1995-05-08
Vol 10 No 16
DATA CONSUMERS

Bankers Improves Video Switch For IDB Prices

In an effort to provide some 200 traders with better access to interdealer-broker price screens, Bankers Trust Co. has opted to beef up its 12-year-old video switch in New York. The bank made the decision to keep its switch not only because some IDB data is unavailable in digital format, but also because the bank is unwilling, or unable, to develop digital feedhandlers for certain IDBs whose services are digitally delivered.

Here is the full link Bankers Improves Video Switch For IDB Prices 

They are referring to a “technology” that was “12 Years old” in 1995.  That means it was implemented (not designed) in 1983!  So why are A/V pundits pushing A/V “solutions” on consumers  that is OVER 20 years old?

The irony here is that today’s current “Subject Matter Experts” or SME’s for Home A/V and automation are using the same ANTIQUATED technology and approach for home Audio/Video Entertainment and Technology that other’s pushed in the market over 20 years ago.  Furthermore they are creating FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) about the ability of the Window’s platform (Vista Ultimate, Windows Home Server and XBoX 360) to handle these tasks.  

THAT IS RUBBISH and also a FALLACY  or better yet an out right Non Sequitur  (Jim Colton, my high school Latin teacher, god rest his soul would be proud of me)

To get technical in syllogistic logic that is a “Fallacy ad Hominem” or an attack against the credibility of Vista vs. an argument that addresses the facts, e.g. Vista is a fine platform for this effort.

Long story short, sans the “Mr Spock” logic argument, the storyline used by A/V vendors and service providers is ILLOGICAL and that is something that us technology people do not take kindly to!

To bring this whole argument around, If you are fortunate enough to get a tour of  the trading floor for Goldman Sachs, or Lehman Brothers or Smith Barney, the fact is that YOU WILL RARELY or NEVER see a dumb video terminal running off  a video switch to provide market data feeds or core systems to traders.  What you WILL SEE is Windows XP workstations running multiple screens that display access to these systems.   I know this to be fact as I was there at the creation back in 1995 when insightful IT managers knew the best way to do this was NOT with A/V switches, black boxes and miles and miles of EXPENSIVE, ANNOYING and UGLY cables managed by Union cable pullers and Telcom people (”Cable Monkeys” as us application guys like to label them, rightfully so !).  So ask yourself…

“So why would you want to take this A/V approach for your high end home automation/entertainment system?”

The answer here is that YOU DO NOT WANT TO DO THIS.  So do not buy into the FUD and start asking then the questions that A/V and Non Microsoft based home Automation vendors CANNOT answer.   If Windows is good enough to run on ATM machines at CitiBank ATM booting into Windows XP and also to run a traders personal workstation (Ala most day traders and almost all the major brokerage houses) then why shouldn’t it be positioned to run Home Entertainment and Home Automation systems for you home, yacht and plane?  There is no answer other than the truth would contradict their bullcrap and FUD and would undermine their current business model that is based upon expensive, closed, proprietary systems connected by miles of useless cable and connectors that consumers are paying for out of the nose (like a nose bleed .  Don’t even get me started with the “programming” that these vendors do as it is a joke also.  That is a subject that I will talk about more in another post…

So back on point.   WHY THE FUD about Media Center?  Today’s ultimate Home Entertainment/Home Automation system is very similar architecturally to how all the most tech savvy Brokerage houses are deploying trading system today.   They have a centralized Window’s based system that distributes applications, content (like market data feeds) and Video/Audio (Streaming media and Audio) all over a network, either wirelessly or hardwired to PC’s and handheld PDA’s.   At the desktop these traders are using Windows XP so that they can use systems and applications they are familiar with (Like Office Apps, inter alia) and so that they can integrate that with their PocketPC phones and/or Blackberry.   This is identical to what we can do today at home with Windows Media Center/Home Server (The centralized host) and Media Center Extenders (connected to our TV’s and LCD panels) and PocketPC and/or Windows Mobile Phones.   If that is the case, then again, ask yourself…

“If it is good enough for a Wall Street broker at work who is trading billions of dollars in securities, or ATM machines that are dispensing billions of dollars of cash, why is it not good enough for me at home?”

And again, the answer is FUD.  This FUD is being perpetuated by all the A/V product vendors,  Home Automation products vendors and service providers that sell and maintain these products.  They have a vested interest in protecting their turf and by keeping consumers in the dark.  They are also trying to protect closed systems, expensive cables (Who doesn’t hate cable?) and arcane, cryptic programming.  They are perpetuating this by claiming that PC’s cannot do this job and the Microsoft products are not stable or robust enough to do the job.  And that is BULL CRAP!   And truth is that these A/V vendors are SCARED FOR THEIR livelihood and are taking desperate measures to discredit the PC centric approach, much in the way that SUN, RICH, Oracle and IBM tried to do the same to Microsoft in the 90’s.   This pisses me off and I am on a personal campaign to STOP THE FUD!  The first part of the FUD I am looking to dispel is that “MEDIA CENTER IS DEAD!”

In the meantime take a look at this link which gives a simple BOM (Bill of Materials) for a PC centric system that I installed 4 years ago (Yes 4 years ago!).  The technology for a new system is EVEN BETTER.

Legacy: Best Hardware Set for Windows Media Center and Home Automation

Legacy: Best Features/Application Set for Windows Media Center and Home Automation

Legacy: Best Operational Processes and Procedures for Windows Media Center and Home Automation

I will write more on this over the next few weeks, with emphasis on the “Best CURRENT state Home Automation System”, but for now I just wanted to get this thread started and to call out LEGACY systems based upon Windows XP, Media Center and off the shelf home automation products.   Stay tuned in for more as I will personally dispel this myth and others about Microsoft Media Center and the Microsoft Home Automation abilities over the next few weeks by pointing out not only what you can do with these products at home, but also contrast that with what Microsoft has done with its products in the ENTERPRISE to demonstrate that the platform is MORE THAN ROBUST to deal with Audio/Video streaming, Home Entertainment and most importantly, HOME AUTOMATION.   With emphasis on NOT having to buy expensive, proprietary, single use BLACK BOX equipment that requires highly specialized service/support and miles of useless CABLES, SWITCHES, CONNECTORS, ad nauseam…

Technorati Tags: Media Center,Ray Casey,Arestar,Home Automation,Vista Ultimate,Microsoft,Cables,FUD