Gentner--broadcast remote control and telephone interface. 800-945-7730
SBE San Diego   Archives Calendar Contacts EAS Home Southern Cal Engineering Jobs Links Current Members List Headquarters Site Search/Index Sponsors Get on our e-mail list.

July 2000 Meeting Review

Chapter Votes Again to Donate $1000
to Ennes Scholarship Fund

by Gary Stigall
Chapter 36 Chairman

Motorola's Frank Logan
Motorola's Frank Logan Hosts

Giving away money is hard work. Scott Stinson of KPBS volunteered recently to research local avenues for some of the sponsorship bounty the chapter has received. He reports a lack of school contacts in the summer and a lack of desire on the part of some local foundations to administer small scholarship funds.

The members present at the July meeting voted to immediately send $1,000 to the Harold Ennes Memorial Scholarship fund at SBE Headquarters. Meanwhile Scott pledged to continue researching local education support for budding broadcast engineers.

The meeting at Motorola's Broadband Networks Division, formally known as General Instrument, or "G-I," drew about thirty attendees. Frank Logan, Senior Sales Manager, showed a videotape on the history of television and the company's role in the development of digital television.

Len Filomeo of Motorola
Len Filomeo of Motorola Demos
Digital Video Multiplexing.
Photos by Gary Stigall.

Len Filomeo of Motorola later demonstrated a four-channel "statistical multiplexing" DigiCipher system. Unlike fixed bandwidth multiplexing that allocates a fixed number of bits per second to a given signal, statistical multiplexing shares bandwidth as needed based on the assumption that among the several channels broadcast at any given time, some would likely demand more bandwidth than others. A modern, noise-reduced cartoon might demand only 2 mbps, allowing a basketball game to peak at 10 mbps. (These are blue sky estimates--your mileage may vary.)

Our thanks to Program Chairman Randy Phillips of Cox Communications for organizing the great meal before the presentation.