New Technology TV

A host of new television sets and home entertainment components are now available, which means the terminology surrounding the electronics industry has also grown. TV shoppers should be aware of some common terms, abbreviations and acronyms before they hit the stores and make that big investment in a new piece of equipment.

Analog TV: This is a type of TV broadcasting. It’s the standard type of TV, with a maximum resolution of 480 lines. It’s quicky becoming obsolete, as digital TV, which offers a better resolution, is now widely available and preferred. By 2007, analog TV will no longer be standard, as a mandatory conversion to digital broadcasting will then be put into effect by the FCC. Analog TV has been around for decades, however.

ATSC: This acronym stands for Advanced Television Systems Committee. This committee is an international body responsible for establishing standards regarding digital television. The acronym ATSC is included on TV packaging and is used to indicated that the TV comes equipped with a digital tuner that allows it to broadcast digital TV and high definition TV (HDTV).

Built-in tuner: Many new-model television sets come equipped with built-in tuners. These tuners make it possible for the viewer to access free over-the-air programming without the use of a receiver. These tuners usually need an antenna to work to their fullest potential and pick up the desired over-the-air transmissions.

Interactive services: Subscribers to satellite and cable TV should know about interactive services. Most TV service providers offer on-screen features to customers, including programming schedules, enhanced, interactive channels and video on demand options. Interactive TV (ITV) is a growing part of satellite TV, as it offers customers the chance to pay their bills, shop and participate in sporting events all via the TV.

LCOS: This acronym stands for Liquid Crystal on Silicon. LCOS is a type of technology that’s very new and used in projection television sets. An LCOS set uses chips in a way that’s analogous to a video camera. The chips generate three colors, red, green and blue, in the production of images. These TVs are very light and not prone to screen burn-in.

Off-air HDTV antenna: This type of antenna can be used with a high definition TV set to access HDTV signals. It’s pretty much like a normal TV antenna, and it hooks up to the TV by means of a coaxial cable. In order for this antenna to transmit signals in HD, viewers need a set with a built-in tuner that can read the over-the-air digital signal

Set-top box: This term refers to the receiver customers get from their satellite or cable service providers in order to access TV broadcasts. The boxes pick up cable and digital TV broadcasts, and some are equipped to receive HDTV signals.