Online vs Offline
Satellite allows content to be broadcast for storage in a cache on your PC. Selected pages are transmitted one after the other - rather like Teletext. If you keep your PC switched on, the client will "listen" for the content you have previously selected and store it locally.
You can then access it at any time without having to use your phone to go on line. As it is stored locally, your access speeds couldn't be quicker.
All of this "push" content (both SatTV and SatSurf) is available without using the phone line - so you can talk on the phone and download this content and watch the video all at the same time.

|
Do I need an ISP |
Do I need to be on-line? |
Constraints |
1. High Speed Internet Access

|
Yes |
Yes |
1. Download and speed constraints are necessary to keep the service affordable - otherwise average users end up subsidising heavy users.
2. You still have to pay for your terrestrial access costs - but these should be lower than the same content accessed by terrestrial-only methods as satellite delivers the same content more quickly
|
2. Video & Audio streams

|
No |
No |
1. Once saved, you can click on as many streams as your CPU, monitor and eyes can cope with! There's no on-line or phone charges no matter how long you watch or listen. These streams do NOT count toward your monthly download limit. |
3. Browsing and using content broadcast for storage on your PC

|
Usually not |
Usually not |
1. You may need to go online to subscribe if you have chosen a subscription service.
2. Like Teletext, you can only receive the content we and our content partners broadcast. So we are investing heavily in expanding the range and breadth of the content you like.
3. You need to reserve an amount of local storage (cache) on your HDD. But all the content in this cache is immediately available to you at the highest possible speed without having to go online. Like the video streams, this content does NOT count toward your monthly limit. |
At the moment, the Manhattan BSM 2 only supports SatSurf. A software upgrade to allow SatTV and SatKiosk push content will be released.
|