The digital dawn in Europe [HDTV]

Author

Fox, Brendan

Volume

32

Issue

4

fYear

1995

fDate

4/1/1995 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

50

Lastpage

53

Abstract

Europe´s digital television plans downplay high-definition applications because of their previous defeat by an uninterested public. Europe´s move from analog to digital television is still unfolding. It all began in 1986 with an Europe-wide research project that used digital technology to enhance analog television. Under the umbrella of Project EU-95 manufacturers and broadcasters throughout the region joined forces to develop a high-definition television (HDTV) system native to their part of the world. The European system used 1250 picture lines, exactly twice the 625 lines of the domestic phase alternation line (PAL) system, to make compatibility with existing television sets easier to achieve. But it did not build directly on the PAL standard. Instead, the high-definition system built on a then-new 625 line MAC (multiplexed analog components) and so was called HD-MAC

Keywords

digital television; high definition television; telecommunication standards; television standards; Europe; HD-MAC; HDTV system; PAL standard; PAL system; Project EU-95; compatibility; digital television; high-definition television; multiplexed analog components; phase alternation line system; television sets; Artificial satellites; Costs; Digital TV; Europe; HDTV; Helium; Independent component analysis; Radio broadcasting; Satellite broadcasting; TV broadcasting;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Spectrum, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9235

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/6.376000

Filename

376000