Deadline #16, Argument Rough Draft

Keep Analog Alive
New laws are forcing Americans to change the way they watch television, talk on the phone, and listen to music. Citizens are being bombarded with the message that the new digital technology is better than the old analog technology. In February of 2009, analog television broadcasts will be completely replaced by digital broadcasts on the airwaves, freeing 60MHz of wave-space to be auctioned to wireless mobile carriers (HDTV Info Port). Although digital technology has its benefits, it is not a good substitute for analog in all situations. Analog technology must remain a viable tool for television, telephone, and sound recording uses, even as digital technology increases.

The original tools for transmitting video and sound were analog based. Analog technology refers to the changing of video or audio signal into electronic pulses. It is time-tested and inexpensive to use. Because of a long history of availability, analog equipment such as television sets, telephones, and some recording devices are low-cost as well. Television has been broadcasting analog video and audio signals since its very beginning. The warm, realistic pictures and sounds that come across airwaves into our homes can be attributed to analog broadcasting. Analog telephone lines provide American homes with the means to hear loved ones across the country, or even across the world, as if they were standing nearby. Because of the rich, warm tones of analog, it is the preferred medium for transmitting the human voice. Even professional recording studios equipped with digital technology still depend on the use of analog tape in order to produce the highest quality sound recordings.
In the 1980s, digital mediums for video and sound transmission began growing in availability and popularity. Digital technology can transmit more data than analog, and involves the use of binary code. This means the signal is divided into a sequence of 1s and 0s, broken down, and reassembled into the original signal by the digital apparatus. Due to the relatively new admission of digital tools into the world of technology, they are usually expensive. Digital television, also known as Standard Definition Television (SDTV), and not to be confused with the analog and digital capable High Definition Television (HDTV), provides a reliable signal with picture clarity (Cringely). However, the picture and sound are not as rich or realistic. Digital telephone lines are also available but used mostly in large corporations that require multiple lines and capabilities, not in the average smaller office, store, or home. If connected directly to a digital line, an analog device generally will not perform properly. The internal circuitry of an appliance may even be destroyed even though digital lines carry a lower voltage than analog lines (Wotel, par. 11). Benefits of digital telephone technology would include less distortion and eavesdropping on cordless phones and the capability of more people to talk on their cell phones at one time (Wotel, pars. 14 and 17). An aesthetic problem with digital phones is that it can make the voice being transmitted sound unrealistic or mechanical. In the audio recording realm, digital technology can be an asset as far as mass production, editing, and artificial enhancement are concerned. Nevertheless, there are extreme drawbacks to using exclusively digital gear for producing sound recordings. Besides the often obvious cut off of sound at the beginning of the initial note on a compact disc, the warm, realistic quality of a performance is not captured. For this reason, most professional recording studios rely heavily on analog tape for mastering recordings.
Changes are on the horizon for video and audio transmission. Although cable television companies may choose to supply either analog or digital television, the standard networks will be required by law to transmit only digital broadcasts as of February 2009. At the expense of tax payers, the U.S. government will provide each household with two vouchers towards the purchase of set-top digital to analog converter boxes. For those who choose to keep their analog televisions, the use of set-top-boxes along with an antenna will be necessary. The wave-space no longer used by analog television broadcasters will soon be filled with cell phone communication. A small portion of the airwaves will be allotted to emergency services, but the majority will be used by mobile phone companies. One argument for the use of digital technology in the sound recording industry is it does not require the use of tape, therefore does not contribute to the use of animal based products such as gelatin. This argument falls short though, as vegetable based gelatin is a feasible alternative. Those working in the recording industry are not likely to relinquish the use of analog recording anytime soon because of its superior sound quality. Instead, audiophiles are finding ways to use the two technologies together to enhance the enjoyment of sound recordings.
We have been served well for decades by analog technology. The newer digital technology is a promising means of transmitting video and audio. Each technology has its strengths and weaknesses. Newer is not always better. On the contrary, analog technology delivers superior sound quality and often a richer, more realistic picture than digital technology delivers, despite the clarity of digital transmissions. Analog technology needs to continue to be available because of the benefits it provides its users.