Cable digitalisation

Computers use digital signals to send and receive data. Although digital signals can only be in the state 1 (on) and 0 (off), complicated combinations of these two values are used to send/receive data. Think of this example: 
Using only binary (values 1 and 0), we can create a string of values that is interpreted by a computer to be something more meaningful. For instance, the value 11000110 00110101 10010011 00101101 is interpreted to equal 198.53.147.45 in decimal format. In conclusion, the strength of using a digital system over analog is clear. Digital signals are easier to transmit and offer less room for errors to occur. This leads to accurate data transmission that in turn leads to faster transmission rates and better productivity

Today, nearly all electronic devices we use are digital. The main reason for the change from analog to digital is because digital signals are easier to transmit and are also more reliable

In analog technology, a wave is recorded or used in its original form. So, for example, in an analog tape recorder, a signal is taken straight from themicrophone and laid onto tape. The wave from the microphone is an analog wave, and therefore the wave on the tape is analog as well. That wave on the tape can be read, amplified and sent to a speaker to produce the sound.

In digital technology, the analog wave is sampled at some interval, and then turned into numbers that are stored in the digital device. On a CD, the sampling rate is 44,000 samples per second. So on a CD, there are 44,000 numbers stored per second of music. To hear the music, the numbers are turned into avoltage wave that approximates the original wave.

The two big advantages of digital technology are:

·         The recording does not degrade over time. As long as the numbers can be read, you will always get exactly the same wave.

Analog technology comprises of natural signals like human speech. With digital technology this human speech can be saved and stored in a computer. Thus digital technology opens up the horizon for endless possible uses.

A set-top box (STB) or set-top unit (STU) is aninformation appliance device that generally contains atuner and connects to a television set and an external source of signal, turning the signal into content which is then displayed on the television screen or other displaydevice. Set-top boxes are used in cable television andsatellite television systems, to transform the signal from the cable or satellite to a form that can be used by the television set or other receiver. It also enhances the quality of signal from cable or satellite.

The Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act will be amended

 The digital technology will offer improved quality of transmission and greater choice of content, albeit at a higher cost to consumers.

"This will benefit the entire broadcasting industry, both economically, and from the point of view of content," 

The broadcasting industry has been suffering from poor bandwidth of analogue cable, which will be resolved with digitisation, he said, adding this will also plug leakages in the revenue system by solving the problem of under declaration of subscribers in the analogue cable system