Telstra shows off network capacity with live hologram beaming
By Darren Murph 
posted May 27th 2008 12:39AM
posted May 27th 2008 12:39AM
If we were betting souls, we'd say seeing a hologram of Bill Gates is still far more frightening than one of Telstra's CTO, but nevertheless, said exec was recently beamed from Melbourne to Adelaide via hologram in order to "speak at a major function for senior business executives." According to David Thodey, the live demonstration symbolized "what has become possible using the high data speed and capacity of [its] network" -- something the outfit is calling Next Dimension Working. The actual hologram was transmitted over the company's network using the Musion Eyeliner System, a "high-definition holographic video projection system that allows three-dimensional moving images to appear within a live stage setting." Telecommuting just took on a whole new meaning.[Via News, thanks Brad]
Update: Video added after the jump!
SWEET! Can we see a video of it?
Personally I'll wait until some Korean/Japanese company demoes it with some yummy female models.... Shouldn't be too long from now
I would love to see a video of this but unfortunately, as I live in Australia (where Telstra operates) I do not have the available download quota to spare on luxuries such as watching videos on the internet.
Telstra to BobTurbo in a hastily-written (low-bandwidth) email:
--------
Trst us it happnd ok? We has hitek. Hope yr kwota is gd. Thx for chuzing tlstra hivalu intrnt.
kthxbye
Hologram imaging requires sophisticated laser lights and rotating mirrors. It is in no way as efficient as a simple video camera and a monitor.
Besides, using a video camera, NO ONE else can see me if I scratch my ass or my ballz. If I need to pick my nose or dig in my ears, I can easily angle the camera away.
The same can't be said for a hologram
help me obi wan
you're my only hope
more like
Help us SP1 your our only hope
To me it's not a real hologram unless there is an 'H' on the forehead.
And can write fish 500 times on an exam paper, salute, then pass out
Ha ha, Wait... What???
You have never watched Red Dwarf, have you?
No, I can't say that i have.
I cant wait until we have tangible holographic displays that streamline our entire digital stuff (music, videos, internet, phone, etc) and we can pull it out of our pocket and play with it and then put it back in.
If you were streaming porn, the last part of your comment takes on a WHOLE new meaning.
Short vid at http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2008/05/27/2256932.htm
Now, the Sith Lords can finally communicate with us
Yes, it would have looked better if he wore a hooded cloak.
The really disappointing thing was that he just stood there and talked. He should have done all the 3D movie tricks... poked spears out at the audience and so forth.
i reckon bradlow is pretty scary
How much network capacity does a hologram require?
Or is this just an expensive demonstration to attempt to glorify the appalling broadband network in Aus
This is not a hologram, it isn't even 3D. It's just a simple video projection on a see-through screen. Everyone can do this at home, using a projector and vitrage.
I think Telstra is just mocking us. Toowoomba is still on ADSL 1, and if you live a bit out from Toowoomba you have to get satellite (Toowoomba... near Brisbane... 100,000 people... never mind).
Tuart Hill - about 8km from Perth CBD. ADSL2+? Yeah right! If you're one of the lucky ones!
Telstra and high speed data and capacity? Are you F****** kidding me?
Telstra has some of the worst value plans on the planet, they make
data incredibly expensive in australia, and they are not afraid to
slap you with absurd charges (the $150 a gig type) if you go over
their measly quotas (the
Whoops, engadget truncated me.
The sentance ended with: (the < 1 gig type)
I'm in Australia, and am Happily chugging away with iiNet ADSL2+ for $99.99AU with 80gb month Download. Free Upload
Great something else Telstra can hold out of the publics reach until it's old tech then charge us twice what its worth.
The same hologram system was used for this performance:
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=0EkeAOrqcMY
Gorillaz - the animated band from a few years back - performed Feel Good Inc at the Grammies, and then Madonna comes on stage and sings a bit of Hung Up.
Fairly awesome
Correct me if I'm wrong, but they stopped using this tech when the roar of the audience made the huge transparent screens shake, right? It makes the characters seem blurry.
I believe so.
Also, the volume of the music itself can even shake the screens.
Would've been great to see a proper tour with this tech, but oh well
While I agree Telstra is expensive. You can't complain about their speeds. I live in Brisbane and I can download at 2,300kbps/s from newsgroups on Cable. (it does cost me $140 a month for 60gig tho)
yeah but the point is we want reasonable speed, at a reasonable price.
yeah well those who are happily downloading porn on ADSL2 im still stuck on ADSL 1 512k at $49.99 for 5GB/7GB with westnet in W.A go up to 1500 and its like $60 for same limit telstra dont have any better either and for those who have a tight budget but want better internet from a reliable company good luck... even the Telstra 3G network sucks ass it costs you 5 arms 2 legs and your balls (breasts if female) if you want it and then when you get it it has shit quality....
IMHO we should take a leaf out of a graduate from RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) who created a program/driver/thingo that enchanced the broadband speed up to 25x or 250x faster then the fastest internet available on exisiting lines and telstra let him use it... and now RMIT use this program thing and have supeer super super super fast internet -damn them- all this without damaging the existing technology or changing it... go figure here telstra was telling us we couldnt go any faster then what we have because it would require an overhaul.... MY ASSS!!! TELSTRA SHOULD DIEEEEEE
well, this is bullshit. the system works off an old technique called peppers ghost that shows a 2d image on a piece of glass. essentially all they did was transmit a decent quality movie, and given they own the god damn network they should be bloody well able to.
Exactly. Disney has used this method in its Haunted House ballroom for the past four decades.
I was on Telstra for a few month well i lived in Syndey. I loved the country and people. But Bigpond needs to be taken out back and shot in the head for its grasp on the telecoms. I know they have very Few gateways that are divided with the rest of P.asia. Just should not be that limited. I can only image the hurt they feel now with all the HD content online, youtube ""improved quality, slightly, but more so Vimeo and all the apple HD trailers ranging 100mb+
Im now on Shaw Cable exterme, 15,783kb/s d/l, unlimited and by that they mean like haha 80 or 90gig all for like 50 or 60$ something a month ^^ I also live in small town so these speeds are constant unlike a city with lots of downloaders on a single cable line.
Something like that would cost you 200$ probably in Australia. Its too bad great nation, just needs more optical connections spanning the pacific pond.
Telstra sucks. Enough said.
http://skepticssa.wordpress.com/2008/05/28/telstra-hologram-bs/
"This is pure bullshit. Telstra was not demonstrating a video hologram, or even a static hologram. A quick check on numerous websites or in many books explains what a hologram really is and the most obvious attribute is that it appears to be a 3D object. Not a 2D image on a screen. In their defense, Telstra and the media are only parroting what the company that supplies this technology is saying.
What Telstra demonstrated was projecting a video onto a screen."
wow did you see that!!??? he turned around and you could see his back!! real 3D finaly it's here!!!! how incredible, and all this time i didn't even realize i could watch 3D movies on my 4 year old projector