Friday, November 28, 2008

Comcast Contributes To Better Cable TV Technology

By Rachel Smith

People have always enjoyed sitting down in front of the TV as a way to relax and socialize. In many ways TV programming has become the universal language of our culture in the sense that it gives people who would otherwise be complete strangers something to talk about. This common ground is a basic requirement for a cohesive culture.

There are a lot of different companies that offer access to the TV programming that forms the foundation of our culture, and Comcast is one of them. Comcast has taken steps to bring cable TV into the twenty first century by integrating state of the art technology into the process its service.

The primary upgrade that Comcast has made to cable TV is by using digital TV technology to broadcast all of its programming. Digital TV essentially turns TV programming into stream of data that can be interpreted by computer equipment (the digital receiver) and turned back into the sound and picture that make up the TV programming. While this may sound like a round about way to deliver TV programming, it has a number of advantages. For example, because computer equipment process the signal, it can use sophisticated software to clean interference out of the signal. Without interference, the TV set can display the clearest picture possible and the speakers can deliver the highest quality sound possible.

Another type of technology that Comcast takes advantage of is HDTV. High Definition Television- which is the official name of this format- is rapidly growing in popularity and number of channels devoted to offering the service. HDTV was originally created as a way to get the most out of movies while watching them at home and as such, it features a wide screen aspect ratio, high resolution picture, and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. HDTV is kind of like Digital TV, but taken to the next level.

Comcast also provides a lot of different options for how you can watch TV. The most basic example is the inclusion of an on screen program guide that allows you to see what's on and when it's on. The on screen program guide eliminates the need to channel surf. You'll also be able to subscribe to the channels that you want without worrying about whether or not they'll expose your kids to inappropriate material because Comcast provides parental control software to limit what kinds of programming your kids are exposed to.

A Digital Video Recorder, or DVR, also helps you to take more control over your TV and is also available from Comcast. With a DVR you'll be able to record everything that you want to watch- it doesn't matter when those programs come on- and then watch them when it's convenient for you.

Video on demand is an even more powerful technology that gives you access to entire archives of movies and TV shows. Comcast offers video on demand technology to all of its subscribers through the ON DEMAND pay per view service for movies. If you want even more video on demand content, you can subscribe to Premiums On Demand for unlimited access to content from premium movie channels.

All of these different types of technology, combined with the fact that Comcast provides access to over two hundred and seventy five channels makes it a real resource for people who love TV. - 16003

About the Author: