Archive

Posts Tagged ‘cable’

The Immanent Bandwidth Cap Wars

February 4th, 2010

As internet service providers offer faster speeds, a new area of competition has begun. At first, there was a race to provide internet service at the fastest possible speed. Of late however the speed race has outpaced the capabilities of users’ hardware. This has created a new factor for internet service provider. The bandwidth cap is fast becoming the new battlefields over which companies must compete.

There are cost limitations on monthly bandwidth. While customers may sometimes feel that there is a big business conspiracy preventing them from getting the bandwidth they want at a comfortable cost, there are massive hardware costs involved in getting data from the internet to your computer at blinding speeds. On the bright side, though, prices are typically determined by the cost a customer is willing to spend on a product. Currently, the costs being charged by most internet service providers seem to be acceptable. However, one change in user behavior looms on the horizon that inevitability threatens to destroy the present comfortable footing on which service providers design their business models. The normal consumer will eventually want to watch on-demand high definition TV content on their computers. This will be the death knell of the cable television station.

While cable companies certianly have an interest in preventing this by limiting monthly bandwidth, they will be unable to force this price control on the market forever. Wireless internet will soon be available all over major population centers at blinding speeds. This will make it nearly impossible for this media transition to be prevented by any commercial means.

This is wonderful news for the consumer. As companies begin to boast that they provide more bandwidth for your money, these caps will increase very quickly due to market pressure. Companies that offer hardware to internet service providers will have to lower their prices in turn. This is of course simply how the market works.

With all of the various methods of transferring data, there needs to be a huge focus on quality. For the consumer that plans to view high quality content, this will represent a dramatic improvement on the current online experience. High quality content inevitably means higher bandwidth demands.

Bandwidth limits will also affecthave an impact on the quality of content made. For example, most current media files need to be compressed to meet bandwidth limits. If it’s possible to transfer more data faster, these limitations would disappear. This may result in new advancements in music storage software. Why not increase the size of music files if they can be transferred very quickly? It’s the same for video files and any other content that people may attempt to share online. If providers can deliver bigger files, then movie files should be available in better quality. Over time this will allow for massive growth in the quality of audio and video files.

Online games will benefit from this boom too. As data transfer rates explode, you can count on game developers to take full advantage of the newly available bandwidth. Online games may never require as much bandwidth as streaming video or music, but it would be a mistake to ignore the demands of the online gaming market.

There is an exciting future for online content. While many complain about the current bandwidth caps, the future holds a race between providers to deliver the increased bandwidth at lower costs. In the long run, this will mean great things for the consumers of high quality online content.

Geek Choice
knows that consumers enjoy high quality media. As a nationwide computer repair company, we work very hard to help people enjoy the experience with their PCs.

Computers and Technology , , , , , ,

Traits of Satellite TV Make It Superior To Cable

February 14th, 2009

Satellite TV is a futuristic technology that delivers a cost effective TV experience for people anywhere.  It has actually been around for quite a while, but rose to prominence back in the nineteen nineties when new technology made it possible to deliver TV programming over a satellite signal more effectively and with the use of smaller satellite dishes. 

The fact that it became easier to deliver satellite TV service meant that satellite TV actually became affordable enough for most people to enjoy.  The smaller satellite dish had just as big of an impact though.  A smaller satellite dish meant that people could take advantage of satellite TV without having the unsightliness of the older, larger satellite dishes in their yards or attached to their houses. 

This took away a big reason for a lot of people to choose cable TV or continue to rely on over the air TV.  Neighbors’ complaints about satellite dishes were no longer an issue and even if concerns of neighbors were never an issue, smaller satellite dishe meant not having to sacrifice space in the yard or garden!

On top of the advantage of the smaller satellite dish, satellite TV has one major thing going for it when compared to cable TV, and that’s bandwidth.  Bandwidth is the amount of information that can be transmitted a certain way in a given period of time.  The more bandwidth a TV delivery technology has, the more channels it can deliver. 

Satellite TV simply has more bandwidth than cable TV.  In fact, it has a lot more.  While cable TV is limited to about three hundred channels, the big satellite TV providers have over eight hundred channels, when HDTV channel, normal TV channels, and satellite radio channels are all combined.  That’s definitely a testament to a lot of bandwidth!

Satellite TV also has a major economic advantage over cable TV.  This advantage comes from the fact that when one satellite is launched it can deliver TV programming to every household in the United States.  That’s because the TV signals that it broadcasts blanket the entire North American continent, and anyone who has a subscription to a programming package provided by the owner of that satellite can access the programs that are delivered by those TV signals. 

 In other words, everyone in America is a potential subscriber and it costs very little for a satellite TV company to add an extra subscriber- far less in fact than it does for a cable TV company to add an extra subscriber.

The fact that everyone is a potential satellite TV customer means that satellite television companies and satellite TV subscribers enjoy an enormous economy of scale.  For example, while satellites are expensive to manufacture and launch, that cost can be spread out over a huge number of subscribers, making it cost very little to each of those subscribers. 

 As more subscribers are added- at very little extra cost after the satellite has been launched- more revenue comes in to the company, and that money can be used by the company to upgrade the services by purchasing more channels and perhaps launching more satellites.

All of this makes satellite TV a lot better than cable TV. Take a look at the current Direct TV deals now.

Computers and Technology , , , , , , , , , , ,

Comcast Cable Triple Play Deals

February 10th, 2009

It is not hard to see how digital cable TV is related to high speed Internet and telephone service. All of these services are important if you want your house to be able to keep up with modern telecommunications. All of these services are sources of everything from entertainment to information and all allow you to keep up with what is happening in the larger world.

Because all of these services are so important and so connected, it makes sense to get them all through one trusted company. The best choice for this company is Comcast Cable. No other company has been able to gain the trust of so many Americans or been able to provide such an advanced level of service. In fact, out of all the telecommunications companies in the nation, Comcast is the one most often named when customers name their favorite company.

What puts Comcast Cable above all other telecommunications companies? Pretty much everything. From great customer service to exceptional products, this company has found many ways to keep its customers happy. Its newest innovation has been the Triple Play- a way of letting customers get all three of these important telecommunications services in one easy to manage service. The Triple Play’s advantages include lower costs and more convenience, and the idea is quickly gaining ground with customers.

Cable television is at the heart of Comcast’s services because the company has been a cable television provider for many years. This has enabled it to create extremely advanced service options that meet customer’s needs to a tee. This is extremely evident in the programming package selection.

Plenty of different options are available so that every customer can find the perfect match. Are you looking for a programming package with a large choice of premium movie channels? Try the On Demand Platinum Plus or On Demand Gold Plus. Would you prefer a package that had just the basics so you can catch the news and an occasional game?

How about the Enhanced Cable TV With On Demand or the Digital Classic package. If you have specific viewing preferences, such as wanting HDTV or specific sports programming, the current Comcast Cable TV Promotions will also meet your needs. Just check out the growing selection of specialty programming and add your preferences to your subscription.

Comcast’s television equipment is also meant to meet customer needs. The DVR is becoming especially popular because of people’s needs for more flexible programming schedules. When you have a DVR, you no longer need to worry about running home for a show because you can easily program your Digital Video Recorder to record it.

Plus, the DVR holds hundreds of hours of programming so that you can save your favorite shows to watch again and again. Comcast’s On Demand programming is also growing due to the same demand for flexibility and now includes hundreds of options at any time.

Next to its cable television services, Comcast high speed Internet is its customer’s favorite service. And no wonder, considering that it provides up to eight times the speed of the fastest DSL services! Faster Internet service is sure to make your time on the Internet better whether you are using it for work or for pleasure, and with Comcast’s selection of Internet services, you are sure to find the speed and service that best suits you.

Digital Voice is a wonderful service and one worth adding on. This service makes sure that the customer never is dissatisfied with their telephone service again by including all long distance in the monthly fee and offering tons of features like voice mail.

It only makes sense for a cable television company to start offering Internet and phone services, and Comcast has done an exceptional job of it.

Computers and Technology , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,