A telecomputer
J. Stephen Clark · 1992
Computer Gra~hics, 26, 2, JUIV1992 As digital computing costs decline over the next ten years, computer technology's most widespread use will be in consumer applications.The future digital television screen will be a natural visual control center for many new applications, such as normal television entertainment, virtual reality games, home control systems, interactive books, magazines and newsprirt~and telephonic, televideo and data communications.A client-server network environment can exist in which the network is the merged cable-tv/telephone system, the client is a home telecomputer that controls the images seen, and the server is a multi-mdla computer system that is integral to the cable "head-end" or telecommunications "central-office.'1In this paper, I attempt to define the functionality of a telecomputer so that the broadest set of applications is possible.Introduction. "Multi-meda" means the integration of audio, video, graphics and computing into a single digital environment. It promises many new applications that can utilize this combination of techno 10gies.Most people expect the integration to come in next generation personal computers, and many computer companies are working to this end.But for the ordinary consumer, a more likely possibility is that a "telecomputer" will bridge the gap between television and multi-media computing.Think of this "multi-media player" as the digital equivalent of the cable-tv decoder --it will be the consumer's computer.It's central role will continue to be entertainment, such as movies, tv programs and interactive games, but it can also be capable of many functions, including:-textbooks that teach through graphic simulation and animation coupled with audio and videm -media reaieval from databases and libraries -newspaper and magazine retrieval -multiparticipant virtual reality games -digital television entertainment services -digital audio retrieval -media mail -video telephones A low-cost telecomputer in the home is important before authors will invest in writing interactive books.And interactive media services on demand, such as magazines, newspapers, books, encyclopedias, games, and digital audio/video entertainment, need a digital media player in the home before the services can develop. Computer Industry Milestone.The computer industry can benefit enormously by defining telecomputer building blocks so that they can be used in standard multi-media computers.This will ensure compatibility between the consumer and computing worlds --the client and the server.Also, the distribution volumes of consumer electronics can dramatically decrease the cost of computers, enabling portable (tele)computers far more powerful than possible today.Perrrussi{m 10copywlthou!Iectill or pm (It' [hIS nmteritil IS grunted provided thut the copies we nn[ miuk or d]str]bu[ed for direct conmwrcial whuntage.the ACM copyright notice and the title (i the publicwimr and IIS date qrptar.wrd notwc is given th~t copying is by permlssltm ~WIhe A\\twl:itwr Ihr Ctmputirrg Mwhincry, Tn copy otbcrv i.e. or I(I rcpuhllsb.requires ii ICCmd,(~r spccitic parrrissmn 'J"1992 ACM-()-X9791-479-I 92/[)070019 $01.s0