science

TV2Me

TV2Me is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand TV2Me rather than just read about it. In short: TV2Me is a device that allows TV viewers to watch their home's cable or satellite television programs on their own computers, mobile phones, television sets and projector screens anywhere in the world. "This technology gives users the ability to shift space, and to watch all the cable or satellite TV channels of any place they choose on any Internet connected device." History TV2Me was invented by Ken Schaffer, who…

Key takeaways

TV2Me belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect TV2Me to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of TV2Me from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

TV2Me is a device that allows TV viewers to watch their home's cable or satellite television programs on their own computers, mobile phones, television sets and projector screens anywhere in the world. "This technology gives users the ability to shift space, and to watch all the cable or satellite TV channels of any place they choose on any Internet connected device."

History TV2Me was invented by Ken Schaffer, who began working on it in 2001, when he was working overseas. His goal was to watch his favorite American shows through any kind of device from wherever he was. With a team of Turkish and Russian programmers he developed circuitry that allows the MPEG-4 encoder to operate more efficiently and to generate a better picture. Schaffer, who was known for having previously invented the Schaffer–Vega diversity system, the first practical wireless guitar and microphone system for major rock bands, and for developing satellite tracking systems that allowed U.S. agencies and universities to monitor internal television of the then Soviet Union, launched TV2Me in December 2003. TV2Me introduced the concept of placeshifting and started an entire industry.

Operation To set up TV2Me, the cable or satellite box and a broadband internet connection are plugged in the device. "The server requires an Internet connection with an upstream speed of 512 kb/s or higher." On the receiving end (for example the computer), any browser can be used to view in real-time or with a 6-second delay. The delayed mode uses the extra time to produce a slightly better picture. No additional software needs to be installed. "The "target" (receiving location) can be anywhere there's a broadband connection. The viewer can use virtually any PC running Windows, Mac, Linux and Solaris."

Copyrights No copyright infringement has been set for this placeshifting device but this technology is problematic to many copyright holders because it sidesteps what is known in legalese as proximity control, which restricts the distribution of content to specific regions and times. "It's a standard contractual stipulation for the MPAA, whose member studios license distribution rights to movies for distinct territories; the NFL, which considers geographic limits the linchpin of lucrative television deals, including its Sunday Ticket pact with DirecTV; and local television stations, which pay millions of dollars for exclusive territorial rights to all kinds of programming." On this issue, Ken Schaffer's position has been: "The TV2Me user paid for the rights to watch these programs. What separates him from other cable subscribers is that he has a long extension cord."

See also Spaceshifting / placeshifting Copyright Private copying Schaffer-Vega Diversity System

References

External links TV2Me (Archived)

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with TV2Me

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what TV2Me claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to TV2Me before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about TV2Me ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of TV2Me

In research: TV2Me appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses TV2Me in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: TV2Me is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Television placeshifting technology, Television technology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for TV2Me outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study TV2Me in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what TV2Me means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain TV2Me out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is TV2Me in simple terms?

Why does TV2Me matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study TV2Me?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on TV2Me.