Legacy Television in an HDTV Environment
John A. Eldon · 1998
Although it probably will not improve program quality, the high-definition digital television revolution promises impressive image and sound quality for those willing to invest in new software and hardware. However, with one or more conventional (legacy) television sets and VCRs and dozens of videotapes in almost every household the new technology will have to coexist with the old for at least a decade. This coexistence will demand low-cost hardware that can translate between analog legacy and digital high-definition formats. This paper reviews the major technical challenges offormat conversion. High-quality off-the-shelf hardware solutions are already available and naturally will improve over time.