DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION IN THE UNITED STATES Meaning and
Definition
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The digital television transition in the United States refers to the process through which analog television broadcasting was phased out and replaced by digital broadcasting. This transition began in the early 2000s and was completed nationwide on June 12, 2009. The main objective of this transition was to improve the efficiency and quality of television broadcasting by adopting digital technology.
Digital television delivers television content and signals in a digital format, which allows for clearer and sharper images, enhanced sound quality, and additional channels and services. The digital transition involved a shift from the traditional analog transmission, which uses radio frequencies to transmit television signals, to a digital transmission, which converts audio and video signals into a series of binary digits (1s and 0s) for improved reception and transmission.
To facilitate the transition, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandated that all full-power television stations in the United States switch from analog to digital broadcasting. This meant that households relying on over-the-air signals through antennas would need to upgrade their television equipment, such as purchasing a digital television set or obtaining a digital-to-analog converter box to continue receiving broadcast channels.
The transition to digital television also opened up additional spectrum space in the broadcasting spectrum, which could be repurposed for other applications such as mobile broadband services. Overall, the digital television transition in the United States aimed to modernize and enhance the television viewing experience while freeing up valuable spectrum resources for other uses.
