Digital switchover and more great ways to watch TV
Digital switchover and more great ways to watch TV
During 2010, the UK will hit a significant milestone in its digital evolution; with over half of the UK converted to digital TV signals, it will start to open up opportunities for new products and new ways to watch TV. No more DVD players in the back of the car for kids to watch: you can now get live TV on the go. Maybe even build a small recording device into the unit and you have a mobile DVB-T recorder and player.
There is a potential to re-visit the entire Digital TV offering over the next 2 years as consumers start to understand that the digital switchover will change the way they watch TV forever. Perhaps the most obvious benefit will be the dramatic increase in the quality of both sound and picture for viewers. Digital TV will allow broadcasters to deliver High Definition and widescreen images with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. With a modern television and a nice sound setup, you could turn free viewing television into an experience to rival the cinema. Not only will picture and sound quality be vastly improved, but bothersome interference and annoying static will be a thing of the past. If you currently reside in an area where reception is not so great, with Digital TV this will likely no longer be a problem for you.
Digital broadcasting makes use of a technology known as multiplexing, in which multiple channels are compressed into a single signal and then decoded by a receiver meaning higher picture quality and increased sound definition are only the beginning. With Digital TV, broadcasters will not only be able to deliver you better quality but also a higher quantity. No more aimless searching for something you like through a limited number of channels that never cater to your tastes, Digital TV means there can be something playing for everyone.
Perhaps one of the most important features of Digital TV is interactivity. At the push of a button, you can access a wealth of information including TV channel guides, as well as program synopses to help you choose which program is for you. Although this already exists on cable and satellite services, there is a potential for allowing Digital TV viewers to access more detailed information about programs, persons and even product broadcasts onto their screen. Interactive viewing will allow you to cast your vote on reality shows or even vote for which programs and episodes of programs should be screened on a given entertainment channel.
Interactive TV doesn’t have to stop at voting or TV guides. With the greater transmitting power available through digital broadcasting you could choose from which point of view you wish to watch the program. Don’t like the camera angle that has been forced on you during the game? Simply switch to a different angle that better suits your viewing desire. Don’t feel that one angle adequately covers the excitement at the live music festival broadcasting on your screen? No problem, simply elect to view the scene from two, three or even several different angles at once. It’s like having 3, 4, 6, 8 different tickets to one concert! Combine these improvements with the addition of many of the great features of the Internet including email, online shopping, banking and gaming and competitions and you have a truly interactive and engaging mode of entertainment.
The days of blurry channels are soon to be gone.
Digital recorders further improve the prospects of digital TV by ensuring you don’t miss your favourite programs for any reason. No more hair pulling decisions over which of your two favourite programs to watch when they each air at the same time, watch one now and record the other to watch later. You could even tell your TV which programs to record from your computer at work, or from the restaurant on your mobile phone.
By 2012, all broadcasting in the UK is switching to digital, a switch that means extended and far superior service to the discerning viewer. A number of services including pay and free Digital TV are available to viewers in the UK and all of them offer a superior viewing experience to the old analogue system. With so many benefits, from superior video and sound to interactive TV, recordable TV and TV on the go in your car or even on your mobile phone, the switch to Digital is an exciting prospect for the UK and the rest of the world.
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