Help Me Understand...

[SirFooK'nG]

I would like to know how it is possible for Multichoice to deliver 24/7/365 sattelite bandwidth for R600 p/m that must equate to about 500mb an hour surely (for SD - mpeg2 format 1gig = roughly 1-2 hrs?) which equates to 12gig a day. Or do I not understand the DSTV sattelite transmission workings? Cause if it does go like i think, then why the hell do we pay R600 p/m for 5gig internet ?

 

[Nuro]

Remember that sattelite television is a oneway system, also everyone is getting the same thing. Internet access is different, as people receive different data, and it is a two way system. If DSTV broadcasts to 10 or a million people, bandwidth requirements are the same. Not true for internet access, as every stream is unique.

 

[LCBXX]

Because they are the only provider

 

[Weasley]

Dam thats a good question

 

[The_Pumpkin_King]

because they also have to pay rights to air channels. not like the internet where you can torrent everything

 

[SirFooK'nG]

Remember that sattelite television is a oneway system, also everyone is getting the same thing. Internet access is different, as people receive different data, and it is a two way system. If DSTV broadcasts to 10 or a million people, bandwidth requirements are the same. Not true for internet access, as every stream is unique.

I kind of understand that they only provide one stream, but how does that equate ? I mean if there are 3 million DSTV subscribers all getting the same stream, regardless of content its a cr@p load of bandwidth. Take for example;

If we had one service privider just for updates for major software it would be the same as the DSTV setup - one stream of info. But the cost to get it via current internet costs would be enormous.

 

[HapticSimian]

I kind of understand that they only provide one stream, but how does that equate ? I mean if there are 3 million DSTV subscribers all getting the same stream, regardless of content its a cr@p load of bandwidth. Take for example;

If we had one service privider just for updates for major software it would be the same as the DSTV setup - one stream of info. But the cost to get it via current internet costs would be enormous.

You're still missing the trick here, IRG. It's a SINGLE stream down a one-way path via the entire satellite footprint covering the whole of Southern Africa. Equate it to a thunderstorm - whether you go outside & stand in the rain or not, it's still raining. Thus, it makes no difference whether 10 people or 10,000,000 people get wet...

Info down the DSL line is like every person individually getting a bucket of spring water couriered to him/herself. There isn't a single concurrent stream, each person's bandwidth gets served down an individual line. Thus, every additional stream is separate to the one before & the one after, and each is a unique stream of information.

 

[SirFooK'nG]

You're still missing the trick here, IRG. It's a SINGLE stream down a one-way path via the entire satellite footprint covering the whole of Southern Africa. Equate it to a thunderstorm - whether you go outside & stand in the rain or not, it's still raining. Thus, it makes no difference whether 10 people or 10,000,000 people get wet...

Info down the DSL line is like every person individually getting a bucket of spring water couriered to him/herself. There isn't a single concurrent stream, each person's bandwidth gets served down an individual line. Thus, every additional stream is separate to the one before & the one after, and each is a unique stream of information.

ok so what you mean is they send the 12+gigs a day once only. And it radiates over southern africa once only. We just decode it via the DSTV decoder. (kinda like a radio station) - its there if we use it or not. So in essence each person does not get their own individual direct connection. Its a Space AP!

 

[HapticSimian]

ok so what you mean is they send the 12+gigs a day once only. And it radiates over southern africa once only. We just decode it via the DSTV decoder. (kinda like a radio station) - its there if we use it or not. So in essence each person does not get their own individual direct connection. Its a Space AP!

*DING* *DING* *DING* - We has a winnarrr!

Look at the electronic TV guide on DSTv - go in, and the decoder sits there like an idiot doing jack for a couple of seconds. Reason why? The information stream carrying the guide info is repeated in cycles - it's sitting waiting for the next cycle to come 'round so it can load up the guide. There's no data flowing from your decoder to Randburg telling Multichoice that you want a copy of the programming schedule - it's being sent out whether you're looking at it or not...

The TV stream works on the same principle, although on a much bigger scale obviously...

 

[SirFooK'nG]

damn ... i hate being wrong in my assumptions!

 

[HapticSimian]