Future Of Television

The Future of Television

Hello, and welcome to the wonderful world of time travel. Technology is a growing part of our society today, and it is going to be very important part of our future. I am going to show you what technology is doing for television from now, into the next century. Sit back, relax, and buckle up as we embark on our journey through time.

To start off, HDTV(high definition television) is what we have to look forward to in the next three to five years. Now, you are probably asking yourself what is HDTV? HDTV is an all-digital TV broadcast signal that delivers high-resolution, wide-screen picture, and six channels of digital sound. Though computer experts and scientists are working on a more advanced 3D and polygraphic television, it is too far away to tell when it will be done, and how much it can do. As of now, twenty-six stations have filed their intentions to begin digital broadcasts. Digital television sets are on sale now, though the price is between five to ten thousand dollars. There is a converter box on sale as well that you hook up to your TV, and it changes the regular signal to digital to your TV screen you have at home now. That is approximately three to six thousand dollars. You are probably saying to yourself at this point, “Other than being more expensive, what am I getting out of a HDTV that I am not getting from the TV at home? To start with, as of now, we use 525 lines of resolution,(makes up the screen, with colors) where HDTV has anywhere from 720 to 1080 (Sobel 73). Next, is the difference between the picture screens. The HDTV has a width to height ratio of 16:9. The average TV now is 4:3. Other than getting a bigger screen with a great picture, you are getting digital sound. HDTV broadcasts will be encoded with Dolby Digital (AC-3) audio, featuring 6 separate audio tracks. Each track can be sent to a different speaker allowing detailing and realistic sound (Sobel 74).

Now, as the tour rolls on, we take a look to see what is in store for us in the near future. By November of 1999, the FCC is requiring that the top 30 markets (cities) join the digital broadcasts. By that time, the average price will drop dramatically(Zwirn interview). On average, the first HDTVs made will be between twenty-four to sixty-four inches. The fact is, the more markets that join di...

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...l have the feel of reality. This is called hyper-reality (Zwirn interview).You can watch a whole three hundred and sixty degree shot of any program. This means you can watch a football game from any part of the field. Change the channel to channel 3 and you can watch David Letterman from the audience point of view, or Dave’s point of view. “Hyper-reality is going to be the most amazing, and breathtaking thing that you will ever see in your life”(Kirkus Barnes and Nobel). Just like HDTV, hyper reality will start off extremely expensive, though just be patient, and in no time you will have one.

I know after that wonderful trip into the future, it is tough to come back to the somewhat boring present. Think about the next time you are watching TV, what it will look like digitally, or in hyper-reality. The way TV is going, it is going to change the way we think, live and learn. It is amazing how far we have come from the first TV, when critics said it turned you into a zombie. Well if TV back then turned you into a zombie, just think about the TV of tomorrow will do to you. The future is waiting at our doorstep, and it is our turn to let it into our lives.