Digital Revolution

The term digital revolution refers to the shift of media content, hardware, and platforms from analog to digital formats. Digitally encoded data can be compressed, which reduces the bandwidth required to send information in comparison to analog methods. In addition, digital content can be divided into small packets that are reassembled after transmission, which means a single information channel can be used to transmit multiple information streams, a capability that greatly improves the efficiency of data transmission.

Digital data are increasingly universal. While an analog radio could not properly receive and render analog (e.g., ultrahigh frequency and very high frequency) television signals, digital content can potentially be accessed by a variety of digital devices. The flexibility and interoperability of digital forms have enabled both technological and ...