It’s a feature

I pulled off a blue ticket
From the iconic red wheel
Browsed the selections
Eight-eighty- eight per pound
High quality salami with mold…

10000 years

Recorded history of 10 millennia
Charts of relations to everyone
Being horrible to strangers is one thing
It’s another to be that to family.

Life with women

Standing here in Victoria’s Secret
Trying to keep my cool
Realizing my family structure
How much I’ll be here
Though not looking forward to
The teenage years

Crying at night

Pulled from dream
Real and pleasant
Feel the child
Next to me
Hug and rock
Life is good

Better set top boxes redux

Here we are a few years after my last post. Time to look at this idea again…

Better set top boxes

I have a HDTV tuner connected to my HD projection television set. It allows me to take advantage of the digital signals that the stations in my area are broadcasting. I am also able to pick up stations in my area that I was never able to see with the analog signal. This includes stations from other markets that are quite far away. The picture is great, but the functions could use some help.

In February 2009 the United States will stop broadcasting analog television signals. The ability to plug an antenna directly into a TV set will be limited to those that have an ATSC tuner build in. An external set top box will be required for all others. This of course excludes those that use cable or satellite dishes, but actually those are set top boxes as well.

We have for the most part began to treat our television sets like monitors. What we need are better set top boxes that creates a more unified look and not only have better features like an improved on-screen guide, scheduling, possible DVR, and possibly viewing online video, but also bring back features from the past like Picture-in-Picture.

This box would have several tuners inside for those that are just connecting to an antenna or unencrypted cable. If a cable card is added, the ability to display up to 500 encrypted cable channels is also an option. The ability to directly integrate several non-compliant cable boxes or satellite systems would be done by running them through this box, having control of the other unit provided by infrared repeater or serial connection. Ethernet or wireless would allow the connection to the Internet through the home network.

The on-screen guide would not necessarily show the broadcast station, but that of what it has mapped. This device would master the connections allowing the integration of several different sources to be combined into one interface while not relying on the broadcast station numbers. Station numbers could be reassigned if desired, like putting all PBS stations together, children’s programming together, etc. The guide would get information from the broadcasters and well as from the internet when available. This would aide in searching by actors, shows, genres, etc.

A box like this could easily comply with the current standards for both modern HDTV sets and models from yore as well. The output section would comply of a coaxial output to channel 3 or 4 for the oldest or most disabled sets. Next, the composite video yellow RCA connection. Then come two higher end adjustable connections, component (green, red, and blue), and VGA that could be set to 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, or 1080p. DVI and HDMI would round out the highest end of video. Audio would consist of red and white RCA and digital coaxial and optical outputs. The HDMI connection also has the ability to output audio if the set supports it. This set top box could be plugged into a home theater receiver as well and then to the TV.

We have already gotten use to the idea of plugging things into our TV, and even plugging things into things that plug into our TV. I believe the time is right to take it to the next level.

Let me know what you think. I hope you can make your thoughts a reality. -Michael