Digital TV Glossary - D


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Digital TV terms defined on this page:
For a full glossary list click here

DAB

Digital Audio Broadcasting. This is radio’s equivalent to digital TV which can be received via a DAB radio or even via your digital TV, allowing you to listen without interference.
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D-Cab

Digital Cable.
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Decoder

Areas that can receive digital terrestrial TV, or a particular provider’s service.
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Digital box

It unscrambles the digital signal for viewing and is needed to watch digital TV.
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Digital signal

Television images are compressed and then unscrambled for viewing by your set-top box.
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Digital switchover

The process of switching off the old analogue signal as the country moves to digital instead. The switchover starts in 2008 with the Border TV region and ends in 2012 with the last four TV regions of Meridian, London, Tyne Tees, Ulster. See also Switchover.
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D-SAT

Digital Satellite.
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DSL (xDSL)

Digital Subscriber Line. A way of delivering TV over broadband or Video on Demand via a phone line.
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DTG

Digital Television Group. It was formed in 1995 and now has over 100 members. The DTG sets technical standards for all digital platforms.
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DTT

Digital Terrestrial Television. Those channels that customers get on the Freeview platform.
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DTV

Digital Television.
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DVB

Digital Video Broadcasting. A European standard for DTV technology.
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DVD

Digital Versatile Disk. Digital disk commonly used for film/video. Other formats used for home recording include DVD +/-R, DVD +/-RW and DVD-RAMs.
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DVR

Digital Video Recorder. Allows users to record programmes to a hard drive as well as pause and rewind “live” TV.
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