As of June, 2009 the United States required all television stations to move from analog tv transmission to digital tv transmission. The U. S. Was not the first to mandate this transmission nor will it be the last. Luxembourg and ten other European countries have already implemented the digital transition, while Japan will go all digital in 2011.
The law forcing U. S. Television stations to move from analog transmission to digital transmission was grounded primarily in its desire to make more bandwidth available to critical services like police and fire, and to improve television clarity, detail and sound. To a lesser extent, the government saw the possibility to generate revenue by auctioning off some of the spare bandwidth to the private sector.
As part of this mandate, Congress stipulated that starting March 1, 2007 all television receivers imported into the United States or manufactured in the U. S. Must have a digital tuner. Additionally, retailers selling analog-only receivers were required to inform consumers in a prominent fashion that the television being sold would require a digital converter box. To assist viewers who only had an analog set, the government made available coupons which could be exchanged for a converter boxes valued up to forty dollars.
A television’s resolution, or quality of image, is defined by its detail and clarity. It is based on the number of pixels displayed. Pixels are dots on the screen arranged along the horizontal and vertical. The more pixels arranged on the screen the better the resolution of the image. In an analog environment the maximum array of pixels is typically around 500 by 400. A digitally created image is comprised of up to ten times the number of pixels.
Only one channel can be assigned to a chunk of bandwidth in an analog transmission environment. This limits the program offerings of a television station. Stations transmitting digitally can now get around this restriction utilizing multicasting. With multicasting, a chunk of bandwidth can be sub-divided into multiple channels. The upshot then is that more program offerings are made available to the viewer.
Digital television provides the viewer with more operational and viewing freedom. Those subscribing to cable or satellite can benefit from interactive programming. Now movies-on-demand, and text messaging into live programming using the tv’s remote are possible. Fast-forwarding, pause, slow motion and rewind, not unlike operating a VCR, are also possible.
When shopping for a digital television there are four types of televisions available to the consumer. Analog televisions, but these require a converter box, digital-ready sets which include the digital converter(or tuner) but do not offer high resolution, HDTV-ready units which do provide high resolution but may not be equipped with a converter, and finally an integrated HDTV set which provides both high resolution and a tuner. Shoppers cite cost and functionality as their prime decision criteria.
With digital television viewers can realize new highs in picture quality and enhanced functionality. The developments of today represent only the beginning. As manufacturers seek out new technologies and competitive edges, the consumer can reasonably expect an even more compelling viewing experience.
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