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As of June, 2009 the United States required all television stations to move from analog tv transmission to digital tv transmission. The U. S. Was not the first to mandate this transmission nor will it be the last. Luxembourg and ten other European countries have already implemented the digital transition, while Japan will go all digital in 2011.

The law forcing U. S. Television stations to move from analog transmission to digital transmission was grounded primarily in its desire to make more bandwidth available to critical services like police and fire, and to improve television clarity, detail and sound. To a lesser extent, the government saw the possibility to generate revenue by auctioning off some of the spare bandwidth to the private sector.

The conversion process ushered in additional legislation. Starting March 1, 2007, consumers had to be informed by stores selling analog only sets that a digital conversion box was required. This had to be done at the point of sale and had to be clearly displayed. Moreover, no longer were analog television sets allowed to be imported into the U. S., and any television manufactured in the U. S. Had to be digital-ready. For those individuals who owned only analog televisions, the government authorized vouchers which could be exchanged for a digital converter valued up to $40.00.

The biggest difference in quality between an image generated by an analog tv signal and one generated by a digital tv signal centers around resolution. The level of detail and clarity of the picture the viewer sees is based on the number of pixels, arranged in a grid pattern, on the screen. Simply, the more pixels, or discrete points on the screen, the better the resolution will be. An analog generated grid usually tops out at 500 x 400 pixels. A digital image can create an image up to nearly ten times the number off pixels.

Digital tv\’s multicasting capability defeats the restriction of one channel per slice of bandwidth. Prior to digital transmission, television stations could only allocate one channel, or program, to a piece of bandwidth. Now with multicasting, a television station can take that same piece of bandwidth and divide it into multiple channels therby offering its viewership more program offerings.

Digital television provides the viewer with more operational and viewing freedom. Those subscribing to cable or satellite can benefit from interactive programming. Now movies-on-demand, and text messaging into live programming using the tv\’s remote are possible. Fast-forwarding, pause, slow motion and rewind, not unlike operating a VCR, are also possible.

Today, consumers have four options when considering televisions. Analog TV\’s can still be used but require a converter box. A digital-ready set comes with its own converter but will usually lack in picture resolution. An HD-ready set may or may not include a converter which will generally offer good resolution. The most expensive option is the HDTV which will include a digital tuner and will have high resolution. Selecting which type of TV to go with is a matter of budget or other preferences.

The government\’s decision to usher in digital tv has had a profound effect. Improved picture quality, enhanced sound, and added features and functionality represent just the start of the digital television revolution. As the technology advances, expect to see even greater improvements.

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