DTV

Modern signal format

DTV is an abbreviation for digital television, the broadcasting technology that replaced analog signals in most countries during the early 21st century.

Digital transmission allows for sharper picture quality, more efficient use of broadcast spectrum, and additional features like electronic program guides.

You'll need a converter box if your old TV can't receive DTV signals.

The term appears most often in discussions of broadcast standards and the transition from analog systems.

broadcast

antenna

Broadcast signal receiver

transmitterSignal-emitting device
over-the-airTransmitted via radio waves
channelPassage for transmission

station · network · FCC · spectrum · tuner · airwaves · coverage · reception · terrestrial · local

hardware

tuner

Device selecting broadcast frequencies

antennaBroadcast signal receiver
remoteDistant or controller
HDMIAudio-video interface standard

coaxial · amplifier · splitter · DVR · receiver · rooftop

signal

frequency

Rate of recurrence

modulationVarying signals to transmit
bandwidthData transmission capacity
transmissionSending of information

interference · multipath · ghosting · dropout · reception · UHF · VHF · carrier · decoding · pixelation

technology

high-definition

Superior image resolution

1080pVideo resolution standard
720p1280x720 pixel display
4KHigh-resolution video standard

resolution · compression · MPEG · bitrate · encoding · multiplexing · subchannel · widescreen · progressive · interlaced

Opposites

broadcast era

DTVstandard definition

Commonly accepted interpretation

CRT television · tube TV

signal encoding technology

DTVanalog television

Wave-pattern video transmission

ATV · analog broadcast · NTSC · PAL · analog signal

Family

digital, television, televise, televised, televising, digitally, digitize, digitized, digit

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G