While the United States prepares to switch to digital broadcasts in February 2009, new rules from the FCC for cable companies will mean some viewers with analog TVs will be fine for a few more years. The FCC voted 5-0 to require that cable operators must continue to make all local broadcasts available to their users, even if they have analog TVs.
After the transition to digital, cable providers will have two signals to work with, digital standard definition (SD) and digital high definition (HD). To keep providing for the analog users, the cable companies will have two choices, either provide its subscribers with converter boxes or convert the digital SD signal to analog SD and provide it across the lines.
The converter box option is potentially very expensive and the analog signal option means the use of more bandwidth. The National Cable & Telecommunications Association applauded the FCC's decision but expressed concerns about the special circumstances of very small systems which could face severe cost pressures by complying.
Source:
Ars Technica
The converter box option is potentially very expensive and the analog signal option means the use of more bandwidth. The National Cable & Telecommunications Association applauded the FCC's decision but expressed concerns about the special circumstances of very small systems which could face severe cost pressures by complying.
Source:
Ars Technica
