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After years spent using the same old technology, the television is finally catching up, with a whole host of new products now available. Ashley Norris explores TV’s digital revolution
Had the inventor and pioneer of TV, John Logie Baird, travelled forward in a time machine to the year 2000, he may well have concluded that, in the 70 years since his Eureka! moment, TV technology had changed very little. The basic TV sets, which use cathode ray tube technology (CRT), are similar to the ones he pioneered all those years ago, and the transmission method – mainly via an aerial – would be quite familiar too.
However, since 2000, such is the rate of change in TV technology that if the Scotsman landed today his head would be full of questions. This year alone has seen the arrival of high-definition TV (HDTV) in Europe, as well as trials to deliver high-quality TV signals to mobiles. We are also seeing the beginning of TV programmes delivered via the internet and the rise of digital TV which in theory might signal the beginning of the end of TV though an aerial.
Even if Logie Baird could get his head round the technological change, there are still many people confused by what’s happening in TV and home entertainment. So, here’s a quick guide to where TV is and where it is going.
The big story this year was the launch of high-definition TV (HDTV), which delivers pictures that are up to four times as detailed as the existing ones – which industry types refer to as ‘standard definition’. Several European countries have HDTV but by far the biggest is Germany – not surprising really since it delivered the first World Cup to be filmed in high definition. There are also services in France and Scandinavia.
The pictures from HDTV channels really do live up to their billing – they’re much clearer and more detailed than standard definition. The downside is that to receive the HD channels you’ll almost certainly need to pay some kind of monthly subscription. Also, HD signals only work with flat-screen sets, not the CRT ones we have had for decades now. So you’ll need to invest in an HD-ready LCD plasma screen or a projection system.
Another huge leap will be the arrival in the next 12 months of the new video-disc systems: HD-DVD and Blu-ray. These are the long-term successors to DVD, in that they have a huge amount of storage which enables the movie companies to archive an HDTV movie and more on one disc. They could even store up to 10 standard definition films on one disc. The bad news is that they are incompatible and competing formats, so it is worth hanging on for a few years before choosing one or the other. The disc formats will be available on the next generation of gaming devices too, with Sony’s PS3, which is due in November, featuring Blu-ray, while Microsoft Xbox 360s will be kitted out with an HD-DVD player.
Finally, also look out for TV via broadband. Several companies across Europe are starting to offer TV on demand via the internet. The programmes are delivered to a PC-style box (that actually looks more like a video recorder) which sits on top of the TV.
In many European countries phone owners have been able to view TV channels on their handsets for more than a year now. The trouble is that very few do, as the pictures, delivered via 3G networks, are often blocky and prone to cracking up. The good news is that high-quality TV on mobiles, delivered digitally through the air, is coming to Europe soon. Nokia has been trialing a system called DVB-H which it hopes will be taken up across Europe in the coming 12 months.
The results from these trials indicate that the range of channels and the quality of the images are impressive. People apparently watch around 15 minutes of TV at a time.
Across Europe the analogue terrestrial TV transmissions that have served us well for so long are being phased out as TV goes digital. Much of Germany, including Berlin, is digital only, and there are plans to phase analogue out in Scandinavia by 2010 and France and other territories by 2012. The end of analogue means millions of small, transportable TVs in Europe, sited in cars and caravans, that can only access analogue signals, will become effectively worthless.
Not surprisingly the very first portable TVs that have digital TV decoders built in are now starting to appear. These not only offer more channels than their analogue counterparts, but also have better pictures. One of the best is the Roadstar LCD9283D, a baby LCD TV which has a very impressive nine-inch screen, yet retails for less than €300. It even comes with a magnetic dedicated aerial that sticks to the roof of your car. Of course, there are also many analogue LCD screens that can be incorporated in cars for the kids to watch DVDs on. Logie Baird would be impressed.
The ones to watch... Five great TV gadgets
■ Nokia N92
Due in the stores imminently, the N92 is a top-end 3G phone with a big 2.8 inch screen and a digital TV decoder on board. Whether you can watch digital TV on it depends where you are in Europe, but nevertheless it is still a great phone for watching videos. Price dependent on network
■ Apple iPod video
Apple’s latest generation iPod has a gorgeous 2.5 inch colour screen and video playback software so you can watch your favourite footage while on the move. Costs from €435
■ Humax HDCI2000
This HDTV satellite receiver tunes into the Euro 1080 Europe-wide HDTV channels as well as some other free high-definition programming. Costs €400
■ Philips MPC9350i
This is a very clever PC that has been designed to sit under your TV. It has on-board TV tuners, a hard disk video recorder, DVD playback, internet access and loads more. Costs €1500
■ Sony Location Free TV
This brilliant little device lets you watch whatever is on your main screen at home on a laptop PC or PSP even if you are thousands of miles away. It is a bit tricky to set up and you’ll need a fast internet connection for the PC/ PSP to tune in. Costs €350
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