From: kettyle@cbnewsi.cb.att.com (john.jr.kettyle)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Re: FROX??
Date: 7 Apr 92 17:36:54 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: AT&T

In article <580273b9.1b2f0@digital.sps.mot.com>, chen@digital.sps.mot.com (Jinfu Chen) writes:
> In article <1992Apr1.154231.7063@cbnewsi.cb.att.com> kettyle@cbnewsi.cb.att.com (john.jr.kettyle) writes:
> >In article <1992Mar31.164730.2943@wam.umd.edu>, dododge@wam.umd.edu (David O. Dodge) writes:
> >> In article <CHRISC.92Mar31090321@kether.webo.dg.com>, chrisc@kether.webo.dg.com (Chris Campbell) writes:
> >> > Anyone have any info on a product called FROX?  They've been advertising
> >> > (read: hyping) it in Premiere magazine.
> >> 
> >> I can't recall the figure, but I think I saw a price for some of that stuff
> >> a while back and it was ****REAL**** expensive. It's supposed to be some sort
> >> of central control system for audio/video entertainment centers (or something
> >> like that).
> >
> >What I like about it was that there was an on screen mening system that 
> >allowed a viewer to look up tv listings and "click" on them and automatically
> >program your vcr to record that show at the correct time. I know that this
> >is very basic in the explanation, but it will suffice.
> 
> The FROX system offers much more than the user-friendly interface. 
> Unfortunately their ads seem to concentrate in this area.  I went to a demo
> recently and was really impressed with the product (something that expensive
> has to be impressive :-).
> 
> The main theme of the product to *me* is the use of DSP and SPARC chips to
> process everything.  I believe upto six DSP chips can be put in the box and
> probably two SPARC chips are used along with some large amount of DRAMs and
> two special (low noise) 200MB hard disks.  With so much computing power (over
> 200 MIPS) the unit offers line doubling and the display is quite superb. 
> I watched T2 and Back to the Future from LD for half hour and didn't realize
> the lack of scan lines for a while.
> 
> Other "impressive" features of the system include the way the system to be
> upgraded via software.  For example, a THX compatible system can be obtained
> via loading a VHS tape ($800 option though!) without chaning hardware.  In
> fact the whole system can't be used without loading an "operating system" via
> a VHS tape to the hard disk.
> 
> FROX is also teaming up with TBS (sp? a superstation in Atlanta) to broadcast
> lots of information via vertical blank, such information include local
> program listing a couple times a day that can be used for programing
> mentioned in previous message, and their CD library listing for the 100 CD
> changer.
> 
> The only drawback, you can't afford it.  A story in Forbes mentioned one of
> the founder of the company left a couple years ago because he didn't believe
> they could produce an affortable system for the mass (under $5,000).  If
> someone hits a jackpot and willing to burn some easy money, I guess this is
> the ultimate system for them.  In reality, I heard lots sports bar owners are
> buying FROX system for business use.

Again, friends of mine saw it at a CES show in Chicago. They said it was very
impressive and blew away the HDTV display that was at another booth.

They were invited to a sales demo in New York and went. There they said that
they were put to the hard sell to become a dealer. The demo lasted less then
5 minutes with 15 min. of hard sell about the system. They would not answere 
questions about the technology. ( wether they knew or not is a question)

After seeing it again my friends decided that it was a fad and one would be
better off buying a less expensive system and enjoying that until a new
standard comes out in this country ( HDTV or whatever might be out in the 
next 5 years or so) They said that $30,000 was too much for the consumer to
buy into.

John
Newsgroups: rec.video