http://disqus.com/people/70b89b43d54bf5503fd11ccf6639755d/enWed, 29 Nov 2006 14:02:16 -0000http://tlf.disqus.com/the_technology_liberation_front_raquo_archive_raquo_the_real_net_neutrality_debate_pricing_flexibility_versus_pricing_regulation/#comment-1444616It's arguable whether there really is such a thing as bandwidth scarcity in landline broadband capacity. Even if there is, it's nothing like radio spectrum scarcity where price differentiation is somewhat more defensible.<br><br><br>However, the issue is not whether metered service would be more efficient or a more rationale way to pay for bandwidth, the issue is whether price differentiation will result in different types of application bits being priced differentially. Will my file download bit cost me less than my VoIP bit? That is what price differentiation is about; it is not about metered service.<br><br><br>Price diffentiation is a real threat, since BSP's could and are attempting to use it to inflate user costs for non-BSP provided services.Jonathan TregearSun, 30 Oct 2005 01:23:28 -0000http://scobleizer.disqus.com/what_mark_cuban_is_missing_about_hdtv/#comment-9661646As Mr. Cuban points out one of the real problems is how to get HD content to the computer in the first place. He’s made this argument elsewhere and it’s valid to a point. Cable broadband bandwidth even at 6 Mb/s is inadequate for this. To get sufficient broadband bandwidth for HD would require the cable companies to stop walling off most of the bandwidth available on their pipes into the home for their own proprietary use and that’s probably not going to happen. That’s the whole network neutrality thing.<br><br>Technically, it’s not that difficult to connect PC’s directly to HDTV's either as suggested here or through a DVI/HDMI or component cable. Likewise, most recent computers certainly have the processing power to decode MPEG4 or VC1.<br><br>The real showstopper isn’t technical it’s legal. That XBOX component connection you mention is not a secure video path, so any protected HD content that you were to get on your PC wouldn’t be playable over your component connection. Only HDMI/HDCP connections can do that and the XBOX as of this time can’t do HDMI to my knowledge.<br><br>I find Mr. Cuban almost invariably disingenuous when it comes to discussions about HD. The technical issues he raises are generally smokescreens to disguise the public policy issues that are really the roadblocks to any attempt to bypass industry authorized methods of distributing and consuming content.Jonathan TregearWed, 29 Nov 2006 14:02:16 -0000