       |
|
 |
|
In the lull before the broadband storm, learn about interactive video, digital video distribution, DV camcorders, nonlinear editors (NLEs) and meet Gotham Interactive, a New York broadband-only development firm
Broadband, the term that describes high-speed transmission of data over fiber or wireless devices is the next rung up the ladder of Internet technologies that will have an impact on Web developers. Digital video, IP telephony, music and large images are all examples of data that will fit on a high-bandwidth Internet connection. Aimed at computer workstations and possibly set-top boxes in a future incarnation, new broadband content will create a demand for convergence teams who can adapt traditional skills such as broadcast design -- to fit a new Web.
Several indicators point to Spring/Summer of 2000 as the time frame when broadband starts to surge. Nationwide, the cable industry is expected to finish 1999 with 2 million cable modem customers with Excite@Home adding approximately 3,000 customers per week. In addition, the recent FCC ruling requiring major local telephone companies to share their lines with data carriers is expected to lower the price of DSL service by $20 within six months. Gary Arlen, president of Arlen Communications, a research firm specializing in interactive media, expects DSL to "blast off" in 2000 and a new study by Cahners In-Stat Group has shown 4,900 ISPs in the United States will have installed 1.35 million DSL lines by the end of the year.
Digital
Video: The Transition From Narrowband to Broadband
Even before the broadband wave hits full force, streaming video has
emerged as a popular medium. Although digital video is ideally suited
for Excite@Home, AOL Plus or Roadrunner, many large media companies
have developed digital video sections of their Web sites. The world's
most high-profile media and entertainment companies are delivering
video over narrowband and they're positioned to deliver high bandwidth
content to users with cable modems and DSL connections. According
to Dan Rayburn, Globix Corporation's
Worldwide Product Manager of Streaming Media, a 56K connection will
yield very good audio and video that is 5-7 frames per second. In
contrast, a 300K connection over DSL or cable modem will yield a 20
frame per second video stream. The step up to a higher bandwidth will
be seamless because the Real
Player and Microsoft's
Media Player are both "intelligent" players that can automatically
detect a user's connect speed. Live Webcasts and video-on-demand may
be found on Pseudo, Launch.com, Entertainmentblvd.com, Film.com, the
1999 MTV Music Awards, ABC News, BBC News, CNN Interactive, Bloomberg.com,
MSNBC, NBCNews.com and NPR Online ESPN.com's Sportsbeat and CBS Sportsline.
Special event-based Webcasts include Clinton's Townhall Voicechat,
Christie's Auction of Marilyn Monroe's personal property, ABC's Drew
Carey Webcast and Woodstock 99 to name just a few. See lots of great
streaming efforts on this site's Stream
of the Week.
Next: Increased Bandwidth Opens New Doors