On February 17, 2009, Americans will enter the age of digital television — ready or not.
On that date, all full-power broadcast television stations will begin broadcasting only in digital, improving sound and picture quality as well as allowing for stations to offer multiple programming choices, called multicasting.
The government-mandated change will free up needed frequencies for public safety and new wireless communication offerings.
What’s the difference between analog and digital?
Since television was invented, stations have broadcast analog signals, or continuously varying radio waves. The familiar “snow” or ghosting of images is one problem with this way of sending broadcast signals. Another issue is the limited bandwidth for an ever increasing number of television channels.
After the transition, broadcasts will be sent only via digital signals, which use a series of zeroes and ones to transmit data just as a computer does. The result is clearer, more reliable picture and sound as well as the opportunity for more programming options and interactive features.
Because of how a digital signal transmits information, it has more room for additional data. So now television stations that once broadcast on one channel, such as channel 3, can now broadcast on several segments of that channel, for example: 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4. Each channel could offer specialized programming for a particular audience.
HDTV is the highest level of digital television quality, but it is not the only one. SDTV, or standard definition television format, is the quality at which basic digital broadcasts will be provided. SDTV offers an enhancement over traditional analog broadcasts, but it is not as sharp as HDTV.
What do I need to do to be ready?
If you have an analog input television and currently receive your television service through cable or satellite, you will continue to receive your current stations without needing to purchase additional equipment. However, to receive the full, original quality digital signal, you may need to upgrade your set or get special equipment from your service provider. Simply check with your cable or satellite company for more details.
Note that if your service goes out due to weather or other circumstances, you will no longer be able to receive traditional television channels without a digital tuner or digital-to-analog converter box.
If you have an analog input television and receive your signal via an outside antenna or “rabbit ears,” then you will need to purchase a digital-to-analog converter box to be able to continue watch television. Your set will continue to work as before with gaming consoles, DVD players, VCRs and other similar systems.
The new converter boxes are expected to be available in early 2008 and run between $50 and $70. From January 1, 2008 through March 31, 2009, all U.S. households are eligible for a government coupon program to offset $40 of the cost for up to two boxes per household. A list of eligible boxes is available from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which manages the program.
Aside from buying a converter box or signing up for a cable or satellite service, you could also choose to buy a new digital-input ready television. After May 2007, all new televisions must be ready for receiving digital signals or be clearly marked that additional equipment will be needed.
These next generation television sets are the best way to experience all that digital television has to offer.
By: Digital Landing
Posts Tagged ‘Digital Broadcasts’
How to Get Satellite and Digital TV
December 23rd, 2009A final and non-extendable deadling has been set by the FCC for broadcasters to change their signals to digital format from the analog system of the past. From February 17 2009, broadcast networks will no longer be airing analogue TV signals.
Satellite TV and digital cable TV subscribers will not be affected by the policy as they already receive digital broadcasts from their respective providers. Those who are currently receiving broadcast signals with the help of an off-air antenna or analog cable provider will definitely be affected by the transition.
In order to receive digital channels, a non-subscriber of Satellite TV and digital cable TV broadcasts may do any of the following:
* Replace an analog TV with one that has a digital tuner or one that can receive digital signals. There’s no need to rush out and buy an expensive HDTV in panic just yet. You current TV may have come equipped with a digital tuner.
* Obtain digital channels from a Satellite TV provider or from a digital cable provider. Satellite TV subscribers already own receivers which does the job of converting digital signals into a format that is recognized by the analog TV set.
* Install a digital converter box. One may still use an analog TV set by purchasing a digital converter box. The digital converter set-top box will process the digital signal it receives and convert it into analog format for a non-digital TV.
A digital converter may cost anywhere from $50 to $100. To lessen the costs of switching, the U. S. government has offered coupons for rebates of $40 to those who buy digital converters.
Interested TV owners may now buy their digital converters at their favorite electronic outlets.
The change from analog to digital TV will be beneficial to both government and private sectors. The conversion to digital transmission will free up frequencies in the broadcast environment for more crucial uses.
End users will, on the other hand, enjoy the renowned digital audio and picture quality. Some viewers may immediately assume that all channels will be transmitted in the much coveted High Definition format.
It will all depend on the TV set that receives the signal and the provider that delivers the signal. Digital TV may be in Standard Definition or in High Definition.
Regardless of the kind of definition one may eventually receive, what is certain is that digital TV will produce superior picture and audio quality that no analog broadcast can provide.
Creating Your Media Room
December 18th, 2009Media rooms are a great gathering space for family movie night, for some hot competition in the ultimate gaming experience, or just someplace to kick back, listen to music and surf the Internet. Here are some hints about setting up your perfect Music and Home Theater environment.
What you’ll need
You can have an entirely affordable Home Theater with a setup as simple as a TV set, a pair of stereo speakers, and a DVD player. But usually a Home Theater is a little more elaborate if your goal is to duplicate—on a smaller scale, of course— the integration of picture, drama, and sound that you experience in a movie theater.
Surprisingly, even a basic home theater system can deliver remarkably enhanced playback of DVDs, videotapes, and even TV shows like “CSI” or “Smallville” that are recorded and broadcast in Dolby Digital 5. 1 Surround Sound.
A basic home theater system consists of a pair of front speakers on either side of the TV, a center-channel speaker on top (or beneath) the TV set to anchor the actors’ dialogue at the TV screen, a pair of smaller surround speakers to either side of your seating that carry all the effects and ambient sound of a movie or TV show, and the movie score. Most home theater systems add a subwoofer for the deep bass sounds. That’s six speakers in all, but they don’t need to be big. You must add a Dolby Digital Surround Sound Audio/Video receiver, which contains all the necessary circuitry.
Electronics stores are happy to help you figure out what will work best in your home. .
The Big Question: What type of TV?
CRT “direct-view”: The original TV technology set has been refined over the past half-century to an impressive and affordable level. However, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has ruled that all TV broadcasters in the US must convert to digital broadcasts and turn off their analog transmitters by 2009. Your old CRT TV set will not receive those digital broadcasts without a special set-top adaptor. Digital CRT sets deliver stunning high-definition images, although maximum screen size is limited to about 40 inches. Most digital cable boxes and small dish satellite tuners have the option of HDTV reception (with an upgraded dish). Big-screen CRT sets use rear-projection (RPTV), which looks best in dimly lit or darkened rooms, although new RPTVs are remarkably bright.
Plasma panels: Three to five inches thick and from 42-60 inches in diagonal screen size, flat plasma panels are so bright you can view them in a well-lighted room, and they remain clear and bright over a wide viewing angle. However, they use a lot of power, run fairly warm and are subject to burn-in if you’re not careful (an image permanently imprinted on the screen).
LCD flat-panel display: An LCD flat panel is like your computer screen, with a maximum screen size of about 37 inches. LCD flat panels are capable of very accurate color and HDTV resolution, but LCDs still have trouble producing a true black, and they aren’t viewable over as wide an angle.
DLP rear- and front-projection TV: The very latest. DLP is remarkably compact and capable of bright images with blacks that are the equal of plasma and better than LCD-based displays. DLP is still an emerging technology and some images can be subject to a “rainbow effects”.
Choose the Right Screen Size for your Room
Where you sit determines the clarity of the picture on the TV. If all you watch are true HDTV images, then you can sit as close as twice the diagonal screen size — about 8 feet away for a 46-inch or a bit more for a 50-inch diagonal screen. However, until the final conversion to all-HDTV broadcasting is complete, a lot of your TV viewing may well be conventional analog TV, and those images may look awful up close.
If you watch regular non-HD TV sitting too close to a big screen, you’ll see all the flaws. Figure on three times the diagonal screen size as a minimum viewing distance from standard TVs. So if you want a 60-inch diagonal screen, you should be 15 feet away to watch regular TV and still be pleased with the picture. For HDTV or DVDs, the picture will be great at that distance.
Comfortable seating
Of utmost importance in your media room is the quality of seating. You know you’ll be sitting there for at least the length of the game or movie. And it’s often the place you will come to unwind, so make sure couches or dedicated theater seats allow you to watch the screen in the way that’s most comfortable for you.
A note of caution with media room furniture:
When you put a tower speaker (or a bookshelf model) inside a wall unit, credenza, or entertainment center, the way the sound bounces off the surfaces in the wall unit’s cavity may produce some sound anomalies and unmusical colorations. Of course, if your partner detests seeing large speakers and wants them hidden away, you’ll probably never even notice the slight difference in the sound.
Have fun.
I have a friend with a true home theater, complete with gold twisted cord at the entranceway and a red velvet curtain that swishes away to reveal the huge screen. It’s truly an experience lounging on those plush couches and watching “Lost” . . . and the popcorn is free!
