In 1998 digital broadcasting commenced in the USA and Great Britain. Digital broadcasting started in Australia in the five major metropolitan regions on 1st January 2001 heralding a new age in television for Australians. Many Australians now enjoy digital television. The change from analogue to digital broadcast has been compared to two other major historic developments in TV. One was the commencement of television itself and the other, the change from Black and White to Colour. Digital signals can transmit up to four times the information as the current analogue system. This provides broadcasters with the opportunity to entertain and inform us on a number of new levels through "free to air" television. This advance in technology can be brought home to current analogue televisions through a device called a set-top box (STB). A set-top box is a device that converts and displays data from analogue cable, digital cable, or digital broadcast television to a standard frequency for display on a standard analogue television set, or a box that receives off-air digital TV signal for display on a digital TV monitor.
Set-top boxes act as a gateway between your television or PC or PC-TV and your telephone, satellite or cable feed (incoming signal.) In terms of interactive television, the STB receives encoded and/or compressed digital signals from the signal source (satellite, TV station, cable network, etc.) and decodes (and/or decompresses) those signals, switching them into analogue signals displayable on your television. The STB also accepts commands from the user (often by use of a remote control) and transmits these commands back to the network, often through a back channel (which may be a separate phone line.) Interactive television STBs can have many functions such as a television receiver, modem, game console, Web browser, a way of sending e-mail, Electronic Program Guide (EPG), even CD ROM, DVD player, video-conferencing, cable telephony etc. Many STBs are able to communicate in real time with devices such as camcorders, DVDs, CD players and music keyboards.
Set-top boxes are usually computers that process digital information. These typically have on-screen user interfaces that can be seen on the TV screen and interacted with through the use of an Hand-held Interactive Keypad, which is little more than an advanced remote control. STBs also have facilities for upgrading software such as browsers and Electronic Program Guides (EPGs). Some have huge hard-drives and smart card slots to put your smart card into for purchases and identifying yourself to your cable, satellite TV provider. TiVo is one such set-top box.
Peter Hawkins 01:46, 29 Oct 2004 (EST)
