National Public Radio's morning news program, Morning Edition, featured an on-air article on September 9 about Wilmington, NC's rollout of digital television (DTV).
The people who will be most affected by the nationwide switch to digital television are those who own analog televisions and receive their television channels "over the air" with antennae, rather than cable or satellite.
The accompanying print article includes links to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) DTV information website, a DTV info site provided by the Consumers Union (a non-profit pro-consumer organization), and the government coupon program for digital-to-analog converter boxes.
There is a very good article that explains how a digital-to-analog converter box works and why you may need one on the howstuffworks.com website.
Since February 17, 2009 (the date all full-power broadcast television stations must switch over to digital) will be here before we know it, now is a good time to dig out your television manual, put new batteries in your remotes, vacuum and dust your television, DVD player, digital video recorder (DVR), audio receiver, speakers, and other electronics gathering dust right in front of you. Check the audio and video cables. Replace pinched, bent, or broken wires, which not only will negatively affect your video and audio signals, but may present a fire hazard.
If you cannot find the user manuals for your electronics, most manufacturers have downloadable Adobe PDF versions available on their websites, even for older models.
SPECIAL NOTE: If you watch low-power channels, such as local access, community, or religious stations, be sure your digital-to-analog converter box includes an "analog pass-through" feature or button. Low-power stations are not required to switch to digital (the equipment costs are often prohibited for small stations). If your converter box does not have an analog pass-through, you will not be able to pick up those channels. For a good explanation on this issue, you can listen to a five-minute report on NPR's Weekend Edition program from May 2008 or read this article from the Consumer Reports blog.
If you have any questions about digital television, your specific equipment setup, or how to choose a digital-to-analog converter box, comment here or e-mail a Totem Media multimedia specialist at InfoRequest "at" totem-media.com.
Showing posts with label analog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label analog. Show all posts
10 September 2008
31 March 2008
Digital TV, High Definition, and You
Many television channels today broadcast on both analog and digital channels. Starting February 17, 2009, major US television broadcasters will broadcast only on digital television (DTV) channels.
What's the difference between analog and digital? Think of analog as an audiocassette tape and digital as a compact disk (CD). The heads of a cassette player actually touch the tape as it passes through the machine, reading the magnetically imprinted information (sounds). A compact disk player uses a laser to read the information (sounds), which are recorded in binary computer language (1s and 0s).
A cassette player cannot play a CD, and a CD player cannot read a cassette. This is why televisions without a digital tuner cannot display the new digital channels. They simply are not built to "play" the signal it receives.
How do you know if you have a digital tuner in your television? Televisions manufactured after March 1, 2007 were required to include a digital tuner. That doesn't mean if you bought a TV after that date it automatically has a DTV tuner. Stores were allowed to sell their remaining stock of analog-only TVs after March 1. Your TV's owner's manual can tell you if you have a digital tuner.
If you have an analog-only TV, what can you do? If you receive television channels only with an antenna (over-the air), you will need a digital-to-analog signal converter box. This electronic component will convert the digital signals (1s and 0s) into analog signals (waves) so you TV can display them. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC),
The US government is providing $40 off coupons to purchase a converter box. You can register to receive this coupon through this US government website.
What is the difference between DTV and HDTV? Is one better than the other? DTV means digital television. HDTV means high-definition television. They are two different things, but may be advertised or promoted together.
DTV is the type of signal transmitted by television broadcasters. HDTV is the resolution and size ratio of an image on a television. TV shows in the US used to all be 525 lines of resolution and 4:3 size ratio. A television image may look like one big square, but it's actually made of thin horizontal lines from top to bottom. Standard definition television (SDTV) has 525 of those lines from top to bottom on the screen. HDTV has 1125 horizontal lines of resolution and a 16:9 size ratio.
Standard Definition Television: 525 lines of resolution, 4:3 size ratio
High Definition Television: 1125 lines of resolution, 16:9 size ratio
For more information, post a question comment here or visit DTV.gov
What's the difference between analog and digital? Think of analog as an audiocassette tape and digital as a compact disk (CD). The heads of a cassette player actually touch the tape as it passes through the machine, reading the magnetically imprinted information (sounds). A compact disk player uses a laser to read the information (sounds), which are recorded in binary computer language (1s and 0s).
A cassette player cannot play a CD, and a CD player cannot read a cassette. This is why televisions without a digital tuner cannot display the new digital channels. They simply are not built to "play" the signal it receives.
How do you know if you have a digital tuner in your television? Televisions manufactured after March 1, 2007 were required to include a digital tuner. That doesn't mean if you bought a TV after that date it automatically has a DTV tuner. Stores were allowed to sell their remaining stock of analog-only TVs after March 1. Your TV's owner's manual can tell you if you have a digital tuner.
If you have an analog-only TV, what can you do? If you receive television channels only with an antenna (over-the air), you will need a digital-to-analog signal converter box. This electronic component will convert the digital signals (1s and 0s) into analog signals (waves) so you TV can display them. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC),
"Analog-only TVs should continue to work as before with cable and satellite TV services, gaming consoles, VCRs, DVD players, and similar products."
The US government is providing $40 off coupons to purchase a converter box. You can register to receive this coupon through this US government website.
What is the difference between DTV and HDTV? Is one better than the other? DTV means digital television. HDTV means high-definition television. They are two different things, but may be advertised or promoted together.
DTV is the type of signal transmitted by television broadcasters. HDTV is the resolution and size ratio of an image on a television. TV shows in the US used to all be 525 lines of resolution and 4:3 size ratio. A television image may look like one big square, but it's actually made of thin horizontal lines from top to bottom. Standard definition television (SDTV) has 525 of those lines from top to bottom on the screen. HDTV has 1125 horizontal lines of resolution and a 16:9 size ratio.
Standard Definition Television: 525 lines of resolution, 4:3 size ratio
High Definition Television: 1125 lines of resolution, 16:9 size ratioFor more information, post a question comment here or visit DTV.gov
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)