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Why Is Digital TV Better?
Why are we switching to digital television broadcasts? Aside from the money the government gets from auctioning off the old analog broadcast spectrum, there are some very real benefits for you, the viewer.
The first thing you'll notice about a digital broadcast is that it looks better than current TV broadcasts. A digital picture is noticeably sharper and less prone to ghosting, snow, and other reception problems. What you see on your TV set is an exact reproduction of what's broadcast; the digital signal doesn't degrade as an analog signal does.
It's kind of like the way digital DVDs look better than analog videotapes, and digital CDs sound better than analog records. DTV has a much improved picture over what you're used to with analog television. You'll see the difference with your first DTV broadcast.
DTV also enables broadcasts in high definition, which really looks better than current standard-definition TV. Now, not every digital broadcast is in high definition, but you can't have high-definition television (HDTV) without digital transmission. So if you want to receive HDTV programming, you need digital broadcasting.
Of course, it's not just the digital picture that's better. DTV broadcasts have crystal-clear digital stereo sound, as well—and HDTV broadcasts feature Dolby Digital surround sound. A DTV broadcast both looks and sounds better than what you're used to.
And here's another big benefit to DTV. Because digital broadcasting makes more efficient use of the airwaves, broadcasters can cram more data into a given frequency range. That means that a television station can transmit multiple digital channels; instead of a single channel from your local TV station, you may be able to receive two, three, or more channels of programming. That's a big benefit when you're looking for something interesting to watch.