DIGITAL HDTV COMPRESSION TECHNIQUES FOR TERRESTRIAL BROADCASTING

The latest digital signal processing and very large-scale integration (VLSI) developments have contributed significantly to the rapid emergence of digital image compression techniques in high-definition television (HDTV) applications. Significant progress has been occurring in the development of advanced television techniques for terrestrial broadcasting. Currently, the most promising advanced television systems in the U.S. are exploring the possibility of a digital signal fitting into a 6-MHz terrestrial broadcasting channel. One of the challenges of designing a digital system is to compress an HDTV source so as to transmit it in a 6-MHz television channel. The fundamental goal of digital HDTV compression is to reduce the bit rate while maintaining acceptable image quality. Numerous bandwidth-compression techniques have been developed in response to the growth of image-processing methods. This article will review these techniques and discuss how they are employed in the proposed digital HDTV terrestrial broadcasting systems.