell if the cable companies
> > have the bandwidth to keep up with EVERYONE getting custom streams - the
> > cable system relies heavily on its multicast-like nature to avoid
> > overdrawing their bandwidth.
>
> I am guessing that if it comes to that they will start batching
> distrobution of the programs (like only broadcast on the 5 minute mark or
> something).  So you select your show and it will say "Starting in 3:50..."
>
> Of course what they will really do is suck the bandwidth off my cablemodem
> - the bastards

I believe it really is on-demand. There's a helluva lot more bandwidth on 
cable networks than they let on. I haven't tried Comcast's VOD offering, 
since I have very little need (I've already got hours of good stuff stacked 
up that I haven't watched), but my understanding is that it is most 
definitely on-demand, not interval broadcasts. And if you think about it, VOD 
might actually use less network resources in many cases than broadcasting the 
video. You only send the video where its wanted, instead of broadcasting it 
all over the place.

Also, note that Comcast bumping all their Internet subscribers up from 1.5Mbps 
to 3.0Mbps does very little to strain their network. A few years back, in the 
good old @Home days (when I paid less for an 8Mbps pipe than I do now for a 
3Mbps pipe) a friend that worked for what was AT&T Broadband at the time, 
told me that if everyone in the state were to subscribe, their network will 
still only run at 50% of capacity. Granted, outside of the greater Seattle 
area, Washington isn't really heavily populated, but...

- -- 
Jarod C. Wilson, RHCE

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