Streamyx Streamyx Streamyx: May 11, 2008

Broadband Internet TV

With the growing proliferation of broadband Internet in every household, it is a natural phenomenon for services that have traditionally been delivered via analog means to be alternatively delivered via Internet Protocol (IP). One of these services is the broadcast of television programs via broadband Internet instead of radio waves. This is called Broadband Internet TV.

The major advantages of broadband Internet TV are:

Broadcasters can reach a wider audience without having to worry about the additional cost needed, since the viewer pays for the broadband access. This translates to a bigger opportunity to generate more income from advertising.

The viewer need not be at home to be able to watch his favorite TV shows since all he will need is Internet access. Again, because the Internet is so pervasive, it now becomes possible to be anywhere in the world and still be up-to-date with the latest news, sitcoms and other TV shows that you would normally watch at home. This brings rise to the opportunity for broadcasters (assuming that their business model does not rely mostly on advertising revenues) to charge subscriptions for remote access to their shows. Using encryption, data for shows The viewer can be selective as to the shows he/she wants or allows his children to watch. Filters can be applied to block or limit access to certain shows.

There are, of course, disadvantages to broadband Internet TV. For example, to be able to access broadband Internet TV, of course, assumes that there you have access to broadband Internet with speeds of at least 256kbps. This is a relatively slower speed than that which was required a few years ago when 512kbps was the minimum broadband speed was needed. Better compression technology makes streaming video at lower speeds possible. Nevertheless, broadband access is still a requirement.

Another disadvantage of broadband Internet TV is that it requires that you either have a computer with the appropriate decoding software, or a set-top box with decoding software. The latter is needed if you want to use your television set as the display medium.

Also the broadband Internet TV output resolution is currently inferior to that of radio broadcast technology. This is because higher resolution requires more file storage space that translates to more bandwidth to get a real-time streaming video experience. Also, the bigger the image, the finer the resolution needs to be so that it does not "break up" during display. Again, this translates to bigger file sizes and bigger bandwidth requirements.

Broadband Internet TV is offered in two modes: Free and Subscription Based. The Free mode is the akin to the conventional "free-to-air" television programming, where all you need to have is a television set configured to the broadcast system in your area (e.g., NTSC, PAL/SECAM, etc.), a television antenna to capture the broadcast, and electricity. Subscription mode is similar to the model of cable TV, where a monthly fee is paid for a set of channels, with extra charges levied for premium channels on a pay-per-view or monthly basis.

John Sugarman is an internet marketer and a Broadband Internet TV enthusiast, for more information about Broadband Internet TV Visit http://satellitetvonpcsite.blogspot.com

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What's The Difference Between Frame Relay, Private Line, & A Point-To-Point T1?

How is "an expensive frame relay type service to the internet" different than a "less expensive plain T1 to the internet"....AND how are either of these different from a private line or point-to-point T1?

Here's my opinion......

Don't worry about the technology difference between frame relay and a plain T1....or either of these and a private line or point to point T1.

A frame T1 runs at just about the same speed as a point to point T1. Much more important to worry about is what's on the other end of the circuit. If the other end of the circuit is the internet backbone, and you have 1.5M throughput to the backbone, then that's a "dedicated" connection, the best grade of service you can get. If the other end of the circuit is to a carrier's serving office, or DSLAM, or aggregation point, then the 1.5M throughput is to their equipment, not to the internet backbone, and you have a "shared" connection. A shared connection means that your provider has arranged for a bulk internet connection from a larger carrier and it splits some out for you -- but rarely do they split out your bandwidth only for you.

For example a shared provider might buy a wholesale DS-3 from Global Crossing. A DS-3 is the equivalent of 28 T1 circuits. The shared ISP would try to have many customers sharing that T1 circuit, much more than 28 customers -- that's how they make money.

Same thing with phone systems -- you might have twenty extension phones in your office, but only 5 phone lines with the phone company. This recognizes that not all users need to use the phone at the same time.

In the internet world, shared ISPs are betting that not all customers need their full bandwidth at the same time. If a shared provider pays $6000 per month for a DS-3, and sells T1s for $300/month, they break even at 20 customers. ISPs will oversell their bandwidth because not all customers need their full bandwidth at all times. If you've been reading this message for the past 15 seconds, and your PC is doing nothing else, you haven't used your bandwidth for the past now 20 seconds.

Now.....if you need the internet circuit for email, and looking at web pages, and research, a shared T1 connection is fine. But if you're running time sensitive or bandwidth hogging applications like hosting a website at your location, or if you're running VOIP applications, or streaming audio or video, or controlling machinery remotely ... then a shared T1 connection will be a big PIA (pain in the *&!) at some point during the month when the other customers will be sucking up all the bandwidth leaving you with less than you are paying for.

So don't worry about the technology of the access circuit, worry about what's on the other end. If you can get away with a shared T1 connection, you'll save some loot. If you have critical applications, then your life will be filled with drama until you get a dedicated T1 connection.

Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications....including DS3-Bandwidth.com and Business-VoIP-Solution.com. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you're always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, insights, and ramblings for the masses.