|
| |
What is digital TV
Digital TV (DTV) is a newer form of technology used for sending television
broadcasts to your home. For viewers, digital TV can offer improved picture
and sound, and potentially more programming options. Digital TV can also offer
interactive features, such as electronic program guides. Broadcasters
throughout the U.S. are making the transition to digital transmissions.
Currently, local stations simultaneously transmit their broadcasts in both the
digital and the older analog forms. Televised information can be sent more
efficiently in digital form. Sending TV content digitally will leave more of the
broadcast spectrum free for new uses once the transition is complete.
In very basic technical terms, digital
broadcasts are encoded streams of zeroes and ones—the same binary language used
by computers. The digitized signal is sent over the airwaves to be received by
your TV.
(Digital TV broadcasting is sometimes called “digital terrestrial television” (DTT
or DTTV). The longer name is used to differentiate digital TV broadcasting from
other digitized forms of television, including digital cable or direct broadcast
satellite.)
What is the digital TV (DTV) transition?
The switch from analog to digital broadcast television is referred to as the
digital TV (DTV) transition. In 1996, the U.S. Congress authorized the
distribution of an additional broadcast channel to each broadcast TV station so
that they could start a digital broadcast channel while simultaneously
continuing their analog broadcast channel. Later, Congress mandated that
February 17, 2009 would be the last day for full-power television stations to
broadcast in analog. Broadcast stations in all U.S. markets are currently
broadcasting in both analog and digital. After February 17, 2009, full-power
television stations will broadcast in digital only.
|
