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Explain This to Me Please!

My guess would be that the screens receive some transmission somewhere and the repeater is sending out a stronger signal. The stronger signal from the repeater is able to drown out the original signal and replace it with its own signal. These large screens are likely programmable remotely and are probably connected wirelessly. This person seemed to have identified the frequency and is able to override it if the repeater is placed close enough.
 
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_HUYi9aVvI

Can anyone explain how that works exactly? I don't really understand how the screen just changes by putting a receiver close to it and interfering with what's already playing. Also... that's awesome!

Plugged into the phone is a video transmitter. That takes the video being shot and sends the signal to a repeater and rebroadcasts it to the video system; that is, the big displays.

I think it is potentially dangerous because I can well imagine how disruptive it could become. "ATTENTION: (cue the DHS logo and a man in a suit) New York City is currently under a biological attack by unknown forces. You must leave NYC as soon as possible. Gas Masks are being handed out at Starbucks, but they are in limited supply, so hurry.

Or . . .

ATTENTION: Due to a change in NYC policies, all mexican or spanish looking people will immediately report to the Foot Locker around the corner for U.S. citizenship verification.

You get the idea.

Not sure what to think

Bob
 
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Check out 0:35-0:37. He is on a screen in the very back (it's an eye strainer).

Look just to the left of the marketing kiosk he is about to use.

Good video - this reminds me of when me and my friends were young.

We discovered universal remotes.. so when we got done ding dong ditching, we would go to house windows and change peoples channels.

What a blast!

But on topic, this video is crazy. Good find.

Check this out - it was related to this.. looks like it turned into a NYPD investigation.

Something tells me this guy got in big trouble.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF5QsBbZ2bE&feature=related
 
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Think it would of been more believable if they made it hook up to the bottom of the iphone than using the audio jack to supposedly send out the video feed.

Without seeing a iPhone schematic and a BOM I really can't say if it matters or not. You might indeed be able to use the iPhone audio jack to output video signals. Or forget the audio jack altogether and simply feed the transmitted signal from your iPhone into a small RF amplifier.

What I do know is this: although the system shown in the video has apparently been debunked, is within the realm of possibility. There are no serious technical barriers to doing what is shown in the video.

You can find off the shelf components to build such a device for the phone as well as the required repeater. Or cobble together a dedicated unit from RF modules and Radio Shack components. When I was a UARC Member, I would sit in a room every week with Hams that are more than capable of building something to raise hell. And it is also quite easy to build amplifiers to boost the signals outputted by off the shelf RF modules.

I am not saying it is easy for everyone, just entirely possible.

Not sure how you get your repeater's signal into the video stream, however. It might be easier if these displays relied upon transmitted video and audio rather than a cable connection. Then it is a "simple" matter to inject a signal. Illegal as hell, but possible.

Not too difficult to use high power amateur equipment. These devices are readily available and outputting in the multi-kilowatt range. I know a guy that runs 1500 Watts of RF in his van. We can work all the way up to and above 300 GHz. Certainly nothing that can fit in your hand or ride the currents on a bright red balloon as depicted in the first video, however. Perhaps the VDs are so unprotected, they make small wattage workable.

The other possibility is this: the systems used by display manufacturers are too well protected to allow hacking as displayed in the video.

Bob
 
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