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2.
INTRODUCTION: THE BASICS
About Digital Channels
Currently, all broadcasters have an analog TV channel and a digital TV channel.
The digital bandwidth has the capability of accommodating more than one
program stream because each broadcaster’s assigned digital channel carries a
19.39-megabit-per-second (Mbps) digital data stream. This allows the
broadcaster the option of broadcasting a single program or dividing the digital
data stream into multiple programming streams. These streams include the
“major” channel specific to a broadcasting station, as well as any additional
programming streams on the bandwidth, which are referred to as “minor
channels” or “sub-channels,” each broadcasting a different program. As a result,
the numbering system for digital channels is different than that of traditional
analog TV.
Here’s how it works:
• The number in parentheses to the right is the actual physical channel
number of the transmitter used to broadcast the network programming in
your region
• Each physical channel is mapped to one or more digital channel numbers,
known as “virtual channels,” and represented by a number, followed by a
dot and then another number; for example, 7.1, 7.2, etc. (the old analog
channel is always referenced to minor channel “0”, as in 7.0, while 7.1
would represent the new digital television channel)
—The first number is the major channel used for all channels of a
particular broadcasting station
—The number following the dot is the minor channel number assigned to
each broadcaster’s additional programming streams; digital television
stations may have only one virtual channel, or as many as six
Digital Virtual Channel Number Physical Channel Number
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