VIDEO
April 2009
Cable companies use digital technology to compress video signals, allowing multiple video program streams to be carried in the bandwidth space normally required for one analog channel. Typically, the signal is sent to the home and decompressed in the set-top box for display on the television.
Digital cable allows cable systems 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 companies 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.
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 basic and premium digital cable packages vary among cable companies, customers can choose from a wide variety of networks and program streams that include:
- expanded cable networks such as Discovery Kids, Biography Channel, VH1 Soul, Lifetime Movie Network and more;
- more screens of commercial-free movie channels like HBO, Showtime and Starz;
- more pay-per-view channels, allowing consumers to rent movies 24/7 from the convenience of 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 programming 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 programming by title, time, or theme and provides an on-screen list of upcoming shows 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 are no long-term contracts, hidden costs or expensive pieces of equipment to purchase.
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, self-help features and local 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.
With the introduction of digital, HD and interactivity, video offerings have changed dramatically since the mid-1990s and consumers now have more choice than ever before. With hundreds of programming options, better picture and sound quality and the proliferation of exciting new interactive services, today's video service hardly resembles the service available not that long ago.
© 2012 Broadband Cable Association of Pennsylvania