ABSTRACT
Perhaps the most fundamental impact of digital communications on consumers is its ability to improve the quality of video and audio signals and to transform one-way communications that has traditionally been received in a relative passive manner into two-way communications in which users can play a more active role. These changes have led policymakers and broadcasters of various types to promote opportunities in digital television (DTV), digital terrestrial television (DTTV) and interactive television (iTV). Digital television is being offered to many consumers through cable and satellite systems, and broadcasters in some European nations are beginning to offer basic DTTV broadcasts. Simple interactive services are appearing in some markets as a prelude to future more extensive interactive operations.
