Digital Switchover

Evolve is the temporary exhibition space which addresses significant current issues and events involving television. Exhibitions in this space are renewed approximately every 12 months. The space is located in the centre of Experience TV, the Museum’s permanent TV gallery.

The current exhibition, sponsored by Pace Micro Technology plc, illustrates how the digital switchover is a critical part of the UK’s long-term strategy to make the most efficient use of available bandwidth in the radio spectrum. Fundamental to this transition is the fact that several digital TV channels can fit into the space previously occupied by one analogue TV channel. More space is needed for terrestrial HDTV, mobile TV, and other innovative services which are either on the horizon, or already here and “waiting in line” for spectrum.

Analogue Television

The first ‘mechanical’ television systems were low definition, and therefore had relatively few picture elements, or ‘pixels’. The narrow bandwidth requirements of these simple pictures enabled the signals to be transmitted over long range frequencies. The signals could also fit through standard telephone lines. Early television pictures could be sent over great distances, decades before the era of communications satellites.

Photograph Courtesy:
AT&T Archives.

DVB-H Phone

New space on the spectrum opens the doors to new technologies. One of these is called Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H), which is a digital broadcast standard being considered for a new system of mobile TV channels

Technological Sponsor

Pace Micro
A special thanks to our Technology Sponsor Pace Micro Technology plc. More details about Pace can be found on their website. www.pacemicro.com.

Youth Media TV

Downloadable Resources