HDTV In Costa Rica
2009-7-21 10:47:28
HDTV In Costa Rica In Five Years, Experts Say
April 7, 2009 is the date set for the end of all full power analog (NTSC) TV transmissions in the U.S., the same occurring in Europe in 2009. However, it won't be for another five years before digital television transmission will replace analog in Costa Rica, according to the experts.
In Costa Rica digital television is still in its infancy, but moving ahead. Both Repretel and Teletica began two years ago training their staff and testing on its digital channels.
The first national television programs to go digital are the En Vivo and 7 Estrellas and according to Teletica all its programs produced in Costa Rica are in HD format. Repretel televises HD programs from the US, but does not produce any of its own programs in HD.
Although the US and Europe have announced dates for the beginning of HD transmissions, the Oficina de Control de Radio y Televisi??n in Costa Rica has yet to officially set a date and the standard that it will use from the 18 choices it has.
Notwithstanding, both Repretel and Teletica chose the ATSC format, the format that is being used in the US and Mexico, the main source of programming offering on national channels.
High-definition television (HDTV) is a digital television broadcasting system with higher resolution than traditional television systems (SDTV) . HDTV is digitally broadcast because digital television (DTV) requires less bandwidth if sufficient video compression is used.
The term high definition used to describe a series of television systems from the 1930s and 1940s, starting with the British 405-line black-and-white system introduced in 1936, and including the American 525-line NTSC system established in 1941. However, these systems were only "high definition" when compared to earlier systems.
All used interlacing and a 4:3 aspect ratio.
