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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
DTV as it really is!, April 22, 2000
This review is from: Dtv Survival Guide (Hardcover)
The television world is currently being revolutionized by digital television (DTV). This is the biggest change to occur in televisoin in 30 or more years. When television engineers have been asked to describe their feelings on this new technology, it has ranged from 'exhilarating' to 'scary'. A number of good books have been written on DTV, but these have primarly been rehashes of the work of DTV standards comittees. Finally, a common-sense book has been published on this confusing subject-- The DTV Survival Guide by Jim Boston. This book is unique among technical DTV books. First of all, it is both forward- and backwards- looking. It shows you where the technology we have today came from, and why it is often not as 'new' as it seems. This book is also highly readable-- a rarity among technical books. You can actually sit down and read this book from cover to cover and enjoy it! Jim Boston also injects ocasional humor into his writing, something most books of this type totally lack (And could use!). One important concept emphasized in the book is the dispelling of common 'myths' about DTV-- myths that can easily lead you down the wrong path. This book also explores important areas of DTV that are untouched by other books on the subject. These areas include practical facility planning, costing, use of test equipment, choosing passive components, etc. There is also a thorough treatment of allied technologies, such as computer networking, and digital signal processing technology. Technical books are often bogged down with complex math. In this book, the math is presented only where it is important or useful. Last, but not least, the book is lavishly illustrated with pictures of television technlolgy both old and new. All in all, this is a really great book on a subject that can use a great book right now. If you can only own one book on DTV, this is the book to own!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
DTV Survival Guide a Must, May 30, 2000
This review is from: Dtv Survival Guide (Hardcover)
Television technology has not really changed since the 1960's. With the advent of digital television this is no longer the case. The federal government has mandated that all broadcast stations must convert their signals from the current NTSC standard to DTV. This mandate has created a great deal of anxiety and confusion among the broadcast community. The DTV Survival Guide by Jim Boston provides a comprehesive study of this new broadcast technology and how it will effect the television industry. The DTV Survival Guide does an excellent job navigating through this confusing subject matter and explaining the technology in a way that is easy to understand-even if you are not an engineer. The book is a very thorough reference guide that is well organized into chapters that each has numerous subsections, which are described in the Table of Contents. This arrangement allows for easy navigation through the book when using it for reference purposes. What most sets this book apart from a typical reference book is the readability. Unlike most technical guides, a person interested in learning about DTV can actually sit down and read this book like you would read a novel. The chapters flow well and seem to build on the previous sections. The DTV Survival Guide is also loaded with photographs and diagrams that help make sense of this complicated subject matter. Jim Boston does an outstanding job explaining how DTV really works and how it will really effect the broadcast industry. A lot of misinformation or "myths" have developed around what DTV will mean to the TV industry and to the consumer public. The DTV Survival Guide goes through great lengths to dispel this misinformation and let you know the truth about DTV. While it is an exceptional technical resource, the Survival Guide is more then just a technical guide discussing DTV Technology. The book also covers topics related to the budgeting, planning, and implementation of digital television equipment. In addition to covering the topic of DTV, the Survival Guide recognizes that the technology does not exist in a vacuum. There are sections of the book that cover the history of broadcast technology, computer networking and how this technology will impact DTV, and how digital signal processing works. By including these other relevant sections Jim Boston has helped to paint the complete picture of how DTV technology really works. I would highly recommend the DTV Survival Guide for anyone looking for a comprehensive book on the topic of digital television. It would work well as an educational textbook, and it is a must for the reference shelf of any television station.
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