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Digital TV is here and everybody is talking about it. All the analog players
moved to digital and some of them are tempted to diversify their programs offer
in the same allocated channel.
The channel concept gets a different meaning. Before, in the analog world, on
one channel, only one program was technologically allowed. Now we are talking
about a digital channel where you can squeeze more than one program. ATSC
19.3 Mb data rate of the digital channel is a huge challenge, especially for
station's management and marketing. They can sell more “time” and more
programs under one channel umbrella. Before, one station meant one channel,
one identity. Now you can find aired by the same station an 16x9 channel,
usually High Definition and two 4x3 channels, standard definition. But, is this a
good thing for the station identity? Remember what cable did, a few years ago,
to the TV market. More channels, more programs, same number of viewers. In
this new digital world, we are seeing the same programming “competition”
phenomenon within the same station.
Some players have only one “definition switchable” program and a standard
definition service-info channel. In prime time, definition is switched to “High”,
otherwise is kept to “Standard” to minimize production costs. The service-info
channel idea is borrowed from the digital signage world and from Teletext.
Teletext is an additional service placed on horizontal blanking lines and is
available in Europe for more than 30 years. A few banners with information and
or advertising and a weather service which does not affect the main channel
programing identity.
Other players, are squeezing 3 or 4 or even 5 programs with different content. In
this case, the question to be formulated is: if the station has to deal with an
“identity theft”? Time will tell. Identity restoration is a difficult process both in real
life and in the digital television market.
From the technical point of view, with ATSC 19.3Mb data rate, best results are
for 14Mb allocated for the High Definition program and 5Mb for one Standard
Definition program. Another optimal option is for three Standard Definition
programs, each around 6 Mb. Less than 12Mb on the High Definition gives
noticeable artifacts and less colors. People's faces look like made from plastic.
Less than 4 Mb on Standard Definition gives a VHS look alike which is
annoying when viewed on big TV monitors. Of course, subjectivity is a huge
factor in establishing the “optimal” configurations, but once you have
experienced the High Definition is hard to go back to the “blurry” TV picture of
the analog days.
Mario Orazio