They are having to build new studios. But once they determine that the new antennae and transmitters work properly, they'll be able to broadcast five standard programs on a single channel and have a ready-made audience. Most of their viewers already have sets that can receive the signal, Kaufhold says. In 1996, US broadcasters and computer makers agreed to use their respective screen technologies in the development of digital displays. As a result, there 18 possible formats, depending on the resolution and the method for scanning a screen.
Screens can vary, too.
Televisions use interlace scanning, where a screen is created line by line, while computers use progressive scanning, in which an entire screen is scanned at once. Engineers already are having to invent the equipment they need to create digital content in different formats. Beyond that, they have to adjust their editing to accommodate different resolutions. Keeping so many balls in the air increases the potential for disaster, Kaufhold says. You just change one variable at a time.