Re: DTV antennas?

On Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:21:29 -0700, "Joel Koltner"
<zapwireDASHgroups@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

"Jeff Liebermann" <jeffl@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:hukp74tk3rn20thlo0vm84r5sb94nn09gs@xxxxxxxxxx
Yep. Security is a real problem. I'm sure some manner of security
arrangement can be contrived, like having the customer go online and
authorize a firmware update.

Agreed, but realistically most people would probably never actually authorize
the upgrades... look at how many access points out there have "linksys" or
"dlink" or "airlink101" as their SSIDs!

That's one of my pet peeves about commodity routers. Search
alt.internet.wireless for one of my numerous rants about "secure by
default". At least 2-wire does it right and ships their products with
security enabled by default instead of wide open. They've also
demonstrated that even if you attach a bright yellow label to the
router, with the password and security keys inscribed in plain text,
the typical customer will not notice.

Probably the best thing you could do would be to have the box alert the user
that new firmware was available, and would they like to install it? -- With
the big warning about, "blah, blah, only do this if you trust the TV station
channel 6 that it came from, etc." And then give them the option to
"rollback" to the last installed version if there's a problem... which then
does require some extra memory to keep an old image around.

Memory is cheap. Bricked routers and comatose ATSC converters are
not. Your method is as good as any I could contrive. The point is
that it OTA firmware updates can be done. I don't see adding an
ethernet or USB port to the ATSC converter, so OTA is probably the
only way to do it effectively. Something simpler like:
An update is available for your converter box. Please tune to
channel 99 to download and install the update. The update takes
between 10 and 30 minutes to complete. Please do not play with
the controls during the update. You will be informed when you
may safely resume watching whatever mind numbing drivel that we
are interrupting.

The GNUradio guys have a *demodulator* for it; someone over there is probably
working on a modulator as well. It's certainly not a trivial undertaking!

Yep. I was thinking in terms of setting up a bootleg (illegal) DTV
station. Pirate FM and TV stations are so commonplace, that methinks
to attract the necessary audience, pirate HDTV transmissions will be
necessary. Finding IBOQ (HD-Radio) or European DRM decoders are easy.
Finding encoders are not. I wanted to do a streaming MP3 FM bootleg
radio station but couldn't find an economical encoder. Same problem
with 8VSB/ATSC encoder/modulators.

My guess(tm) is that some test equipment manufactory (e.g. Sencore),
will arrive with an 8VSB/ATSC test generator. Add power amplifier and
antenna, and I'm on the air.

...and that people are willing to pay for that expertise. That's the part
that amazed me -- realizing that someone actually would pay, e.g., $50 just to
have someone else install a virus scanner or some more memory or something
else very "mundane." They clearly didn't grow up in the Joerg school of "do
it yourself." :-)

I prefer the "Learn By Destroying" skool of computing. I consider
myself somewhat of a computer witch doctor or priest. The GUM (great
unwashed masses) observe various phenomenon on their computers.
However, they are unable to adequately interpret the meaning or
predict the future (i.e. is my HD going to blow up?). My purpose is
to act as a middle man between the GUM and the computer gods and
attempt to supply meaning and logic in an industry that lacks both.

Incidentally, I charge good money to clean up the mess left over when
Norton or MacAfee blow up. Also, plugging marginal memory into a
working machine is a great way to scramble the drive contents.
Expertise and experience have their place. I don't install programs I
don't trust and I always test the hell out of RAM before I install it
in a live system.


--
# Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D Santa Cruz CA 95060
# 831-336-2558 jeffl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
# http://802.11junk.com jeffl@xxxxxxxxxx
# http://www.LearnByDestroying.com AE6KS
.

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