DTV: The dawning of a new viewing era

WE are entering a new era of television­. With a boom in the sale of 3DTVs predicted for this year, and the switching from analogue­ to digital television now postponed until 2013, surely this signals that things can only get better. But what does it mean for the end user?

Some feel that before we had the chance to upgrade our sets to HD-ready TVs, out came 3D-ready ones. They may feel that they now need to purchase digital­-ready TVs.

Fortunately this isn’t quite the case. The analogue signal (which is transmitted in a similar manner to radio­) will eventually be phased out; but before that happens, TV viewers with analogue TVs will still be able to pick up digital broadcasts after installing a Set-Top-Box (STB). These convert digital signals into analogue signals so that they may be viewed on older, analogue­ TV sets.

The Digital TV Transition

“But what’s so great about going digital?” I hear you shout. The format and efficiency of digital broadcasts over analogue­ ones not only offer better picture and sound quality, but also frees up space on the broadcasting spectrum — allowing broadcasters to offer far more channels than before.

“DTV (digital television) also offers multiple programming choices, called multicasting, and interactive capabilities. Also, some of the spectrum can now be auctioned to companies that will be able to provide consumers with more advanced wireless services (such as wireless broadband).” — www.dtv.gov

So in a nutshell, more channel choices­ with better quality broadcasts and even more interactive shows will be on offer with DTV. It has also been mentioned that the number of local SABC channels will increase from three to more than 10.

So while we may not need to upgrade our boxes in order to view digital broadcasts, if we wish to enjoy the full benefits of digital TV, including improved picture and sound quality, we will need to by entirely new TV sets. The same applies if we wish to enjoy HD, Blue-Ray or 3D broadcasts. We may be able to view them, but not at the quality in which they were intended.

The 3DTV Transition

So what of 3DTV? Being the new kid on the box, 3DTV broadcasts are still expensive to make and therefore expensive to view properly. Largely as a result of this, 3DTV has been separated into two categories — active and passive TV technology.

In both cases, 3D glasses are required to view 3DTV. However, with passive TV technology, one has to sit in a particular position without much leeway to move around in order to view the picture in 3D. The cheaper glasses essentially divide­ the image into two. A single frame is filtered for each eye. So essentially you are seeing the image at half its original resolution.

With active TV technology one wears independently powered 3D glasses. 3D images can be viewed from any angle and send out full frames on each eye sequentially, providing original picture quality at the full 100% resolution. It’s a no-brainer which TV technology is the more expensive one.

It’s difficult to say when would be a good time to upgrade one’s TV set given the circumstances. Like personal computers, televisions are becoming as quickly replaced by new technologies. The only advice I can give is start saving now.

THE difference between analog TV and digital TV has its roots in the way the TV signal is transmitted or transferred from the source to the TV, which, in turn, dictates the type of TV the consumer needs to use to receive the signal. This also applies to the way a DTV converter box has to transfer a signal to an analog TV, which is important for those consumers who use DTV converters to receive TV programming on an analog TV set. – About.com

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TECH: Has 3DTV technology come too soon?

TECHNO fundis have been salivating over the idea of 3DTV since a massive 3D exhibit went on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Vegas towards the end of last year. However, a lot of tech writers have not been overly impressed with what they’ve seen and are suggesting that anticipation over 3DTV may be met with disappointment. As it stands, techies argue that it will be little more than a niche curiosity in home entertainment this year.

It is clear that 3D is the new direction that all forms of digital entertainment are taking. Experts are even suggesting that digital photography will become 3D by the year 2060, although with the pace that technology is moving forward, such predictions often seem to transpire decades before their scheduled birth date. So we may see things such as 3D photography emerge sooner rather than later.

A digital artists impression of what 3D photography might look like by 2060 (Image: www.popphoto.com)

The pace that digital tech is advancing has always posed a problem for consumers. One has constantly to upgrade pricey equipment if you want to enjoy the latest digitalised offerings. And just before South African consumers could rush out and buy HD-ready TVs, the digital giants unleash the next generation of television sets – namely 3D-ready TVs. However, it may be wise to hold out a bit before going 3D.

3DTV CONTENT
The major concern regarding 3DTV in the home environment is simply lack of content. There have been an increasing number of 3D films lately - Bolt, Up and Avatar, to name a few — and there is certainly a market for 3D film, but at present the costs of offering such content via cable and satellite channels just isn't feasible.

ESPN, of course, has announced a special 3D channel due to go live when the Fifa Soccer World Cup kicks off on June 11, and British satellite provider B Sky B plans to launch a 3D channel later this year, but as far as movies and scheduled programming goes, nonsports fans may feel a little disappointed. ESPN is promising to air a minimum of 85 live sporting events during its first year, but this may only interest fans of baseball, basketball and other predominantly American sports.

Discovery, together with Sony and IMax, also announced that they will launch what they claim will be the first 24/7 dedicated 3D television network. However, this will only be available in the United States come 2011.

Autostereoscopic TV (in 3D). The above picture can be seen in 3D using 3D glasses (Image: Flickr.com)

3DTV DISPLAYS
Another concern for 3DTV manufactures is that the idea of having to wear “silly-looking” displays (3D glasses) in order to watch something in 3D will not appeal to most people — especially to a crowd of sports fans gathered in someone’s living room. It may be fine for the movie-theatre experience — a seated event — they suggest, but perhaps not so great when people are going in and out between bathroom breaks and the kitchen.

This may seem petty, but I recently bought a pair of 3D shades for my PC and can understand the concern. One’s eyes do have to undergo a fair amount of adjusting, and once the glasses are removed, your 3D-enhanced optical nerves are basically back to square one. I once took a bathroom break after a couple of hours of 3D gaming and discovered a room made of blurry red and blue tiles.

3D displays are, however, varied and will no doubt advance at more or less the same pace as 3DTVs. It may even get to a point where we don’t have to attach anything to our heads in order to get a good view. Such sets are currently available but offer a much lower resolution than that of the 3D Mac Daddies. Everyone would also have to sit right in front of the screen at a certain distance to see a clear picture, possibly on one another’s laps.

3DTV FUTURE
It’s clear that sport will dominate the entry of 3DTV, but directors and producers of all genres of televised entertainment will also need to learn more about the "language" of 3D filming to really take advantage of it. We may see a whole new demand for 3D-ready TV/film students soon too.

My bet is that it isn’t worth getting a 3D-ready TV, at least not until they’ve fine-tuned it a bit. Rather invest your money in a large HDTV and a good surround- sound system. After all, it really is size that counts.

Related post: The reality of the virtual
Videos: 3DTV at the Consumer Electronics Show

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