Commercial application of "cloud computing" on interactive TV

It is estimated that in our interactive television industry, not many people will notice in the recent internet IT industry quietly emerging from a new term "cloud computing." And the "cloud computing" business applications, but began to flood our modern society, and slowly affect our lives, and even change our user experience and habits (can actually see, feel is ready to sell in 09 cheap Internet notebook).

Cloud computing (Cloud Computing) is the development of distributed processing (distributed Computing), parallel processing (Parallel Computing) and Grid computing, which is the business implementation of these computer science concepts.

Distributed Systems (distributed Computing)

It runs on multiple machines that do not have shared memory, but it is like a computer in the eyes of the user. (from "Modern operating system", Machinery Industry Press, 1999 Chinese edition). Distribution computing is to make each user feel networked computer is a time-sharing system, just like using a personal computer, rather than a group of many computers together, even a distributed system composed of multiple nodes should let users feel that they are using a large high-performance computer with a value of 200,000 dollars, The only unusual feeling is that the processing speed is much higher and nothing else is different.

Parallel processing (Parallel 處理)

A computational method in which two or more processors can be executed simultaneously in a computer system, and multi-core CPUs are the type of processing mechanism. The processor can work in different aspects of the same program at the same time, and the main purpose of parallel processing is to save time for solving large complex problems.

Grid computing (grids Computing)

Grid computing in the early days of more famous applications, is the mighty of the year to search for alien projects. Through the Internet Information transmission, on each volunteer's personal pc, install a screensaver software, then the software will be able to take advantage of everyone's PC spare time computing power to participate in the search for extraterrestrial computing.

In nature, there are also examples of "cloud computing" applications, including the familiar species of ants and bees. A single ant is not a threat, but a nest of ants is a natural assemblage of individuals, with separate divisions and tasks, with the ability to destroy other lives (such as fire ants in South America). In nature, a nest of individual constructs simple ants, in fact, is no less than the high biological complex behavior of life.

And our human brain has similar "cloud computing" constructs. Single neurons, there is no so-called "consciousness", but the biological signal transmission tool cells, and a large group of cell neurons exchange information frequently composed of complex human brain, but there are more than other life body of the "soul."

The commercial application of "cloud computing"

Although "cloud computing" is a new concept in recent years, it has already begun to bear fruit in the commercial applications of today's society.

Commercial in Japan

Japan, the global internet giant, is relying on its powerful high-speed Internet broadband base to design a large and large-scale "cloud computing" business application.

For example, the Internet business marketing software for SMEs, Japanese manufacturers developed a set of "cloud computing" complex business marketing software, small and medium-sized enterprises do not need to purchase a stand-alone version of the installation, through the Low-cost terminal personal pc, relying on the browser in high-speed Internet access, all marketing information processing, feedback results and decision-making.

The advantage of this is that the process of resource integration can be greatly reduced, because all information processing is not in the local computer, but in the "cloud" inside the local terminal pc, only as the information input and display the results of the terminal. All employees can easily find the latest integration consulting without having to do a long, repetitive message consolidation as before.

Japan's small and medium-sized enterprises "cloud" use cost is extremely low, also do not need to obtain each PC software use authorization (genuine software installation). At the same time, depending on the customer's different areas, so that users can customize the marketing software to use a part of the function of the details of the level (open development of the API), so as to achieve more effective personalized management and marketing tools.

GOOGLE: Pure Cloud

Google in the "cloud computing" field, has a short period of time unshakable position, its open platform embodies the "cloud computing" the essence of the model.

Google's "cloud computing" services require most of the basic software is open source, the Googleappengine platform allows developers to write Python applications, and then build the application on Google's infrastructure, Google's "cloud" service profit model, According to the server farm per CPU core use 1 hours for 10-12 cents per 1GB storage charge 15-18 cents.

Microsoft: Platform Software + cloud computing Services

Microsoft officially launched Windowsazure in October 2008 because of the need to protect its software sales interests, but also to maintain its advantages in the new technology sector. The platform allows software developers to write software compatible with Microsoft products and store and access them through a Microsoft server. At the same time, users can access the database, mail server and other Microsoft applications through the Azure platform.

For personal services, we have introduced live and Xbox services that are widely recognized. Let the global Microsoft users (including Xbox and MSN and other personal users), through a variety of live services, through the Internet, closely linked. This can increase the user's adhesion, realize the Matthew Effect and increase the special software terminals and hardware sales, while allowing Third-party pay or web2.0 mode can be better extended. The other can shake Google in the internet "cloud computing" on the application of advantage.

Xbox360 new Service "IPTVonXbox360", integrated with IPTV technology, XBOX360 will set digital video, games, movies and even voice and video communication functions in one. Users can then chat with their friends while watching their favorite sporting events.

Xbox users in the United States can watch the ABC TV network, ABCFamily, ABC, Disney Channel, Disney cartoon channel directly. There are also popular TV dramas, such as "Super Hero", "Lost", "Ugly Betty", "Secret Action Group", etc., by the user on demand, the series is on the second day after the television broadcast online.

As a continuation of the Venus Project, Microsoft has Xbox360 as an entertainment platform to provide online on-demand services.

Commercial application of the four characteristics of "cloud computing" in the field of interactive television

1. "Cloud computing" provides the most reliable and secure data storage center, users can no longer worry about data loss, virus intrusion and other problems.

Because of the necessity of policy and propaganda, the closeness of Chinese TV network is an important feature of distinguishing from the open Internet, which avoids the danger that the Internet is too open, and there are a lot of Trojan, virus, electronic fraud and hacker intrusion.

Because in the "cloud computing" application, all the user information (including user input data, video, pictures, personal information, and even financial credit, etc.) are stored in the highly fortified server group, there is a large group of professional server personnel in the maintenance of updates and protection, Users do not have to worry about data being hacked from the client, resulting in loss and theft of information.

2. "Cloud computing" on the client's equipment requirements of the lowest, the use of the most convenient.

"Cloud computing" on the client's hardware device demand is very low, even if the current Internet business applications, low-cost Internet notebook, installed the most common browser, can meet the vast majority of the "cloud" client needs, without the need for additional equipment and upgrades.

For radio and television digital interactive TV set-top box and even the telecommunications industry IPTV, this function is of decisive significance.

According to the National planning schedule, the need for the overall transformation of digital television, in order to promote digital television faster, but also the harmonious development of the task. For the set-top box price and the cost limit is very big, the so-called one cent penny one cent goods, the low cost strategy has greatly restricted the STB's hardware performance and the middleware performance.

The "cloud computing" for the client's hardware demand is the lowest, can greatly alleviate the transition period of interactive TV development, because the set-top box performance and middleware performance is not high, resulting in value-added services and profitability of the downward trend.

3. "Cloud computing" can easily realize the sharing of data and applications between different devices.

In the field of radio and television, because of the policy threshold, in the video applications have always enjoyed the position of superiority. and see the radio and television operations in the evolution, has formed a sea and air (sea: cable television network; LU: Internet video; empty: CMMB and 3G mobile phone streaming video) the overall development.

This involves sharing problems between different user terminals, the same operational data (video service, etc.) and application services.

For example, we are on the bus, through the mobile CMMB phone watching TV, back home, you can switch function, the program is watching to switch to the family TV, after all, the screen is big, look comfortable.

It involves the extraction of relevant TV channel information from TV mobile service, playback time information, user authentication information and so on, through the function of switching between the binding user devices, extracting relevant corresponding information from "cloud", then transferring to the set-top box for authentication and finally playing through the set-top box.

4. "Cloud computing" provides us with an almost limitless number of possibilities for using the Web

"Cloud computing" business applications, and finally revealed in the three-network integration business on a huge advantage.

For example, we uploaded on the PC via the Internet, such as self-portraits travel videos, first upload to our digital home sharing services in the "cloud" server group, you can choose to send peer-to-peer information, and finally through the TV set-top box and mobile phone to play, so that friends and family to share your happiness and experience.

and "cloud" data storage is in the "cloud" server group, you don't have to carry a dedicated device, in any client device that joins the cloud computing Service (set-top box, PC, smartphone, etc.), you can log in through the browser, continue to watch part of the movie or write half of the article, Even chat half of the video call (with the lover with 3G mobile phone chat to no power, it does not matter, you can switch to set-top box, through the Set-top box camera and microphone, also can carry out unfinished video calls).

Digital interactive TV needs "cloud computing"

Telecom communications industry, the three major oligarch reorganization completed, the huge impact of the struggle is to regenerate the traditional radio and television enterprises. After the integration of the 3 giant elephant telecommunications enterprises, is trying to develop various businesses, while relying on IPTV and video streaming media applications, infiltration to video services, such as the radio and television industry is the advantage of the project.

Time is the only way to lose, radio and television need time to develop users, improve the user's adhesion, thus confronting the telecom giant's business infiltration. Using good strategies and techniques can shorten the time to achieve the same goal.

"Cloud computing" helps operators reduce end-investment

The service life of home TV is probably 10, and TV set-top box is also introduced as the use of family products, which belongs to the category of consumer durables, the service life of STB design is about 5 years. It is not estimated that too many users will be able to replace an expensive high-performance set-top box in the early stages of the interactive TV industry, when operators offer services and products that are not rich enough.

The interactive TV operators need to enable low performance set-top boxes to carry the business planning and product development needs within 3-5 years, so that the second generation of high-performance STB can successfully take the business development of the previous generation of STB to buy time and space.

Due to the need of digital TV transfer and promotion, price and cost limit, the hardware performance of set-top box and the performance of middleware are greatly restricted, so that the first-generation set-top box can not display complex image operation and multifunction application as the computer that we normally use now.

The two basic requirements of "cloud computing" are the need for browsers and the need for networking.

In our radio and television operators now sent to the two-way set-top box, the vast majority of the browser's function, and the need to link the network to achieve interactive radio and television. "Cloud computing" does not need to install the client software, directly through the "cloud" High-performance server group operations, the results directly transferred to the set-top box terminal to reduce users in the terminal legitimate software authorization input.

"Cloud computing" distributed operation, can greatly alleviate the performance of a single set-top box caused by the problem of business load. In the "Cloud computing" service, users do not have to worry about the ability of low-cost set-top box, the set-top box only assume the function of information input and result display, and all the operation process is done in the "cloud" server group. "Cloud computing" can help operators to reduce the large number of two-way set-top box hardware investment (regardless of the upfront is the user to buy or operator first cushion, and finally the user will pay), and thus for the rapid promotion of two-way set-top box to lay the foundation.

"Cloud computing" helps operators reduce server investment

Broadcasters also need not worry about investing in "cloud" server clusters, which can be impacted by future high performance set-top box terminals or new interactive business and interactive offerings that require reinvestment. For example, many new software or PC games now require the latest configuration of high-performance computers to move.

"Cloud computing" is precisely to supplement this shortcoming, "cloud computing" most of the operations are in the "cloud" server group, and the terminal is only information input and display the results of the function, terminal performance improvement and "cloud" server operation is not too big chain relationship. And the investment of the server group can also decide whether to extend the operation ability of the server according to the calculation load of the server group.

"Cloud" servers can be extended indefinitely, but also with the performance of the terminal fragmented. The benefit of distributed operations is that new server groups need to be added only if the server cluster does not have enough computing power.

Unlimited data storage Needs "cloud computing"

Now most of the two-way set-top box is running, because of the cost of the problem, there is no hard drive installed. But this is not a disadvantage, from another point of view, regardless of the size of the client's hard disk, can not store the speed of the cubic per day to increase the amount of information.

Broadly speaking, an interactive TV operator's program Media Library can be said to be part of the cloud server group.

In the cloud computing service, all data is stored in the cloud server group, and the client does not need to add a permanent mass storage device similar to a hard disk.

, also do not have to worry about the data from the client was stolen, no hard drive set-top box, just a browsing terminal, your interactive TV trading account, personal information and other information, can only be stored in a highly fortified "cloud" server group, when you need to extract information and certification.

Secondly, a large amount of information can be readily available, do not worry because the set-top box does not have a hard drive to download. The cloud server group is important to the application operator of the video class, depending on the instructions you have on the interactive set-top box, pushing the content to the set-top box without downloading it completely. If the HD becomes mainstream, then the big hard drive can not accommodate such a large amount of high-definition video information, not as much as you need, only from the "cloud" extract.

Typos, you can put limited resources into more needed places, such as not adding hard disk, and the purchase of terminal set-top box hard disk funds used to increase the two-way set-top box memory or terminal graphics display chip performance.

"Cloud computing" in the interactive television industry case

The author formerly led the coastal capital city of a radio and television interactive TV entertainment value-added projects, already have the application of "cloud computing" related to the prototype business Operation success stories.

The specific structure is as follows:

The technology architecture of cloud computing in interactive TV

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In this project, the author to solve the first generation of low performance set-top box, due to low performance (set-top box client browser embedded development program, capacity size can not exceed 200k, if once exceeded, in the process may be memory overflow and cause set-top box panic), This compromise solution is not possible to operate with too many business products that require terminal high computing power to complete.

Set up a server group in the engine room, create a virtual interactive TV world, then let the interactive TV users through the high-speed internal LAN (the city's cable TV network operating physical environment, is through five types of line access to the interactive TV set-top box), the user input instructions directly to the server farm, in the server cluster after the successful operation, First display the results in the virtual world, and then feedback the results to the interactive set-top box, through the TV display of the final results to the user, the set-top box is only a display terminal, the calculation process and the results of the operation is entirely provided by the server.

The advantage of this is to be able to meet in the early development of interactive television, users of high computing business products demand, narrowing the gap with the telecommunications level of business products, increase the user's adhesion, improve the ARPU value.

This value-added entertainment project is within the scope of China, the first to bring forward and realize the function of interactive TV entertainment community, so that the past one-way passive viewing habits (TV-) radio and television network-"users", slowly changed into active people and people of Community information interconnection mode.

Future Vision

Distributed operations with minimal family units

According to statistics, now the social and household personal computers are PCs, only 30% of the computing power is used, or even lower, while the remaining 70% is actually idle, these idle computer resources and computing power only through distributed systems can be effectively used.

Application in Home network architecture

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In the near future, set-top boxes, PCs, mobile phones and so on, will become a part of the "cloud", relying on high-speed wireless broadband, the real sense of the distributed operation.

Due to the privatization of personal property and other factors, the future "cloud computing" will establish a family or closed community units of the distributed computing binding. To put it simply, all the hardware in your home that has CPUs (including PCs, only mobile phones, interactive set-top boxes, and even the future of high-performance Smart microwave ovens and smart refrigerators, will be involved in your home unit of the distributed computing, so that your application services can be the greatest amount of resources to save investment in the case, to achieve the same goal.

Somewhat similar to the concept of "mutual Aid Society", and the distributed operation of the community, can also greatly reduce the waste of idle computing power resources. When someone is watching TV and you are playing a game, maybe the building you live in, all the set-top box's computing power is just for your video game. The input of hardware resources is greatly reduced, while meeting the needs of most people.

The need of three-network integration business

Cloud computing can easily achieve the data and application sharing between different devices, there is a cross-platform platform for business promotion advantages, such a strategy, greatly facilitate the future of our three-network integration business.

In the Cross-platform area of business integration, the sharing of information resources is critical, and "cloud computing," one of the advantages of the information is in the "cloud" server group, the terminal is only to display results and input instructions and information role.

"Cloud" and "end", fragmented, in order to create the future integration of the business needs of the information barrier-free sharing.

Conclusion：

Comrade Deng Shaoping once said: "Black cat, White cat, can catch a mouse is a good cat." "The development of society is always the natural evolutionary history of the fittest."

The development of the interactive television industry naturally does not jump out of the confines of this competitive evolution. There are many applications that we have not considered before, and that we do not even think about, which will develop better with the passage of time and the progress of technology.

We face the environment, it is an opportunity and risk of the river, whether the smooth crossing, play the interactive TV industry chain of great efficiency, we need to have "stones" courage and Strong heroes "sacrifice righteousness" boldness.

Unsuccessful, that is, martyrdom.