Receiving digital signal

There are several different ways to receive digital television. One of the oldest means of receiving DTV (and TV in general) is from terrestrial transmitters using an antenna (known as an aerial in some countries). This way is known as Digital terrestrial television(DTT). With DTT, viewers are limited to channels that have a terrestrial transmitter in range of their antenna.

Other ways have been devised to receive digital television. Among the most familiar to people are digital cable and digital satellite. In some countries where transmissions of TV signals are normally achieved by microwaves, digital MMDS is used. Other standards, such as Digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) and DVB-H, have been devised to allow handheld devices such as mobile phones to receive TV signals. Another way is IPTV, that is receiving TV via Internet Protocol, relying on digital subscriber line (DSL) or optical cable line. Finally, an alternative way is to receive digital TV signals via the open Internet (Internet television), whether from a central streaming service or a P2P (peer-to-peer) system.

Some signals carry encryption and specify use conditions (such as "may not be recorded" or "may not be viewed on displays larger than 1 m in diagonal measure") backed up with the force of law under the World Intellectual Property Organization Copyright Treaty (WIPO Copyright Treaty) and national legislation implementing it, such as the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Access to encrypted channels can be controlled by a removable smart card, for example via the Common Interface (DVB-CI) standard for Europe and via Point Of Deployment (POD) for IS or named differently Cable Card.

II. Complete the sentences with a word from the box.

Consideration, incompatible, feasibility, standard, allowed, interlaced, adopted, availability, scanning, worldwide

1. Digital TV's roots have been tied very closely to the ________of inexpensive, high performance computers.

2. Until June 1990, the Japanese MUSE standard—based on an analog system—was the front-runner among the more than 23 different technical concepts under_______.

3. Then, an American company, General Instrument, demonstrated the _______of a digital television signal.

4. In March 1990, when it became clear that a digital ________ was feasible, the FCC made a number of critical decisions.

5. The new ATV standard also _____ the new DTV signal to be based on entirely new design principles.

6. Although ________with the existing NTSC standard, the new DTV standard would be able to incorporate many improvements.

7. The final standard ________by the FCC did not require a single standard for scanning formats, aspect ratios, or lines of resolution.

8. Interlaced scanning, which is used in televisions_______, scans even-numbered lines first, then odd-numbered ones.

9. Progressive _____, which is the format used in computers, scans lines in sequences, from top to bottom.

10. The computer industry argued that progressive scanning is superior because it does not "flicker" in the manner of ______ scanning.

III. What do you know about:

• Digital Video Broadcasting

• Advanced Television System Committee

• Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting

• Digital Terrestrial Multimedia Broadcasting

• Digital Multimedia Broadcasting

History of Digital TV

IV. Agree or disagree

1. There are several different ways to send digital television.

2. One of the newest means of receiving DTV (and TV in general) is from terrestrial transmitters using an antenna (known as an aerial in some countries).

3. With DTT, viewers are limited to channels that have a terrestrial rays in range of their antenna.

4. Among the most familiar to people are digital wire and digital satellite. In some countries where transmissions of TV signals are normally achieved by microchips, digital MMDS is used.

5. Another way is IPTV, that is receiving TV via Internet Protocol, relying on digital subscriber line (DSL) or optical cable line.

6. Finally, an alternative way is to receive digital TV signals via the open Internet (Internet television), whether from a central streaming service or a P2P (peer-to-peer) system.

7. Access to encrypted channels can be controlled by a removable smart card, for example via the Common Interface (DVB-CI) standard for Europe and via Point Of Deployment (POD) for IS or named differently Cable Card.

Unit 12. Digital television in Belgorod

Active Vocabulary

various channels различные каналы

cable television кабельное телевидение

advanced materials самое современное телевидение

leisure time свободное время

subscribers подписчики

a fluctuation колебание, неустойчивость

remains analog оставаться аналоговым

sound and an image звук и изображение

disadvantages недостатки

smaller impact меньшее воздействие