Friday, October 14, 2011

1080p

I work for a company that builds corporate class videoconferencing devices.  Ones that let you join conference rooms of people in different locations, in high definition and high frame rate.  1080p at 30 frames per second.  Prople buy them because they find that they don't have to fly people across the country to have productive meetings.  Even with the bad economy ("Flat is the new up!"), business is booming.

Now imagine what it means to connect Camp Borepatch with FOB Borepatch, at 1080p, 30 fps.

No, it's not like being home.  But it's a world different from calling home with the cell phone.  Like when they scoop up Crash the Wonder Cat and sit him on their lap, there in front of the video unit.  Or when Ivan the Terrier wanders in, wagging his tail.  Or when the boys are smacking each other, as teenage boys will do.

No, it's not like being home.  But it's a cool drink of water, when you've been in the desert.

We're living in the future.  Sadly, I don't have a flying car parked here inside the wire at FOB Borepatch.  Because it would cut my drive home next weekend to 7 or 8 hours.  But for now, we're there, without being there.  Man, technology sure is something.

6 comments:

ASM826 said...

The video conferencing technology I started with 10 years ago when I moved from manufacturing was T-1 lines and 768 kbits for video with sidebands for data. The codecs weighed at least a hundred pounds. Now it's broadband and desktop, not the same as being there, but for everything but wife and family, it's real close.

Borepatch said...

If I had to boy this, it would be prohibitively expensive. But looking forward, and pondering Moore's Law, this will be every Grandparent's life, not that long from now.

And no, it's not a Tandberg. I did my time at Big Tech Company, and got out with my skin intact ....

ASM826 said...

Polycom?

Borepatch said...

ASM826, I can neither confirm nor deny that.

;-)

ambisinistral said...

Hhahaha... great clip. BTW, I'm happy, but I do miss old-timey bank tellers.

Old NFO said...

Damn, we're STILL on 384k :-) Glad you are able to 'reach out and touch' so to speak!