Post by thread:OT -- USA vs. UK (was: "Re: Mark1 programming chal

Keith Howell <spam_OUTPICLISTTakeThisOuTMITVMA.MIT.EDU> wrote: > I was surprised to hear from Myke that the USA had done everything > the UK had, only faster, better, cheaper etc. .... I can't imagine > good arguments for engineering talent being blessed upon one nation > more than another. Keith: I can't think of any good arguments for it, either. Nevertheless, it DOES seem to be true... For proof, you merely need to own both a British car and a real car. -Andy P.S. Just kidding... === Andrew Warren - .....fastfwdKILLspam@spam@ix.netcom.com === Fast Forward Engineering - Vista, California === http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/2499

> > I was surprised to hear from Myke that the USA had done everything > > the UK had, only faster, better, cheaper etc. .... I can't imagine > > good arguments for engineering talent being blessed upon one nation > > more than another. > > Keith: > > I can't think of any good arguments for it, either. > > Nevertheless, it DOES seem to be true... For proof, you merely need > to own both a British car and a real car. One of my partners drives a Jag XJR - If there was any doubt that the UK sporting spirit that gave us the Morgan, the AC, the TF and the Sprite produces real cars - You haven't strapped one of those babies on. > > -Andy > > P.S. Just kidding... > >

Yeah Andy I'm supprised that you write Ford and real car on the same page As an Englishman I am not defending the French out of any loyalty but talking of real cars I've had only Citroens since 1981 (when I first discovered them) Please don't think I include the rubbish that Peugeot turn out with Citroen badges Since 1934 Citroen have only produced front wheel drive cars, vans, trucks and busses The double chevron logo represented their very early use of double helix gears (silent and no backlash) Their suspension and braking system has also been fitted as standard to RollsRoyce cars since 1972 So not all French mechanics are bad {Quote hidden}> > | Uh... Yeah, Tom, but Jaguar's owned by Ford now. > | > | -Andy > > I'm surprised that Ford would have to go to such extreme > lengths to acquire the ability to build a real car :-). > > And look who owns Lamborghini! (Maybe it will be for sale > cheap very shortly!) -- Peter Cousens email: EraseMEpeterspam_OUTTakeThisOuTcousens.her.forthnet.gr phone: + 3081 324450, 380534 snailmail: Folia, Agia Fotini, Karteros, Heraklion Crete, Greece.

In message <@spam@199802101735.LAA03002KILLspamdfw-ix10.ix.netcom.com>> KILLspamPICLISTKILLspamMITVMA.MIT.EDU writes: > Keith Howell <RemoveMEPICLISTTakeThisOuTMITVMA.MIT.EDU> wrote: > > > I was surprised to hear from Myke that the USA had done everything > > the UK had, only faster, better, cheaper etc. .... I can't imagine > > good arguments for engineering talent being blessed upon one nation > > more than another. > > Keith: > > I can't think of any good arguments for it, either. > > Nevertheless, it DOES seem to be true... For proof, you merely need > to own both a British car and a real car. I don't think there are any British cars left. Even Jaguar are owned by Ford and Rolls looks like it's ownership is heading for Germany. I don't know why we let it happen. > > -Andy > > P.S. Just kidding... Maybe, but you've made this joke before without the "just kidding" let out. :-) Regards, Mike Watson

I love British cars.. as a mechanic you could count on them like clock work to be in your shop every couple of months ! Andy.. I worked on Porches for 14 years, they are definatly the best of all I worked on ! {Quote hidden}>> >> > I was surprised to hear from Myke that the USA had done everything >> > the UK had, only faster, better, cheaper etc. .... I can't imagine >> > good arguments for engineering talent being blessed upon one nation >> > more than another. >> >> Keith: >> >> I can't think of any good arguments for it, either. >> >> Nevertheless, it DOES seem to be true... For proof, you merely need >> to own both a British car and a real car. > >I don't think there are any British cars left. Even Jaguar are owned >by Ford and Rolls looks like it's ownership is heading for Germany. > >I don't know why we let it happen. > >> >> -Andy >> >> P.S. Just kidding... > >Maybe, but you've made this joke before without the "just kidding" >let out. :-) > > >Regards, > >Mike Watson >

In message <000301bd3c9c$3aba6220$spamBeGone621c8ed1spamBeGonebcannon.sfsu.edu>, Bruce Cannon <TakeThisOuTbcannonEraseMEspam_OUTJPS.NET> writes >Sorry, getting into this late, has anyone mentioned the one British >motorcycle enthusiasts have passed around for decades: > >"Q: Why didn't the British ever manufacture a television set? >A: Because they couldn't figure out how to make it leak oil." As a British (English) TV service engineer who used to ride motorbikes I thought I better reply to this :-). I can't say much about British bikes leaking oil (as they used to), but at least our TV's are FAR! superior to the American versions :-). We have teletext, high quality digital NICAM sound, and a decent colour (not color) system. Perhaps that's the problem with American TV, if they can't spell 'colour' correctly. what chance have the actual pictures got :-). -- Nigel. /--------------------------------------------------------------\ | Nigel Goodwin | Internet : RemoveMEnigelgTakeThisOuTlpilsley.demon.co.uk | | Lower Pilsley | Web Page : http://www.lpilsley.demon.co.uk | | Chesterfield | | | England | | \--------------------------------------------------------------/

In NZ our TV is better still. We have PAL, NICAM, teletext AND the sets leak oil :-). >>"Q: Why didn't the British ever manufacture a television set? >>A: Because they couldn't figure out how to make it leak oil." > >As a British (English) TV service engineer who used to ride motorbikes I >thought I better reply to this :-). > >I can't say much about British bikes leaking oil (as they used to), but >at least our TV's are FAR! superior to the American versions :-). We >have teletext, high quality digital NICAM sound, and a decent colour >(not color) system. Perhaps that's the problem with American TV, if they >can't spell 'colour' correctly. what chance have the actual pictures got >:-). >Nigel. > > /----------------------------------------------------------- ---\ > | Nigel Goodwin | Internet : nigelgEraseME.....lpilsley.demon.co.uk | > | Lower Pilsley | Web Page : http://www.lpilsley.demon.co.uk | > | Chesterfield | | > | England | | > \----------------------------------------------------------- ---/ >

>I can't say much about British bikes leaking oil (as they used to), but >at least our TV's are FAR! superior to the American versions :-). We >have teletext, high quality digital NICAM sound, and a decent colour >(not color) system. Perhaps that's the problem with American TV, if they >can't spell 'colour' correctly. what chance have the actual pictures got >:-). PAL beats NTSC in resolution, but 50 HZ! HDTV and digital broadcasting are happening. Andy ================================================================== Andy Kunz - Montana Design ==================================================================

On Wed, 18 Feb 1998 22:17:03 +0000, you wrote: >In message <000301bd3c9c$3aba6220$RemoveME621c8ed1EraseMEEraseMEbcannon.sfsu.edu>, Bruce >Cannon <RemoveMEbcannonspam_OUTKILLspamJPS.NET> writes >>Sorry, getting into this late, has anyone mentioned the one British >>motorcycle enthusiasts have passed around for decades: >> >>"Q: Why didn't the British ever manufacture a television set? >>A: Because they couldn't figure out how to make it leak oil." > >As a British (English) TV service engineer who used to ride motorbikes I >thought I better reply to this :-). > >I can't say much about British bikes leaking oil (as they used to), but >at least our TV's are FAR! superior to the American versions :-). We >have teletext, high quality digital NICAM sound, and a decent colour >(not color) system. Perhaps that's the problem with American TV, if they >can't spell 'colour' correctly. what chance have the actual pictures got >:-). The programmes on British TV's are also usually better too 8-) ____ ____ _/ L_/ Mike Harrison / White Wing Logic / RemoveMEwwlTakeThisOuTspamnetcomuk.co.uk _/ L_/ _/ W_/ Hardware & Software design / PCB Design / Consultancy _/ W_/ /_W_/ Industrial / Computer Peripherals / Hazardous Area /_W_/

On Thu, 19 Feb 1998 07:20:02 -0500, you wrote: >>I can't say much about British bikes leaking oil (as they used to), but >>at least our TV's are FAR! superior to the American versions :-). We >>have teletext, high quality digital NICAM sound, and a decent colour >>(not color) system. Perhaps that's the problem with American TV, if they >>can't spell 'colour' correctly. what chance have the actual pictures got >>:-). > >PAL beats NTSC in resolution, but 50 HZ! Not really a problem, unlike with computer monitors, as you watch from further away, so the image is well away from your peripheral vision area which is much more sensitive to flicker, and also the increased amount of on-screen movement makes flicker pretty much unnoticeable. Looking at a wall of TV's in a shop is another matter - can be very annoying. ____ ____ _/ L_/ Mike Harrison / White Wing Logic / EraseMEwwlspamspamBeGonenetcomuk.co.uk _/ L_/ _/ W_/ Hardware & Software design / PCB Design / Consultancy _/ W_/ /_W_/ Industrial / Computer Peripherals / Hazardous Area /_W_/

In message <RemoveME3.0.1.32.19980219072002.006b5718KILLspampop.fast.net>, Andy Kunz <montanaSTOPspamspam_OUTFAST.NET> writes >>I can't say much about British bikes leaking oil (as they used to), but >>at least our TV's are FAR! superior to the American versions :-). We >>have teletext, high quality digital NICAM sound, and a decent colour >>(not color) system. Perhaps that's the problem with American TV, if they >>can't spell 'colour' correctly. what chance have the actual pictures got >>:-). > >PAL beats NTSC in resolution, but 50 HZ! I don't think we better start the mains frequency thread again :-). But PAL beats NTSC on other things besides resolution, it's a far better colour system, none of the NTSC colour tint changes that occur in NTSC. Basically it's very similar to NTSC really, but it was improved to remove the phase problems. BTW, as for resolution, the PAL system only has half the colour resolution of NTSC - assuming the same line/field rates. As for 50Hz field, what's the problem, it gives 25 pictures a second, film only gives 24 :-). >HDTV and digital broadcasting are happening. What's the state of things in the USA, digital MPEG2 is due to start later this year in the UK - both terrestrial and satellite. It remains to be seen how good it is!. -- Nigel. /--------------------------------------------------------------\ | Nigel Goodwin | Internet : spamBeGonenigelgSTOPspamEraseMElpilsley.demon.co.uk | | Lower Pilsley | Web Page : http://www.lpilsley.demon.co.uk | | Chesterfield | | | England | | \--------------------------------------------------------------/

In message <KILLspam3.0.1.32.19980219072002.006b5718spamBeGonepop.fast.net>> EraseMEPICLISTEraseMEMITVMA.MIT.EDU writes: > >I can't say much about British bikes leaking oil (as they used to), but > >at least our TV's are FAR! superior to the American versions :-). We > >have teletext, high quality digital NICAM sound, and a decent colour > >(not color) system. Perhaps that's the problem with American TV, if they > >can't spell 'colour' correctly. what chance have the actual pictures got > >:-). > > PAL beats NTSC in resolution, but 50 HZ! > I always find it instructive to find out what the initials stand for: NTSC - Never Twice Same Colour PAL - Perfection At Last (of course). Mike Watson

Nigel Goodwin writes: >As for 50Hz field, what's the problem, it gives 25 pictures a second, >film only gives 24 :-). That's true, but film projectors usually show each frame three times so the flicker is actually 72 flashes per second. The flicker that one actually sees on the screen is at twice the frame rate because of the interlace factor. I do not have enough vision to report on this first hand, but some people say that there is just enough difference between the 50 and 60 HZ field rate to make it slightly noticeable. I was a technician in the Audio Visual Center here before my present job and we, one day, got a little PAL/NTSC crash course. One of the things we did was to help customers with their video problems and we had a man whose daughter lived in Australia and who wanted to be able to exchange videos with his daughter and her family. The man had bought a multi standard VCR which could play just about any video format there was as long as you had a monitor meant for that format. His daughter had nicely bought a little monochrome TV from a store in Australia. The trouble was that the VCR's RF modulator worked in the UHF channels and the TV had no UHF. Just for fun, we borrowed a NTSC monitor meant for a C64 computer and twiddled the vertical and horizontal sync until it matched the PAL signal. We had a perfect monochrome picture with a little overscan probably due to the lower vertical frequency. The sync and luminance signals for PAL are exactly the same as for NTSC, but of course there was no color at all due to the different color burst frequency and even if that had matched, no telling what the screen would have looked like with half the lines reversed for red and blue. The documentation said that some 3.58 MHZ-based PAL systems used in Latin America might produce color but it would be wrong if received on an NTSC set. By the way, our customer bought a multi standard Panasonic monitor and his daughter did the same in Australia and so that's how they solved their video problems. >What's the state of things in the USA, digital MPEG2 is due to start >later this year in the UK - both terrestrial and satellite. It remains >to be seen how good it is!. I just called the four major television stations in Oklahoma City and asked them when they expected to start MPEG2 broadcasting. The Public Broadcaster said that they have an additional year on everything compared with the commercial broadcasters so they are looking at 1999 to bring up their UHF transmitter. The two commercial stations who gave me an answer both gave times in late 1999. They must vacate their present VHF assignment by 2006. I am guessing that this is fairly representative of what most of the United States will be dealing with. The largest cities will start broadcasting MPEG2 this year and it will trickle down to smaller areas in the next several years. There are eight levels of video quality ranging from about 400 lines up to 1100 lines so it won't all be HDTV by any means. Martin McCormick