The world of television is going through a change.
In an effort to improve the overall experience people have with everybody's favorite idiot box.
But, like the initial confusion surrounding
PAL and NTSC not all is well and clear in digital TV land.
Here are a list of the questions that are frequently asked about the digital terrestrial television changeover and their answers:
DTV: Frequently Asked Questions
What is digital TV?
The analog digital TV changeover is the gradual shift by broadcasters (that's companies like NBC in the US and BBC in the UK) from analog signals to digital signals.
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Is The Same Type Of Signal Used Everywhere For Digital TV?
Not all digital TV signals are the same. The main types being used are ATSC, DVB and ISDB with various variations of these three formats being used in different countries with the exception of China, which will use the DMB-T or DMB-H format.
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Where Does DVB Work?
DVB works through Europe, Asia, Oceania, and parts of Africa. For a more detailed list of countries that use DVB check out this list DVB countries.
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Where Does ATSC Work?
ATSC works in North America, some parts of Asia and some parts of the Pacific. For a more detailed list of countries that use ATSC check out this list of ATSC countries.
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Where Does ISDB Work?
ISDB has been chosen as the digital TV format by Japan and Brazil although other South American countries are considering using it. For a more detailed list of countries that use ISDB check out this list of ISDB countries.
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Do I Need To Buy A Completely New Television To Get DTV?
You don't need to go out and buy a new TV with a digital tuner or spiffy new home theater equipment just because of the digital switchover. You don't need to get cable or satellite TV to keep receiving terrestrial television either.
All you need is a digital TV converter.
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I've Bought A Digital TV Converter But I Can't Get A Signal, What's Wrong?
Some people in countries that have already gone through the DTV changeover have noticed that they have problems getting the signals, even after getting new televisions/a set top box.
You might want to try one of the following measures to improve your connection:
- Buy an external TV aerial
- Change the position of your aerial (getting it to a higher position is usually advisable)
- Replace your current aerial with a stronger aerial
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Can I Get Digital TV On My PC?
Getting DTV on your computer is very easy with devices like the DVB-T stick, DVB T USB, USB TV tuner and laptop TV tuner. ensuring you can get digital TV on the PC without too much trouble.
The simplicity of getting digital TV on the PC has fuelled speculation that the television will be replaced by the computer in the living room sooner than expected.
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Can I Get Digital TV On My Phone?
The answer to this depends on where you are. Countries with DVB have already seen releases of cell phones with DVB capabilities.
However, at the time of writing, ATSC broadcast authorities haven't been able to get signals transmitting at a point that they can be picked up by mobile devices. A solution was agreed upon in August 2008 but is likely to take some time to implement.
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Is There A Handheld Digital TV?
The answer to this depends on where you are. Countries with DVB have already seen releases of portable DTVs with DVB capabilities.
However, at the time of writing, ATSC broadcast authorities haven't been able to get signals transmitting at a point that they can be picked up by mobile devices. A solution was agreed upon in August 2008 but is likely to take some time to implement.
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Can I Watch DTV On A Car DVD Player?
The answer to this depends on where you are. Countries with DVB have already seen releases of car DVD players with DVB capabilities.
However, at the time of writing, ATSC broadcast authorities haven't been able to get signals transmitting at a point that they can be picked up by mobile devices. A solution was agreed upon in August 2008 but is likely to take some time to implement.
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Where Can I Find DTV Products?
Chinavasion has a wide range of fantasic DTV products, some of which can be found below:
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Where can I learn more?
If you want to learn more about Digital TV, ATSC or DVB check out these great resources:
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