digitalTV

Digital television refers to the transmission and reception of television signals in a digital format, replacing traditional analog broadcasting. In digital TV, video and audio are encoded as digital data streams, enabling higher picture and sound quality, error correction, compression efficiency, and the delivery of additional data services such as electronic program guides, subtitles, multiple audio tracks, and interactive features. Digital TV can be delivered through several networks, including digital terrestrial television (DTT), digital cable, digital satellite, and internet protocol television (IPTV).

Standards and encoding: The transition to digital broadcasting occurred in the late 1990s and 2000s and is guided by regional standards such as ATSC (North America), DVB (Europe and many other regions), ISDB (Japan and parts of Asia), and DTMB (China). Video is typically compressed with standards such as MPEG-2, MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, or HEVC/H.265, enabling multiple channels to share bandwidth through multiplexing and to support data services alongside video.

Equipment and reception: Consumers typically use a digital television set with integrated tuners or a separate set-top box to decode the signal. Digital TV services commonly support electronic program guides, program information, subtitles, multiple language audio, and conditional access for pay television, with some sets offering CI+ modules for embedded access.

Impact and trends: Digital TV provides improved robustness against interference and more efficient use of spectrum, allowing more channels and interactive features. It requires investment in infrastructure and compatible consumer equipment. Ongoing developments include advanced standards such as ATSC 3.0, higher resolutions (4K and 8K), HDR, and hybrid broadcast broadband TV that combines terrestrial and IP delivery.