The next step, beginning in 1993 or 1994, would be to use compression to transmit over cable to the home.

Q. What if consumers would rather receive their movies over cable?

It is a standard for transmitting digital television signal over cable.

Last year, for example, 21.3 million households could order pay-per-view movies over cable.

The dish relays the signal over cable to each apartment in the building.

The systems can also transmit over cable or satellite.

Consumers, too, will win, he said, because "they'll finally have a choice of broadband providers over cable."

At first, the company offered commercial-free music channels over cable as a $10-a-month premium service.

It transfers the data over cables between the modules inside the printers.

"The network is making a big mistake," he said, threading his way over cables and under lights in the studio.