Television Converter Switching Local SD and Non-Local HD Feeds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Viewers who watch high definition television content from non-local programming distributors miss local advertisements and news, as high definition content is typically only supplied by large markets or national distributors, leaving them to choose between higher quality non-local content or standard definition local content.
Innovation Solution
A television converter device automatically switches between displaying local standard definition content and non-local high definition content, preferring high definition when available, and replacing high definition with standard definition local content when necessary, using a national feed and local feed comparison to determine when to switch.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If viewers watch high definition television content from non-local programming distributors, then image quality is improved, but local advertising and news are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The television signal is segmented into two separate streams: a high definition national feed and a standard definition local feed. The system processes these feeds separately and selectively combines them, allowing the high definition video portion to be displayed while the audio portion is replaced with local content from the standard definition feed.
Solution Approach 2:
The television converter acts as an intermediary device that receives both national and local feeds, separates their components, and recombines them. It extracts the video signal from the high definition national feed and the audio signal from the standard definition local feed, then combines them into a single output signal that provides both high quality video and local content.
2Loss of information
If viewers select standard definition local television content, then local advertising and news are received, but image quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the television broadcast into separate video and audio components from different sources. The video component comes from the high definition national feed while the audio component comes from the standard definition local feed, allowing each to be optimized independently.
Solution Approach 2:
Different quality levels are applied to different components of the television signal. The video portion receives high definition quality from the national feed, while the audio portion receives standard definition quality from the local feed, with each component optimized for its specific source.
3Loss of energy
If high definition content is provided only by large market or national distributors, then bandwidth requirements are reduced for local distributors, but adaptability for local content delivery is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The television converter device performs multiple functions: it receives and processes both high definition and standard definition feeds, separates video and audio signals, switches between different signal sources, and combines signals into a unified output. This multi-functionality allows a single device to handle both national and local content delivery requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between different signal sources and components based on what is being displayed. The audio portion is dynamically replaced with local content when local programming is detected in the standard definition feed, while the video portion maintains high definition quality from the national feed.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus are disclosed that automatically switch between displaying local standard definition television content and non-local, high definition television content. When the same television content is available for display in both standard and high definition formats, the television converter device preferentially displays the high definition format.