Television in Britain is undergoing its biggest change since its invention more than half a century ago - bigger even than the introduction of colour pictures in the 1960s and the arrival of multichannel satellite TV in the late 1980s.
The familiar box in the corner of the room is changing utterly.
The new generation of digital televisions use the same technology as computers - anything a PC can do a digital TV can do as well (and in some cases better).
No longer an example of a passive "lean back" technology - enjoyed with minimum effort and engagement while slumped on the couch - the digital TV is an active "lean forward" device, designed for interaction and involvement.
Digital TVs invite you to play games, to seek out on-screen information and entertainment and to part with your money in ways old-style broadcasters never even dreamed of.
But no one knows how long this digital revolution will take to sweep away the old analogue television world, or how profound its impact will be on our viewing habits, our pockets and the broadcasting industry.
Global media companies and governments alike are fumbling in the dark, while huge sums are invested in a technology whose appeal to viewers and consumers remains unproven.
More than a third of British homes now have digital TVs, or set-top boxes which convert digital signals into something a conventional TV can make sense of.
Of these, 5.7 million subscribe to the service delivered via satellite by Sky TV, controlled by Rupert Murdoch, whose other UK interests include the Times and Sunday Times, Sun and News of the World.
The familiar box in the corner of the room is changing utterly.
The new generation of digital televisions use the same technology as computers - anything a PC can do a digital TV can do as well (and in some cases better).
No longer an example of a passive "lean back" technology - enjoyed with minimum effort and engagement while slumped on the couch - the digital TV is an active "lean forward" device, designed for interaction and involvement.
Digital TVs invite you to play games, to seek out on-screen information and entertainment and to part with your money in ways old-style broadcasters never even dreamed of.
But no one knows how long this digital revolution will take to sweep away the old analogue television world, or how profound its impact will be on our viewing habits, our pockets and the broadcasting industry.
Global media companies and governments alike are fumbling in the dark, while huge sums are invested in a technology whose appeal to viewers and consumers remains unproven.
More than a third of British homes now have digital TVs, or set-top boxes which convert digital signals into something a conventional TV can make sense of.
Of these, 5.7 million subscribe to the service delivered via satellite by Sky TV, controlled by Rupert Murdoch, whose other UK interests include the Times and Sunday Times, Sun and News of the World.
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