FPGA VAX update

[Tony Duell]

> 
> Tony Duell wrote:
> >>5.1/6.1/7.1/whatever sound even with cheapest receivers. The second 
> >>point emphasizes on the "digitalization" issue:
> >>in the near future there won't be any analogue AM or FM 
> >>transmissions/transmitters any more; even SW band migrates
> > 
> > 
> > THis ia a great pity, and actually, given the number of cheap radios 
> > around, I wonder if it will ever happen. I can't believe the public will 
> > accept having to replace doxens of sets.
> 
> Well UK terrestrial analogue TV's getting canned in what, five years? So 
> far there seems to be no outcry whatsoever, yet I'm amazed that people 
> aren't up in arms about having to fork out for a new set (or several, in 

I suspect most of the General Public don't realise what is involved (or 
that they'll have to buy a settop box for every TV and VCR that they own).

> the case of most households), or at least a cable box and having to sign 
> up for cable TV.

Well, when it happens, I for one will simply give up television (and I 
won't miss it at all). I know several others people who intend to do the 
same.... 

> 
> I expect it's way too late to stop the switch-off too, as the cable / 
> satellite people will be in bed with the Government by now and of course 
> the Government are convinced that digital-everything is the way forward 
> for our society...

I've come to the conclusion, based on digital TV, digital photography, 
digital radio, etc, that when 'digital' is applied to a consumer product, 
the result is a reduction in quality.
 
> Personally I like my 4 channels (Cambridge uni's astronomy forbid us 
> from receiving channel 5 up around Cambridge) when compared to cable. 
> Cable might have way more choice, but the programming quality's a lot 
> poorer, there are way more adverts, and the broadcast quality isn't up 
> to much compared to analogue either with signal drop-outs all over the 
> place...

Yep. A digital signal does not degrade gracefully. And there are far too 
many channels (and very few quality programmes).

> I find the building is 99% of the fun and the using is 1%, no matter 
> what the gadget. I'm just a sucker for seeing how things work (whether 
> done well or not) regardless of what they are...

Of course. I can't think of anything I own that I've not pulled apart 
(generally within the first day of owning it). I like to see how it 
works (and that it's been assembled properly). And I have been known to 
work out how some uncodumented device works, at least enough to be able 
to repair it.

-tony