Bytes for beginners

NEA Today, Feb 1999

Our technology plan calls for three new TVs. I've heard the networks are switching over to digital broadcasting. Should we buy HDTVs so we can receive programs that are broadcast digitally?

Holy smoke signals, Robin! What a great question.

HDTV (high-definition television) is one of several formats vying to be the standard for digital broadcasting in the next millennium. Satellite TV and digital cable TV are two others.

HDTV sets are known for their wide screens (shaped like movie screens) and super-sharp pictures, which produce 1,080 lines of resolution-two or three times sharper than today's typical TV sets.

Networks are just starting to broadcast digital programs. John Glenn's return to space was broadcast in HDTV on many stations, ABC recently did 101 Dalmatians, and PBS has had its first national HDTV broadcast. You can see digital broadcasts on your current set-but you need an HDTV set to get the sharper picture.

By 2006, all TV shows will be broadcast digitally. In the meantime, you should know:

What's digital broadcasting?

In short, it involves a TV signal that uses the same binary code as a computer. A binary TV signal contains a tremendous amount of information and detail.

What does this mean to you?

Besides a sharper picture, you can expect abundant program selection. Because networks can pack much more information into a binary TV channel signal, it's possible they'll broadcast one channel at highresolution during evening primetime, then split that same signal into four, five, or more lower-resolution channels during the day.

So should you buy a digital TV set today? Not yet. They're incredibly expensive-$7,000 to $10,000and there's not much to watch.

Have ideas, comments, or questions about technology? You can E-mail webeditor@dear nea.org or write to Dear Webeditor, NEA Center for Education Technology, 1201 16th St, N. W, Washington, DC 20036. Check out www.nea. org/cet for more questions from beginners and answers from the experts.