Are you confused by all the jargon and TV lingo flying around? Here are some simple go-to definitions to help make your digital transition a little bit smoother:
Analog TV: Technology that has been traditionally used for U.S. television broadcasts. Analog signals are transmitted through varying radio waves. This results in differing picture quality as the radio waves vary.
Antennae: "Rabbit Ears" Can be used to pick up free over-the-air analog TV. Can also pick up digital over-the-air digital TV, though a better antenna may be required for digital TV.
Digital TV (DTV): Technology that provides a radically clearer picture and better sound quality than analog TV. DTV includes standard definition (SDTV), enhanced definition (EDTV) and high-definition (HDTV) broadcasting. Congress requires all full power stations to switch from Analog to Digital by June 12, 2009. GPB chose to convert to digital on the original date of February 17 due to aging analog equipment and budget considerations.
Digital Converter Box: A box that can convert the digital signal to an analog signal so that it may be viewed on analog televisions. A converter box easily hooks up to analog televisions and over-the-air antennae. Coupons for converter boxes are available to every family.
Enhanced Definition (EDTV): EDTV television sets produce picture quality that is of higher quality than Standard Definition TV (SDTV) and High Definition TV (HDTV).
High Definition TV (HDTV): Offers extremely clear picture, comparable to movie-theater quality, and CD quality sound. Most digital TV's sold in the U.S. are HD, though HDTV and DTV are not the same thing.
Multicasting: made possible by DTV. Stations can broadcast multiple free channels all at once, rather than one channel at a time.
Over-The-Air (OTA): Signals that provide free broadcasting to homes that use TV antennae.
Standard Definition TV (SDTV): Basic television. Digital SDTV provides picture and sound comparable to the best available analog TV.
