Digital Television (DTV)

DTV

“Any technology that uses digital techniques to provide advanced television services such as high-definition TV (HDTV), multiple standard definition TV (SDTV), and other advanced features and services.”

--FCC, 1998

Over-The-Top Television (OTT) An increasingly popular means of accessing

television and video content that is independent of traditional over-the-air (OTA) television and multichannel video programming distributors. Hulu Netflix Internet Delivered Television (IDTV)

Mobile Phones and DTV

Explosion of Video

60 hours of video are uploaded every minute on YouTube.

Over 4 billion videos are viewed each day

Two High-Definition Cameras

Sony F65 CineAlta$65,000

Samsung HMX-W200$110

Analog to Digital

Global Movement No universal standard For consumer: drop in prices For provider: more investment

Probably the most significant change in broadcast television since the introduction of color in the 1960’s.

Conversion in the United States December 31, 2006 was the deadline for

conversion from analog to digital television broadcasting

It couldn’t be met So George W. Bush extended it until

February 17, 2009. It finally happened in June of 2009

Conversion Elsewhere

Most developed countries will convert by 2015

Japan A leader in the technology of DTV

Europe Should have been completed by 2012

HDTV

Represents the highest pictorial and aural quality that can be transmitted through the air.

SDTV Standard Definition TV Can be transmitted along with or instead of HDTV 5 SDTV channels in the space of 1 HDTV channel

“Multicasting” Often used during the day Primetime uses HDTV

Pixels

What about the “I” and the “P”? Broadcast formats are described with the

number signifying the number of scanning lines and a letter indicating where the lines are scanned in order (progressive) or with alternating odd and even lines (interlaced) 1080i 720p Theoretically, the “p” will give a smoother image

DTV Formats

Format Active Lines Pixels Aspect Picture Rate

HDTV 1080 1920 16:9 60i,30p,24p

HDTV 720 1280 16:9 60p,30p,24p

SDTV 480 704/640 16:94:3

60i,60p,30p,24p

Progress of United States Stations 1998 – 24 stations 2002 – 1315 stations 2006 – 1698 stations 2009 – Almost all of them

Push and Pull

Broadcast is a “push” technology Sends signal/feed to millions of viewers at once

IDTV is a “pull” technology Viewer decides when to access a feed

Consumers

68% of U.S. homes have DTV Prices have come down dramatically Midsized TVs sold after March 1, 2006 must

have a DTV tuner Plug-and-play standard eliminates need for

set-top box

Display Types

Direct-view CRT Plasma Display Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Digital Light Processing Projector Liquid Crystal on Silicon

Consumer

Male 35-54 years old $100,000 a year income

Things to Ponder

Digital television will eventually replace analog transmission

DTV cost is steadily getting lower DTV picture is either perfect or not there About 33% of households have HDTV sets

as of Nov 2008 (double that of 2006) Third of this third own more than one

Manufacturers are the key

Factors Affecting Diffusion

Battle over digital spectrum Diffusion of new digital technologies

Analog versus Digital

Spectrum assigned to television can be “repacked”

Analog is one “wave” and is susceptible to interference

Diffusion Battle

Broadcasters need less spectrum But they don’t want to give it up Even for money NAB has a campaign against giving up spectrum

Government wants spectrum Auction it off for billions of dollars

mDTV

Mobile digital television Growing…..

3D TV

Passive Uses polarized

glasses Active

Uses battery glasses with liquid crystal lenses

Cost/Content are inhibiting factors

What to Expect

More advertising on OTT –TV venues Cutting the cable and tossing the dish Two-screen viewing

Watch TV with a cell phone in hand 3D – if price is right

Get rid of the glasses More convergence between television and

computers and mobile devices

Digital Television (DTV)