The power of television

Just a couple of weeks ago, I was glued to my television screen watching Superstorm Sandy batter the East Coast of the United States. I just changed the channel and the screen displayed a live rugby match from Twickenham in the UK. I clicked the remote again and watched a couple of minutes from a local teledrama. Then I watched the news from Australia Network. In just a few minutes, I had gone around the world, without even leaving my cozy armchair thanks to the power of television to connect us all regardless of our geographical location.

Television plays such a central role in our lives that the UN has designated a World Television Day (November 21). According to the UN, in recognition of the increasing impact television has on decision-making by bringing world attention to conflicts and threats to peace and security and its potential role in sharpening the focus on other major issues, including economic and social issues, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed November 21 as World Television Day.

The World Television Day is not so much a celebration of the tool, but rather the philosophy which it represents. Television represents a symbol for communication and globalisation in the contemporary world.

It is a medium of expression that we cannot live without. For most people, television has become the prime source of news and entertainment - including infotainment and edutainment, two new terms used to describe the value of television as an information and education tool. After a hard day’s work, TV helps us to catch up with the day’s news and relax with a musical program or teledrama.

And it’s all free once you buy the TV set and the antenna, unless you subscribe to satellite or cable TV.

Television has come a long way since its humble beginnings in the 1920s. Only black and white pictures were possible in the early days but a colour broadcasting system called NTSC was developed in the 1950s in the US. Europe added colour much later, but their systems (PAL and SECAM) were much better.

NICAM digital stereo sound was a later addition. Today, many stations broadcast digital High Definition (HD) pictures and 5.1 surround sound. HD pictures have more than five times the resolution and clarity of normal Standard Definition TV pictures. Three-dimensional broadcasts have also begun in a number of countries.

Testing

Television engineers have not stopped there. They are already developing and testing Super High Resolution TV standards, with 16 times the resolution of HD broadcasts. But so-called 4K resolution (four times the resolution of HD) is likely to take off first. TV sets themselves have changed drastically, with Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) televisions replacing the old Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) sets. OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) sets, which do not need back-lighting and offer superior contrast, will enter the mass market probably within the next two years. Sony is working on a type of display called Crystal LED, which could also be a commercial possibility.

The progress of television was aided by a slew of other technologies such as recording (AMPEX invented magnetic recording tape in 1957), better cameras and of course, communications satellite technology based on a prediction made by futurist science fiction author Arthur C Clarke in 1945. These geosynchronous satellites have made it possible to telecast ‘live’ events from anywhere in the world to all other parts of the world. Be it wars, natural disasters or sports, you have a front row seat to watch it as it happens. Today, satellites are also used to beam programs directly to our homes (Direct To Home satellite broadcasting). We are also no longer bound by the timings of TV stations - Personal Video Recorders (PVR) make it possible to time-shift programs, which we can watch later.

Television is a window to the world, but there is a dark side to it as well. Both adults and young people can get addicted to the so-called ‘idiot box’ and ruin their lives.

There is an inordinately large amount of violence on the small screen from cold-blooded killings to torture. There have been many instances where children have attempted to imitate these depictions, with tragic results. It is thus vital for parents to control their children’s access to television. After all, there are a lot of good programs too on TV, from nature documentaries to classroom lectures. The parents must separate the wheat from the chaff.

Bonds

Television has also become a threat to family bonds too. I know of many families where they do not talk to each other once the TV set is turned on. They even have dinner seated on the sofa, riveted to the action and dialogue on the small screen.

This is not a healthy trend by any means. A family should have a TV-free time to enhance their bonds.

Most families now have another distraction – the computer. The rise of the Internet, or more precisely the World Wide Web (that other nightmare for most parents), can be seen as both a threat and an opportunity for television. Unlike television, the WWW is a totally immersive, interactive experience. It has a lot of on-demand visual content (YouTube, Vimeo etc) and indeed, you can watch thousands of TV stations around the world online in real time.

This is a boon for many TV stations which do not have the resources to operate via satellite. Today, Sri Lankans living abroad can easily tune into local TV and radio stations via the Web.

There are signs that the worlds of TV and Internet are converging rapidly. Cable operators are already using Internet Protocol technology to deliver HD TV channels to our homes and many TVs can now display web content. It should be a healthy marriage of two essential technologies.

Whether we like it or not, television is deeply embedded in our lives. Having grown up with television (introduced to Sri Lanka in 1978), I have seen how it transformed our lives and made us more knowledgeable on a variety of issues. Even with the advent of the WWW, the future is bright for television, which will keep us entertained and informed for years to come.