Digital Television

Digital Television

On November 1, 1998 computer companies, television makers, broadcasters, and program suppliers have made a transition from analog to digital television. When the FCC passed a law forcing the networks to change from an analog broadcast to a digital broadcast, all the above mentioned industries have been scrambling to get a jump on their competition.

The picture and sound qualities of digital TV broadcasts are the best on Earth. However, at this moment cost remains a big problem. You can spend anywhere from $6,000 to $10,000 at the present time (Booth 80). Once the cost is driven down over the next few years, the average citizen will be able to experience the advantages of digital TV.

Digital TV will allow for a wider screen display, like those screens in movie theaters, and a sharper picture. What causes this perk is the fact that digital signals have a higher bit rate. This allows for more bits to be transmitted into the TV (cable, antenna, or satellite). The more bits a TV can transmit, the better the picture or screen resolution. The digital TV signal can carry as many as 19.4 megabits of data, which means a broadcaster can mix multiple programs of varying bit sizes onto a single channel. Say you’re watching a football game, since one camera view only uses up so many bits, you can select a different camera angle while watching the same game on the same channel. It is possible for a network, like NBC, to show two different programs at the same time on the same channel. Conceivably, if the president in on, you can watch regular scheduled programming.

With the introduction of the digital TV, the introduction of WebTV is upon us. One will be able to surf the internet through the television instead of using their computer. That is how the computer industry is involved in the digital TV. What companies like Sony and Microsoft hope to do is combine the TV and PC into one unit. They believe they can diminish the lines between consumer electronics and computers. Ultimately, both companies would like to make things more convenient and interface both industries. This will force computer companies and television makers to get on the ball and compete with these two corporate giants.

What will the transition to digital TV be like? Like any new radical product transition, the changeover will take some time.