Digital Television: Options and Decisions in Latin America

Abstract

The existence of four technological standards for the development of digital television means different options for cultural development in each country. In Latin America, the processes for choosing the model for digital television have been conditioned by corporate and government interests. In some nations there has been information and deliberation about the available technological options. In others, the determination has been left up to governments. In any case, it is not a merely technical decision. The high definition that the U.S. model proposes only takes the quality of the image into account. The European model entails more television channels.