Posted Wed Oct 27, 2010 at 11:00 AM PDT by Dick Ward
PhD Marcel van de Burgwal says yes – thanks to flat antennas and microchips.
Say what you will about the positive parts of satellite television, the one big downside has always been the dish. It's a problem of aesthetics for some and an issue of practicality for others. One Dutch researcher has come up with a way to get rid of the problem altogether.
Marcel van de Burgwal has created a microchip that could make home satellite dishes obsolete. Using the new chip, satellite subscribers would have a series of flat antennas inside of their set-top boxes as receivers, rather than a large dish outside.
The chip utilizes several small and simple processors instead of one large one like traditional chips, making it far more efficient. Burgwal also says this chip could be used in cell phones and other mobile devices.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
The latest news on all things 4K Ultra HD, blu-ray and Gear.