VIDEO
Cable operators use digital technology to compress video signals, allowing more than one program service to be carried in the bandwidth space normally required for one analog program service. Typically, the signal is sent to the home and decompressed in the set-top box for display on the television.
Digital cable allows operators to offer a greater choice and quality than is possible with analog television. The popular supplement to traditional cable service provides a variety of new services, such as video-on-demand, interactive television and commercial-free CD-quality music. Digital television also allows cable operators and programmers to offer high definition television.
For today's digital cable programming, digital set-top boxes translate the digital signals for display on conventional analog television sets. In contrast, high definition television has a much higher level of resolution and must be received on a digital television capable of displaying the format.
Cable networks have responded to the availability of additional digital capacity by launching a wide array of new programming services. Digital tiers often package network lineups by genre, such as sports, music, movies, family, and Spanish-language programming.
While digital cable packages vary among cable operators, consumers generally choose from:
- Expanded cable networks such as Discovery Science, Discovery Kids, Nickelodeon Games & Sports, VH1 Country, the Biography Channel, and more;
- More screens of commercial-free movie channels like HBO, Showtime and STARZ;
- More channels of pay-per-view, which allows consumers to "rent" movies from their own homes;
- More channels of CD-quality music of all genres from jazz to country, classical to rock;
- Parental control features that allow parents to block out shows they don't want their children to see.
A unique feature of digital cable is the Interactive Program Guide...a detailed on-screen overview describing the program being watched, when it started and what programs are available for several days in advance. The Interactive Program Guide allows the customer to search for programs by title, time, or theme and provides an on-screen list of upcoming programs which viewers have selected and wish to see. Interactive Program Guides can also offer parental control, allowing parents to screen out certain programs based on rating, time or channel.
An important attraction of digital cable is the low cost, combined with the convenience. Unlike satellite, there is no expensive equipment to buy...no long-term contracts, no hidden costs...and all local channels are included in digital cable packages.
Video-on-Demand is a method of delivering video to customers upon request and is unique to broadband cable because of the industry's robust two-way network. Programming is ordered with the push of a remote button and the content plays with full VCR functionality (pause, rewind, fast-forward). The content - which includes new and classic movies, special events, sports and television programming - is stored on servers at the cable system headend.
Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) capture video programming onto a hard drive located in the set-top box for viewing at a later time, DVRs also allow the viewer to pause, fast forward and manage other functions and applications.
© 2008 Broadband Cable Association of Pennsylvania