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VISUALIZE THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION Sat 17 May 2008

FAQ - The Industry Version Q:What is "Digital Television" (DTV)? For a few years I've heard that High Definition Television (HDTV) will be coming soon. Are HDTV and DTV the same thing? A:The Federal Communications Commission, its Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service, and the Advanced Television Systems Committee (a consortium of companies, research labs, and standards organizations) has defined eighteen different transmission formats within the scope of what it broadly calls the "Digital Television Standard."  DTV is the umbrella term for all 18 new formats.  Six of these formats are considered "High Definition" because they constitute a significant improvement over the resolution quality of current TV, referred to as NTSC (the acronym for the organization that created the current standard almost 50 years ago!). Most consumers willsee a huge improvement in image quality even with the other twelve formats because of digital transmission.  Consumers will also benefit from DTV improvements such as wide-screen theater-like displays, enhanced audio quality, and new data services. Q:Besides better resolution, audio, and "data services," why would I wantDTV? A:One of the basic improvements with DTV is the way it is transmitted. Digital transmission can deliver a perfect signal, free of ghosts, interference,and picture noise. Q:Will I be able to watch the new DTV broadcasts on my current TV set? A:Yes. You will be able to watch DTV broadcast programs by using a special DTV decoder. These set-top-boxes receive digital transmissions and convertall 18 formats to standard TV, allowing you to see and hear digital programming as easily as connecting a VCR to your TV. Q:So, can I watch High Definition TV using this set-top-box and my currentTV? A:Not High Definition, but still a big improvement.   Most boxes provide many different solutions for great images and sound using A/V equipment that you may already own. These boxes decode and output DTV broadcasts with Dolby® Digital Audio giving more precise localization of sounds and a more convincing, realistic ambience.   Many people already have a multi-channel, multi-speaker audio system at home to take advantage of Digital TV's great audio. Q:How can I receive the new DTV signals? A:You should be able to receive DTV with any standard UHF antenna. The exactstyle of antenna  that you will need for optimal reception may vary depending on your geographic location and distance to  the transmission source. Q:What about digital signals from cable or satellite? Aren't some cable and satellite systems already transmitting "digital television" today? Will new digital TV's display signals from these systems? A:That is correct, some cable and satellite systems already use digital technology to transmit their television programming. And in these cases, they have developed several different transmission standards and image formats that require consumers to rent or purchase a converter box. Most of these standards are not compatible with each other, much less the new ATSC standard for digital television.  These industries are currently working on ways of modifying their technology to incorporate the new DTV standard, and should have a solution in the near future. FAQ - The Consumer Version What is HD? HD is the new standard of television viewing. HD stands for High Definition. The hallmark of a true HDTV is the rectangular "Wide" screen and the high resolution of display. From the consumer's perspective, High Definition translates to better visual and acoustic enjoyment to TV viewing. Wide screen is defined as 16:9 ratio of width to height. An analog TV has a 4:3 ratio. Why HDTV? To simply put, HDTV is the inevitable upgrade from today's analog TVs. The future format of broadcasting will be in High Definition and Digital, analog TV signal will be phased out. HDTV vs. Analog TV: There is no doubt HD is the winner here. HDTV is clearly a better technology. HDTV is the technology of the digital age. Analog is a primitive technology. Features of HDTV: As the technology implies, HDTV gives better screen resolution. The obvious feature of a true HDTV is the physical wide screen. Like your computer monitor, a HDTV screen is measured in dot pitch. A HDTV screen has more vertical and horizontal lines than an analog TV, giving it a much finer and crisper display. The standard is 720 (progressive) or 1080 (interlace) horizontal line of resolution. Just think of it as the SVGA display as compare to the "EGA" display of the early computer monitors. Because the screen format is wide, it can display a wider picture similar to that of a movie theater's screen. Analog TV can only display "cropped" movies. In addition, HDTV broadcasts will be in the Dolby surround digital format that further enhances the TV viewing experiences. Why do we still have analog TVs? The answer is simple, COST. We are not just referring to the cost of the HDTV sets. We are also talking about the cost of producing HDTV programs. Media production companies have been reluctant to embrace this new technology due to the equipment upgrading costs. This is a catch 22 situation, equipment are expensive because there are not enough production upgrading, that means no mass equipment production and therefore resulting in higher upgrading costs. The same is true for the high costs of the HDTV sets. But once the consumer's demand increases, production will increase and the prices of HDTVs will drop. Is there any broadcast standard format for HDTV? No, of course not. Just like analog broadcasts, different regions of the world have different broadcasting formats. There is no industry standard for digital broadcasting format either. But from the consumer's perspective, it does not matter as long as the HDTV sets we buy can receive and display those formats, and they do. What are DTV and HDTV-Ready? To simply put, they are the pretenders instead of the real things. These standards are temporary but necessary to ease the transition from analog to HDTV. HDTV refers to sets that are able to 1) receive digital signal, 2) display in high definition, 3) without any additional equipment. DTV is Digital TV, DTV can receive digital signal but can only display 480i screen resolution. Most DTV sets are not wide screens. HDTV-ready is a strip down version of the real HDTV. HDTV-ready TVs are either standard or wide screens but do not have the built-in digital decoder to display high resolution. The decoders come separately. When does HDTV programming start? Now. Every major network along with several cable channels broadcast their primetime and special event shows and movies in HDTV. HDTV Demo. Every major electronic store carries HDTV sets. HDTV sets are a part the stores' normal inventory now. Circuit City, Fry's, Good Guys, Microelectronics, etc... Advertisers