3D Television
A 3D television (3DTV) is a television set that employs techniques of 3D presentation, such as stereoscopic capture, multi-view capture, or 2D-plus-depth, and a 3D display – a special viewing device to project a television program into a realistic three-dimensional field.
There are several techniques to produce and display 3D moving pictures. The basic requirement is to display offset images that are filtered separately to the left and right eye. Two strategies have been used to accomplish this: have the viewer wear eyeglasses to filter the separately offset images to each eye, or have the light source split the images directionally into the viewer's eyes (no glasses required). Common 3D display technology for projecting stereoscopic image pairs to the viewer include:
With lenses:
· Anaglyphic 3D (with passive red-cyan lenses)
· Polarization 3D (with passive polarized lenses)
· Alternate-frame sequencing (with active shutter lenses)
· Head-mounted display (with a separate display positioned in front of each eye, and lenses used primarily to relax eye focus)
Without lenses: Autostereoscopic displays, sometimes referred to commercially as Auto 3D.
See the link below for a video explanation;
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/3d-tv.htm
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an external set-top box or a satellite tuner module built into a TV set. Satellite TV tuners are also available as a card or a USB stick to be attached to a personal computer. In many areas of the world satellite television provides a wide range of channels and services, often to areas that are not serviced by terrestrial or cable providers.
Direct-broadcast satellite television comes to the general public in two distinct flavors - analog and digital. This necessitates either having an analog satellite receiver or a digital satellite receiver. Analog satellite television is being replaced by digital satellite television and the latter is becoming available in a better quality known as high-definition television.
See the link below for a video explanation;
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/satellite-tv.htm
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional broadcast television (via radio waves) in which a television antenna is required. FM radio programming, high-speed Internet, telephony, and similar non-television services may also be provided. The major difference is the change of radio frequency signals used and optical connections to the subscriber property.
See the link below for a video explanation;http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cable-tv.htm
Analog (or analogue) television is the analog transmission that involves the broadcasting of encoded analog audio and analog video signal one in which the message conveyed by the broadcast signal is a function of deliberate variations in the amplitude and/or frequency of the signal. All broadcast television systems preceding digital transmission of digital television (DTV) were systems utilizing analog signals. Analog television may be wireless or can require copper wire used by cable converters.
Digital television (DTV) is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV. Many countries have replacing broadcast analog television with digital television to allow other uses of the television radio spectrum.
See the link below for a video explanation;http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/tv15.htm
Interactive television
Interactive television (generally known as ITV or sometimes as iTV when used as branding) describes a number of techniques that allow viewers to interact with television content as they view it.
Sky Active is the brand name for interactive features on Sky Digital and is available in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. It enables a viewer to interact with TV content, respond to an advertisement or access internet-based services.
It can be accessed by pressing the red button on a Sky Digital remote, while watching any Sky Digital Channel. Alternatively, there is an entry in the "Interactive" area of the EPG.
High Definition Television
High-definition television (HDTV) is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems (standard-definition television). HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD (1280 x 720 = 921,600 for 720p, or 1920 x 1080 = 2,073,600 for 1080p). Early HDTV broadcasting used analog techniques, but today HDTV is digitally broadcast using video compression.
See the link below for a video explanation and more details;http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/hdtv.htm
Streaming Media and Internet Television/on-demand viewing
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather than to the medium itself. The distinction is usually applied to media that are distributed over telecommunications networks, as most other delivery systems are either inherently streaming (e.g., radio, television) or inherently non-streaming (e.g., books, video cassettes, audio CDs). The verb 'to stream' is also derived from this term, meaning to deliver media in this manner. Internet television is a commonly streamed medium.
Live streaming, delivering live over the Internet, involves a camera for the media, an encoder to digitize the content, a media publisher, and a content delivery network to distribute and deliver the content.
Internet television (otherwise known as Internet TV, or Online TV) is the digital distribution of television content via the Internet. It should not be confused with Web television - short programs or videos created by a wide variety of companies and individuals, or Internet protocol television (IPTV) - an emerging internet technology standard for use by television broadcasters. Some Internet television is known as catch-up TV. Internet Television is a general term that covers the delivery of television shows and other video content over the internet, typically by major traditional television broadcasters. It does not describe a technology used to deliver content (see Internet protocol television). Internet television has become very popular through services such as BBC iPlayer, 4oD, ITV Player (also STV Player and UTV Player) and Demand Five in the United Kingdom;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/
Digital Recorders
Digital TV recorders are similair to video recorders in that you can record television programmes to watch at a later date. Some other benefits of the new digital tv recorders are as follows;
- Pause and rewind live tv
- Recording a complete series in one touch
- Viewing electronic program guides.
http://tivo.virginmedia.com/discover
Pay Per View
Pay-per-view (PPV) provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it (as opposed to video-on-demand systems, which allow viewers to see recorded broadcasts at any time). Events can be purchased using an on-screen guide, an automated telephone system, or through a live customer service representative. Events often include feature films, sporting events and entertainment.
Sky in the UK have the channel SkyBoxOffice for their pay per view options.
Film Based
CGI
Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media. The visual scenes may be either dynamic or static.
The term computer animation refers to dynamic CGI rendered as a movie. The term virtual world refers to agent-based, interactive environments.
3D computer graphics software is used to make computer-generated imagery for movies, etc. Recent availability of CGI software and increased computer speeds have allowed individual artists and small companies to produce professional-grade films, games, and fine art from their home computers. This has brought about an Internet subculture with its own set of global celebrities, clichés, and technical vocabulary.
An interesting article on CGI can be found here;
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-is-cgi-animation.html
