Why is analogue changing to digital

Nielsen data shows that TV viewing typically goes down in the summer months. A review of prior years confirms this dip in viewing levels at this same point in the television season. For the first two weeks following the analog shut-off, transitioning station shares were 8.

In the third and fourth week following the transition, the shares to transitioning stations were 9. Based on historical seasonality trends, there is an expectation that stations would have experienced share declines of about 2. Therefore, the additional 4. As the date moves further out from the transition, more of the station declines are attributable to seasonal trends, as the chart below indicates.

With super sharp high-definition programming and the ability to show multiple standard definition digital programs simultaneously, digital programming offers many advantages over analog television for viewing broadcast TV. Homes are now capable of receiving more channels than ever before. And a review of pre- and post-transition audience shares to non-simulcast digital sub channels following June 12 show an increase—albeit modest.

Nielsen will continue to track growth in these digital sub channels. As the analog shut-off date becomes more distant, the trends in are moving closer to the and trends—a clear indication that homes are adapting to the new digital landscape and continuing to find their TV content. The dramatic rise in global CTV adoption, accelerated by the pandemic, has ushered in new commercial models that are fragmenting the landscape in much the same way that the myriad viewing options are.

There should not be any discrete value changes see Figure 1. A digital signal is a signal that represents data as a sequence of discrete values. A digital signal can only take on one value from a finite set of possible values at a given time. With digital signals, the physical quantity representing the information can be many things:. Digital signals are used in all digital electronics, including computing equipment and data transmission devices.

Most of the fundamental electronic components — resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, transistors, and operational amplifiers op amps — are all inherently analog components. Circuits built with a combination of these components are analog circuits see Figure 3.

Analog circuits can be complex designs with multiple components, or they can be simple, such as two resistors that form a voltage divider. In general, analog circuits are more difficult to design than digital circuits that accomplish the same task. It would take a designer who is familiar with analog circuits to design an analog radio receiver, or an analog battery charger, since digital components have been adopted to simplify those designs.

Small changes in the voltage level of an analog signal can produce significant errors when being processed. Analog signals are commonly used in communication systems that convey voice, data, image, signal, or video information using a continuous signal.

There are two basic kinds of analog transmission, which are both based on how they adapt data to combine an input signal with a carrier signal. The two techniques are amplitude modulation and frequency modulation. Amplitude modulation AM adjusts the amplitude of the carrier signal.

Frequency modulation FM adjusts the frequency of the carrier signal. Analog transmission may be achieved via many methods:. Much like the human body uses eyes and ears to capture sensory information, analog circuits use these methodologies to interface with the real world, and to accurately capture and process these signals in electronics. Digital circuits implement components such as logic gates or more complex digital ICs. Such ICs are represented by rectangles with pins extending from them see Figure 4.

Digital circuits commonly use a binary scheme. Although data values are represented by just two states 0s and 1s , larger values can be represented by groups of binary bits. For example, in a 1-bit system, a 0 represents a data value of 0, and a 1 represents a data value of 1. However, in a 2-bit system, a 00 represents a 0, a 01 represents a 1, a 10 represents a 2, and a 11 represents a 3. In a bit system, the largest number that can be represented is , or 65, These groups of bits can be captured either as a sequence of successive bits or a parallel bus.

This allows large streams of data to be processed easily. Unlike analog circuits, most useful digital circuits are synchronous, meaning there is a reference clock to coordinate the operation of the circuit blocks, so they operate in a predictable manner.

Analog electronics operate asynchronously, meaning they process the signal as it arrives at the input. Most digital circuits use a digital processor to manipulate the data. This can be in the form of a simple microcontroller MCU or a more complex digital signal processor DSP , which can filter and manipulate large streams of data such as video. Digital signals are commonly used in communication systems where digital transmission can transfer data over point-to-point or point-to-multipoint transmission channels, such as copper wires, optical fibers, wireless communication media, storage media, or computer buses.

The transferrable data is represented as an electromagnetic signal, such as a microwave, radio wave, electrical voltage, or infrared signal. In general, digital circuits are easier to design, but they often cost more than analog circuits that are intended for the same tasks.

Many systems must process both analog and digital signals. It is common in many communications systems to use an analog signal, which acts as an interface for the transmission medium to transmit and receive information.

These analog signals are converted to digital signals, which filter, process, and store the information. For any individual broadcaster, there is, for example, the cost of replacing equipment and it is unlikely that this will be offset by increased revenue either through advertising or subsidies. It is also necessary to persuade the audience to invest in new receivers, or set-top boxes, at acceptable prices. To do this, it is necessary either to offer a wider range of high quality programming and improved formats, such as wide screen and high definition television.

Warning consumers that the analogue service will disappear also stimulates demand. In certain cases the intervention of governments can be crucial.

In some environments, spectral allocations are traded between broadcasters, including new entrants. The availability of more channels in such an environment will, in the short term at least, depress the value of the existing allocations.

Any commercial transition strategy will probably require that analogue versions of existing programme streams remain available until a high level of market penetration of digital receivers is achieved. Typically, this will mean that digital and analogue versions of the same programmes are present simultaneously during the transition period. Various technical strategies can be, and have been, deployed to achieve this.

The market forces and consumer demand that are driving the switchover to digital pose a major challenge to industry. It is also crucial to inform consumers about their options so that they know when to migrate to the new system. A successful switchover will be facilitated by coordinated action from the numerous players involved, including broadcasters, equipment manufacturers, retailers and governments.

The three ITU Sectors, each within its own sphere of competence, are responsible for activities and studies relating to broadcasting. In the first half of the twentieth century, these activities included standardization work for analogue television systems, and for digital systems in the latter part of the century. ITU will continue to play a pivotal role in the regulation of spectrum usage and broadcasting technologies. A debate on spectrum aspects of the switchover to digital has already been launched among some administrations within their spectrum policy frameworks.

The prime objective is to encourage efficient and flexible spectrum usage, while preserving the service mission of broadcasting. Among other things, the debate will address the economic value of spectrum allocated to terrestrial and satellite broadcasting services, and the transparency needed in setting this value.

For instance, the agreement forged at Stockholm in ST61 has been accommodating the needs of analogue broadcasting in Europe successfully for almost four decades. It is not envisaged that ITU should be involved at the level of, for example, setting common switch-off dates or prohibiting sales of analogue receivers. However, national digital broadcasting markets and policies will continue to be monitored.

Policy interventions by ITU Member States should be transparent, justified, proportionate, and timely, so as to minimize the risks of market distortion. They should also be formulated according to clearly defined and specific policy goals, and be non-discriminatory and technologically neutral.

Achieving these aims requires careful assessment of the impact of policy changes, as well as monitoring of policy implementation and market evolution.