The picture that you currently receive on your television set is based on an analog transmission system that is 50 years old. Although the development of this analog system was, at that time, a technological breakthrough, the quality of the picture is no longer acceptable by today's standards. The reason is that the analog signal can be easily distorted as it travels over the air from the television station to the home.
Television is about to change from analog to digital broadcasting.
Digital technology will give broadcasters the capability to use leftover bandwidth to transmit video, audio, text or data directly to computers, fax machines or the television set itself over the air.