Digital Television
Transition
by bradd richards
Digital television is here,
and it's changing the way we watch and interact with TV.
Digital television will allow stations to broadcast
programs in much higher resolution or clarity than
standard analog television. Digital television is
arguably expanding to include video content delivered
digitally, whether through the internet or even formats
like Windows Media High Definition Video which can be
downloaded or served up on a DVD. Digital television
will provide consumers with a clearer picture, more
programming and will free up much needed spectrum for
advanced wireless broadband services and interoperable
communications among emergency first responders.
Transition
On 1 September 2006, Luxembourg became the first
European country to transition completely to DTT. This
mandate was designed to help provide a painless
transition to the new standards. In addition, effective
May 25, 2007, the Commission required sellers of
television receiving equipment that does not include a
digital tuner to disclose at the point-of-sale that such
devices include only an analog tuner, and therefore will
require a digital-to-analog converter box to receive
over-the-air broadcast television after the transition
date. Cable system operators are trying to provide at
least five HD channels to comply with the FCCs wishes to
move the digital transition along. Many public
television licensees will incur transition costs that
exceed their projected annual revenues. Once
broadcasters transition from analog to digital, will
analog televisions will be obsolete. These converter
boxes will be available in retail stores during the
transition. Analog broadcasting will continue until the
end of the transition period, which currently is set for
February 17, 2009.
Consumer
Consumers should then ensure that their televisions
are set up to receive over-the-air programming (as
distinguished from the signals of a paid provider such
as cable or satellite TV service), and then tune to the
over-the-air digital channels to see if they can receive
the digital broadcast programming. Consumers, as they
are denied access to high quality digital content in the
home. Consumers would never choose this future, so
Hollywood will try to force it on them by regulatory
fiat. Consumers will find the cost-benefit analysis
needed to figure out if they are getting a good deal
will be a painful exercise. Consumer groups say this is
only fair because the government is essentially reducing
the value of people's property. Consumers Union says the
transition, as currently planned, is "totally unworkable
and unfair to consumers.
Digital television is a new broadcasting technology
that uses digital signals rather than analog signals.
Digital television must be the most misleading market
ever witnessed. Digital Television is an exciting new
technology that changes the way that Free to Air
television broadcasters provide their television
broadcasts to you, the viewer. Digital television
provides better picture quality, improved sound and
superior reception to your existing analogue television
service. Digital television also allows broadcasters to
provide certain programs in a very high quality picture
format equal to that shown in movie cinemas.
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