ABSTRACT
It is often, and incorrectly, assumed that the words digital television mean, by extension, high-definition television (HDTV). This is not the case. Rather, digital television refers to signals transmitted as digital ones and zeroes that are then decoded into pictures and sounds. This dual meaning is encapsulated by the abbreviation H/DTV. Analog television, which most of us have grown up with, is based on sending and receiving analog signals—waves that vary in their amplitude and frequency. Many television and broadcasting industry representatives believe the movement from analog to digital television is as significant as the change from vinyl records to compact discs.
