What is Digital Television Transition

What is Digital Television Transition

The Digital Television Transition or DTV also called the digital switchover or analogue switchoff, sometimes analog sunset is the process in which analogue television broadcasting is converted to and replaced by digital television. This primarily involves both TV stations and over-the-air viewers, however it also involves content providers like TV networks, and cable TV conversion to digital cable.

In many countries, a simulcast service is operated where a broadcast is made available to viewers in both analog and digital at the same time. As digital becomes more popular, it is likely that the existing analogue services will be removed. In some cases this has already happened, where a broadcaster has offered incentives to viewers to encourage them to switch to digital or simply switched their service regardless of whether they want to switch. In other cases government policies have been introduced to encourage or force the switchover process, especially with regard to terrestrial broadcasts.

Government intervention usually involves providing some funding for broadcasters and, in some cases monetary relief to viewers, to enable a switchover to happen by a given deadline.

The facility with which digital switchover can be achieved depends not only on the size of the area and number of transmitters to be converted, but also on the number of viewers who rely on the analogue signal as their primary or only means of TV reception. In Berlin, for example, most residents were using cable television, so only a small number of households needed the new equipment necessary for digital reception. On the other hand, around 60% of UK households had access to multi-channel television as of summer 2005 [1]. This left around 10 million households who would be forced to convert to another means of receiving television by the time digital switchover reaches their area.

Purpose of Digital Television Transition

• Higher image and sound quality over analogue broadcast
• Freeing radio spectrum space, which can then be auctioned off for other purposes.
• Multiplexed subchannels—which can carry entirely separate programming.

Credit: Wikipedia
Relate Information: Digital TV Transition of USA