Digital Signal Distribution in a Combined Digital/Analog Environment

Michael Connell

The requirement for television signal distribution and routing has grown considerably. The industry started with simple patch panels for interconnecting all forms of television signals. This progressed to individual electronic routing systems. One system was used for video, one for audio, and occasionally one for machine control. Eventually all systems started to merge into a single system with common control. With the advent of component, digital, and computer technologies many more forms of signals were introduced into the broadcast, production, and post-production environments. The types of signals used today are component and composite video in both analog and digital form. This video may exist in many different formats, such as NTSC or PAL, with other advanced or high-definition formats coming in the near future. Audio signals as well are in both the analog and digital domains. The requirements for audio and video routing and distribution seem to follow the same principles, but a new form of signal in a television facility is computer data and control interconnect. This form of data can have totally different requirements and is likely to be the one that will see some of the fastest growth in the near future.

Print ISSN
Published
1994-05
Content type
Original Research
DOI
10.5594/J02125