Home
| Leisure
| Electronics
| Digital TV
| Digital TV Definition
Digital TV Definition
by Rosalyn Goh
-
Overview
b002cbb6-89f3-7b50-9909-797823da1100300400
Digital television is an advanced broadcasting technology that allows for better picture and sound quality. Television prior to digital broadcasting utilized analog technology. A transition to digital television occurred in 2009 as mandated by the U.S. government.
-
Digital Television Transition
In 1996, the U.S. Congress authorized additional digital broadcast channels for TV stations to use in addition to their current analog broadcast channels. A deadline was set for February of 2009 for all television stations to stop broadcasting analog signals. The conversion date was delayed to June 12, 2009. As of June 13, 2009, all television stations in the United States stopped broadcasting analog signals.
-
Reasons for Transitioning
Parts of the broadcast spectrum became available for other uses through eliminating analog broadcast signals. Some of this spectrum is now used for public safety communications. Other parts are auctioned off to consumers for wireless broadband use. Digital television is also more efficient than analog. Digital signals are able to multicast. Multicasting allows stations to offer several channels of digital programming at the same time using the same amount of spectrum as a single analog program. Interactive capabilities are enabled by utilizing digital technology vs. analog technology.
-
Comparing Digital Technologies
There are three formats of digital television available: SDTV or standard definition TV, EDTV or enhanced definition TV, and HDTV or high definition TV. SDTV offers the lowest quality display and resolution. Transmission is in either the traditional (4:3) or widescreen (16:9) format. EDTV comes in 480p widescreen (16:9) or the traditional (4:3) format and provides better quality than SDTV. HDTV is the highest quality available and is offered in widescreen format. HDTV and digital TV are not the same thing. HDTV is only one format of digital TV available.
-
Requirements to Use Digital TV
To be able to receive digital television, consumers must either have a TV set with a digital tuner or possess an older analog set with a digital-to-analog converter box. Consumers still need an antenna to receive signals from stations.
-
Choosing a DTV
Choose the type of digital TV signal you wish to receive. SDTV is the lowest quality. HDTV offers high quality audio and video viewing. HDTV-capable televisions are more expensive. Some products offered only supply the monitor. A tuner is still required to view digital television.
