If conceived in this way, television-broadcasting infrastructure is little more than an alternative distribution mechanism. While there is debate about whether or not television resources improve academic ability, there is evidence that video is a difficult medium to comprehend, and television broadcasts can exacerbate this difficulty. Students may therefore experience real difficulty in fully comprehending messages that are intellectually or artistically challenging. Other factors, such as time of viewing, have an impact on educational effects of television. Video resources distributed via terrestrial or satellite television broadcast are subject to several limitations.
Students have no control over the pacing of the broadcast.
Broadcasts tend to be organized in time packages that are much longer than the time an average student is able to concentrate fully on the television screen. Ordinary television sets have low-quality speakers and a limited screen diameter. This limits its use in big and crowded traditional classrooms. Ideally, each learner should have desk space for making notes and should be near a screen. The problem can be solved by putting multiple screens in the room, but the images of other screens seen from the corner of the eye tend to be disturbing.