The home electronics market has levelled off, with none of the major manufacturers seeing much growth. For that reason they are all harboring great expectations of BS digital television, a product whose future looks bright, and competition for share in the digital market is hotting up. The history of television in Japan is inextricably linked to coverage of big events. Likewise, the Tokyo Olympics of 1964 caused color television sales to skyrocket. BS digital broadcasts are a step up from the analog BS broadcasts that have been around since 1989.
Digital broadcasting entails converting pictures and sounds into digital signals for transmission.
Digital transmissions represent a considerable advance in picture and sound quality from analog ones, allowing viewers to enjoy interference-free reception even in cars. Large amounts of data, for example text or diagrams, can be transmitted alongside the pictures and sound, giving viewers access to news and weather reports, program guides, and ticket-reservation services. Digital TV also enables viewers to interact with programs by, for example, casting votes in polls or answering quiz questions. On June 24 digital broadcasters began daily experimental transmissions, lasting from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends, with the aim of allowing home electronics manufacturers to check that their digital TV receivers functioned correctly. People who own digital televisions or sets with special tuners can watch the programs broadcast during these test periods.