analogowy

Analogowy is an adjective in Polish describing anything that relates to or uses continuous signals, quantities, or representations, as opposed to digital (cyfrowy). The term is used across science, engineering, and media to distinguish systems and formats based on a continuum from those based on discrete values. The root relates to analogy, and the word in Polish takes the standard adjectival form with the suffix -owy.

In electronics and telecommunications, an analogowy system processes signals that vary continuously in time and amplitude (analogowy sygnał). Examples include analogowe układy, analogowy sygnał audio, and telewizja analogowa. The counterpart is digital (cyfrowy); mixed configurations may be described as analogowo-digitalne.

In culture and media, analogowy appears in terms such as fotografia analogowa (film photography), nagrania analogowe (vinyl records, magnetic tapes), and telewizja analogowa. In measurement and instrumentation, it is used with phrases like przetwarzanie sygnału analogowego and przetworniki analogowo-cyfrowe (ADC).

Despite the prevalence of digital technologies, analogowe solutions remain valued for certain characteristics, such as continuous signal representation, perceived warmth of sound, and sometimes simplicity in particular subsystems. The term is widely used to distinguish continuous approaches from discrete digital equivalents.