Digital is better than analog, right?
Not always. Digital audio CDs are superior to audio cassettes and 8-track tapes, and digital video DVDs are superior VHS videotapes. However, the analog film shown in a movie theater is superior to DVD, and the analog studio master tape is better than an audio CD. The sounds that an Apple II makes are generated digitally, but you wouldn’t want to play your CDs that way. Some formats are better than others. The low-cost consumer digital formats are generally superior to low-cost consumer analog formats (except perhaps for 35mm film, though that’s changing). This does not mean that “digital” is better than “analog”, though many people have that impression because the consumer electronics companies are marketing products that way. Digital has some advantages over analog. The most significant is the ability to apply various algorithms to reproduce the original digital signal.
Not always. Digital audio CDs are superior to audio cassettes and 8-track tapes, and digital video DVDs are superior VHS videotapes. However, the analog film shown in a movie theater is superior to DVD, and the analog studio master tape is better than an audio CD. The sounds that an Apple II makes are generated digitally, but you wouldn’t want to play your CDs that way. Some formats are better than others. The low-cost consumer digital formats are generally superior to low-cost consumer analog formats (except perhaps for 35mm film, though that’s changing). This does not mean that “digital” is better than “analog”, though many people have that impression because the consumer electronics companies are marketing products that way. Digital has some advantages over analog. The most significant is the ability to apply various algorithms to reproduce the original digital signal. With most forms of analog transmission, reconstructing the original signal without noise and distortions is difficu
(2002/12/30) Not always. Digital audio CDs are superior to audio cassettes and 8-track tapes, and digital video DVDs are superior VHS videotapes. However, the analog film shown in a movie theater is superior to DVD, and the analog studio master tape is better than an audio CD. The sounds that an Apple II makes are generated digitally, but you wouldn’t want to play your CDs that way. Some formats are better than others. The low-cost consumer digital formats are generally superior to low-cost consumer analog formats (except perhaps for 35mm film, though that’s changing). This does not mean that “digital” is better than “analog”, though many people have that impression because the consumer electronics companies are marketing products that way. Digital has some advantages over analog. The most significant is the ability to apply various algorithms to reproduce the original digital signal. With most forms of analog transmission, reconstructing the original signal without noise and distortio
Well, not exactly. Digital is better when you consider high end digital formats such as Digital Betacam, HD Cam, or MPEG-IMX. However, when you consider low end digital formats such as Mini-DV, DV Cam, or even DVC Pro, this is not the case. Low end digital formats have several inherent flaws. First, they use a compression ratio of 5 to 1 (5:1), meaning that the image information and detail is compressed to 1/5th it’s original bandwidth, thus reducing the picture’s chrominance and luminance (color and brightness) information and ultimately reducing the overall picture quality. Betacam SP on the other hand, is UNCOMPRESSED (1:1), achieving full chrominance and luminance bandwidth. High end digital formats use a mild compression ratio that is almost imperceptible. The low end formats also sample color information in a 4:1:1environment. This means that the chrominance (color) bandwidth is sampled at 1/4 of the luminance (brightness) bandwidth. Luminance is sampled at 13.5 MHz, while the ch
