The clock is ticking for television stations around the country to switch broadcasting capabilities from the traditional analog format to the revolutionary digital format.
With recent breakthroughs in broadcasting technology, including the development of High Definition Television (HDTV), the government is putting pressure on television stations to upgrade their broadcasting equipment to incorporate this high definition system in place of the aging analog technology.
While Federal Communication Commission spokesperson Michelle Russo said that the digital transition is a very complicated issue, a news release from the FCC provides quite a simple introduction.
The release said that digital television “broadcasters will be able to offer television with movie-quality pictures and Dolby digital surround sound, along with a variety of other enhancements.”
The release also said that digital television is more flexible and efficient than analog technology. Also, digital broadcasting will be able to “free up parts of the scarce and valuable broadcast airwaves” and will be able to give organizations such as police and rescue services more use of the airwaves.
According to Clyde Pierce, chief engineer at WBRZ responsible for the TV station’s equipment and transmitters and who is also a 28 year television veteran, the FCC set up a time frame for the top broadcasting markets to be transferred to digital broadcasting by April 2002.
Pierce said the transition entailed WBRZ spending $1.5 million on digital upgrades, including a new digital broadcasting transmitter and antenna, as well as numerous other upcoming upgrades, such as new studio cameras and digital recording devices. Pierce joked that they may even upgrade to “digital trash cans.”
He also said that consumers would also have to make upgrades in order to receive the digital signal.
“Consumers have to go out and buy new TV sets capable of receiving a digital signal,” Pierce said. “And those sets can be quite expensive.”
Pierce said that High Definition television sets can range from $2,000 to $3,000.
Despite the expense, Pierce said that consumers would experience notable differences in quality with digital broadcasting.
“In our experience [with digital signals], you either have great picture or no picture,” Pierce said.
Pierce reported that WBRZ began working on the digital transition in 1999, and began broadcasting the digital signal on April 18, 2002, making it the first commercial station in Baton Rouge to broadcast the new signal.
While television networks have had several years to upgrade their technology, the government has been putting pressure on them to make these changes soon.
Pierce said if a network would opt not to switch to digital programming, there would probably be fines issued by the FCC, as well as other consequences.
“Ultimately, at some point the analog channels will be turned off,” Pierce said.
LSU students remain skeptical of the FCC’s digital upgrade plan.
“I think if they do it over the next 10 years, it would be alright,” said David Chaney, a mechanical engineering sophomore.
Ike Delee, a psychology freshman, was slightly more uncomfortable with the ruling.
“When the government comes out with something like that, if they have a good reason for it, then fine,” Delee said.