Streaming

[M Paquette]

Didn't wanna start a new thread on something that may just be daydreaming, but the 2015 timeline for the project said"Don't ignore this".

Free Internet for the whole world? 2015? OMG...

If for no other reason, just because it's there... on the internet, so it MUST be true.

OUTERNET
New York company says it can beam free OUTERNET Wi-fi to every person on Earth | Mail Online

Uh huh... They seem to have missed a few bits.

Doppler shift: The frequency shift as a low orbit satellite (like a CubeSat) moves from horizon to horizon will cross multiple WiFi channels. Swapping channels in mid-transaction is a big ole FAIL.

Pesky speed-of-light delays: It takes time for a signal to move from ground to even low orbit, or orbit to ground. More time than the WiFi protocol requires that a packet be acknowledged in.

So, they can't use the WiFi equipment or protocol stack. That right there moves them out of the 'for free for everyone WiFi' business.

They are proclaiming that what they'll really do is broadcast data, that is, they'll send out a constant stream of digital information one-way, and your data receiver will collect that data and eventually assemble a self-consistent block that can be peeled apart for content. I suppose this might work for delivering a sort of 'newspaper' of content that remains fixed for some period of time, which is about all that they call for in their short term deliverables.

You'll need a compatible receiver and processing gear for your downlink station. Amateur radio operators routinely assemble CubeSat ground stations. They aren't pocket-sized, though. Remember that you are trying to receive a weak signal from a little CubeSat that is moving in low earth orbit, crossing the sky in a matter of minutes. You'll need a steerable antenna and tracking system. That means azimuth and elevation rotors, and a soft realtime tracking system (Debian LINUX on a laptop works well as a starting point for this.) You'll also need the UHF receiver and signal processing setup.

 

[imoldernu]

Roku is producing Roku TV, available this Fall... under their name. Basically a Smart TV,
with Roku built in. This article from CNet is a review.
Roku TV unveiled: Television sets with Roku streaming built-in | CES 2014: Home Theater and Audio - CNET Blogs
As far as I can see, except for the remote access, the only real advantage seems to be the cross platform search... allowing a search through all 1000 Roku Channels for a specific movie or other music or show.

 

[aja8888]

Roku is producing Roku TV, available this Fall... under their name. Basically a Smart TV,
with Roku built in. This article from CNet is a review.
Roku TV unveiled: Television sets with Roku streaming built-in | CES 2014: Home Theater and Audio - CNET Blogs
As far as I can see, except for the remote access, the only real advantage seems to be the cross platform search... allowing a search through all 1000 Roku Channels for a specific movie or other music or show.

Just an expensive and large Roku aggregator. Appears that iy can only collect and deliver free or paid for content, just like the $99 device. A way to sell $500+ Roku machines.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

We did hook up a lap top to the living room TV with an HDMI cable and then set up a wireless keyboard for the remote.

I have been collecting assorted free public library cards so that gives us a huge amount of free downloadable media right there to watch, read or listen to on the TV or PC - online magazines from Zino, online courses, ebooks, free movies, audio books, online courses, exercise videos, cooking videos, free music and music videos from Freegal.

Plus we have Netflix, Hulu Plus and Prime plus anything free to watch on the Internet on youtube, the network web sites or the documentary sites.

I don't think we'd ever pay extra for cable TV any more. We have way more stuff than we could ever watch in a life time as it is. Last night I downloaded free current music and a music video from Freegal with a library card, got it in the iTunes library and was able to play the music video back from the library. It is so cool as the Freegal music and videos aren't just loans - we get to keep them.

 

[audreyh1]

It's amazing how good the homemade "how too" cooking videos are on YouTube. Often very good instruction and usually entertaining as well - even if inadvertent. It seems many folks who know how to cook something in particular are willing to document it and share it with everyone. Much appreciated!!!