Digital Television Broadcasting in the United States

Some of the significant developments that have occurred in the field of terrestrial transmission and reception, regulatory issues, technical standards, and quality issues are discussed. The majority of primetime broadcast network programming and a significant amount of daytime television in the US is now produced in high definition (HD). MyNetwokTV, a new Fox-owned network, has started in September 2006, carrying a limited number of hours of all-HDTV programming on its digital station channels. ABC, Fox, and MyNetworkTV use the 720p video format for HD content, while the other networks carrying HD programming use 1080i. Many HD shows are produced with 5.1 channel surround sound, providing superior sound quality that matches the enhanced video. The National Association of Broadcasters and Association for Maximum Service Television have funded the development of prototype boxes by Thomson and LG Electronics and they are expected to form the basis for future commercial products.