Why is it happening?
In our audio visual industry, we most often deal with analogue or digital audio and video (collectively called media) and similar reasons apply for both.
The need for a transition from analogue to digital is driven largely by the fact that changes (even small changes) to an analogue signal represent a distortion of that signal.
With a digital signal small changes (even fairly significant changes) in the signal are much less serious, because the original signal can be reconstructed (called regeneration), as long as not too much change has taken place. This fact alone is very important as analogue and digital signal types are continually changed by many factors.
A second vitally important reason is that once a signal has been converted into a digital signal, digital techniques make it possible to manipulate that signal to achieve advantages not possible with an analogue signal (for example, it can be compressed with or without loss of information; it can also be encrypted).
The third reason is the need to encrypt the video and audio. Analogue media (such as movies) can easily be copied. Once converted to digital, it is possible to prevent the media from being copied (through encryption the data is essentially locked).
A fourth factor that drives the transition to digital is the presence of ubiquitous digital networks around the world, which can be used to transport digital media. We use these digital networks regularly to gain access to audio and video (for example, when browsing the Internet). This would be impossible if this media were not first converted from analogue to digital.
Finally, almost all high definition (HD) video content is only available digitally (except for some very rare HD analogue video content). Keeping the entire signal path from the source to the display digital, will best take advantage of this HD video content. HD video (copy protected or not) is a big driver for the transition to digital systems. There are many more compelling reasons for the world to make a transition from the use of analogue media to digital media; these benefits vary in the many arenas where it is used.
To what extent will it happen?
Analogue signals will never disappear (we live in an analogue world), but the devices that we use on a daily basis are (more and more) becoming digital.
The picture and audio connections out of devices will become more digital over time (the intention of many manufacturers regarding this is clearly stated; a trend towards digital only connectivity). For example, laptop computers will have less analogue connectivity, driven by the same reasons as given above.
Media players (such as BLU Ray players) will have reduced analogue connectivity for the same reasons, but mostly for the need to protect media from being copied. There are global controls driven by an “Advanced Access Content System (AACS) license agreement’, resulting in something called the “analogue sunset’, which is expected to disable (or reduce the quality of) the analogue outputs on devices that are able to play back media governed by this license.
However, analogue connectivity will probably not disappear completely.
In many cases, at least for reasons of copy protection, the behaviour of the analogue connections on devices will change. For example, on a laptop the images that are not copy protected will continue to behave normally at the analogue outputs, but content that is protected will likely not be available at the analogue outputs on the laptop. But copy protection is not the only reason for the transition to digital but copy protection will bring some challenges. Try and explain to a user why his analogue system works fine most of the time, but not some of the time!
What to do
Besides copy protection, the combination of all the reasons for the transition makes it hugely advantageous for users to embrace systems that are digital, starting now!
Get to know the advantages of digital in the applications that you offer. Inform your customers about the challenges that will result from not embracing the transition, and the advantages for adopting it (there are some very compelling business reasons in some applications). Offer your customers two solutions, an analogue one (typically significantly less expensive nowadays), and a digital one and explain the difference! Make the argument(s) a standard part of your business proposals.
By Wynand Langenhoven
ProSystems magazine – 3rd Quarter 2012
