[nycbug-talk] OT: Satellite radio

[John Bacall]

On Thursday 30 December 2004 01:55 pm, Francisco Reyes wrote:
> On Thu, 30 Dec 2004, Hans Zaunere wrote:
> > Never used it myself, but if you try it, try Sirius (SIRI).  Not
> > that have shares or anything :)
>
> How come?
> What, if anything is better about it?
> It seems XM has more subscribers so far.

Ha. Funny you should mention that, I was flipping through the 
Crutchfield,

	http://www.crutchfield.com/guides/satellite/guide02.html

paper catalog, last night, and I tried to decipher the offerings. No 
outstanding insight popped out as to what the real dif' is.

Seen the portable XM (I think) gadget for offer? Nice, but at $350.00 
it's too much, too ugly. Can't wait till these things miniuturize, and 
are popped into your mp3 player.


Speaking of electronics, and cable TV, anyone seen this,

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/30/technology/circuits/30stat.html?8br=&pagewanted=all&position=

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Streamlined Cable TV in a Card

WHAT if I told you about a new product that could improve your TV 
picture, eliminate one of your remote controls, simplify your 
home-theater setup and save you money every month?


And then what if I told you that your local distributor wished, in its 
heart of hearts, that nobody even knew about it?


The brilliant invention really exists. It's the CableCard, a small metal 
card (a so-called PC card, actually, like the ones designed for 
laptops) that slides into a slot on the back of many new 
high-definition TV sets from nearly every manufacturer. The CableCard's 
simple mission is to eliminate your cable box. The card stores all the 
account information that used to be monitored by the box, like 
descramblers for your movie channels - a bit of circuitry 
miniaturization that's about 15 years overdue.


Life without a cable box is blissfully simple. The cable-TV cable from 
the wall plugs directly into the TV. You change channels using the TV's 
own remote control. (Both the box and its remote go back to the mother 
ship. Incidentally, getting rid of the box makes an especially big 
difference when it comes to smaller screens, like kitchen-counter 
TV's.) 
...
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Living in NYC, we've always been stuck with a cable TV `one-channel at a 
time, per feed, we don't trust you fuckers' tuning options. All the 
cures are piles of more setop boxes. *eek* A pain in the ass. Not that 
this is an antidote. As everyone of course knows, non-cityside dwellers 
are trusty fuckers.

	John

8-)