Lesson four

I. Look through the list of English words and their Russian equivalents. You'11 need them to understand text С better:

digital – дискретный, цифровой; to encode – кодировать; error – ошибка; audio – звуковой; available – доступный; span – интервал времени, долговечность.

II. Read the text carefully and find the information about the advantages of digital television:

Text С

New Trend in Television

1. The so-called analogue systems of television are to be replaced by digital systems in the near future. In time all stages of TV broadcasting — from the camera to the TV tube – will be digitalized. New systems make it possible to encode and compress tremendous flows of visual information. The advantages of digital techniques, first of all, improve the quality of the picture. Digital recording is almost free of signal errors. This applies fully to both video and audio signals.

2. Turning an old medium to a digital, ‘interactive’ one seems to be even more difficult than introducing completely new technologies. The digitalization of television is a process of translation. The ‘script’ attached to television as we know it has to be changed – but this involves more than the technical issues of switching from analogue to digital signals and receivers. So far, the efforts to translate television have been centered around the figure of, 'interactivity and the notion of a value-added' television, where digital technique allows new interactive features and services added on top of the familiar medium. The new interactive uses of television have been envisioned to include, e.g.

– a wider choice of program content by selecting channels or programs from video-on-demand services

– simultaneous transactions – electronic shopping or betting related to the program content

– value-added information services – either relating to the program or more general (citizen information services)

– cross-media programs spanning a combination of media channels such as TV, Internet, mobile phone

– poll-type interaction using the return path or telephony

– interactive programs and games where the storyline and actions are modified by the user in a dynamic or exploratory way.

It is obvious that the new interactive television services will affect the way we watch, use and think of television. Along with the new services, the existing and developing television user cultures also have an influence on what kinds of television content will succeed and what forms they will take. With the onset of digital television, changes in user behavior are to be expected, just like the introduction of remote control led to rapid channel changing (the 'zapping' phenomenon). The changes in television watching habits can in turn lead to changes in production: the zapping phenomenon led to changes in the design and placement of commercials and greater segmentation of content within programs. Thus interactive television has been mostly addressed as a media technology and as a collection of programs and services.

III. Which paragraph contains the information directly connected with the title of the text? Render this information.

IV. Explain why analogue systems of television will be replaced by digital systems in the near future.

V. Find the information about how electronics experts have succeeded in better organizing the information flows.

VII. Name the advantages of digital television over the analogue one.

VIII. You have read three texts containing some information about television. Summarizing the general ideas developed in texts А, В and C, prepare a report on the theme "Television. History and new trends in its development". The following plan will help you:

1. The invention of television — the result of a complex of inventions.

2. Nipkow’s invention as the basis of the first live transmission.

3. The mechanical picture scanner and the principle of its work.

4. Some characteristics of modern TV sets.

5. The advantages of digital television.