Big changes ahead for job applicants?

[southwesternguy]

What will it mean for tv job hunters after everything goes digital next February? Will VHS officially become obsolete? How will things work in the new, all-digital world?

[vuphinder]

Yes, the law requires that you throw away your VCR and VHS video tapes...anyone caught watching VHS...their house and all it's contents will be burned. Except for digital cameras, digital watches and digital thermometers. And those applying for jobs with a VHS tape, will be ridiculed in public.

[adam & doctor drew]

haven't you seen the future?

[NewsMom]

Let's review:

When TV goes "DIGITAL" by law, that means that the method of transmitting the signal over the air has to conform to the COFDM standard.

Do you believe that job applicants will be BROADCASTING their resume tapes over the air, and that NDs will "tune in" the resume tapes?

No? You think maybe they'll send out a recorded media, whether VHS, Beta, DVD, or other recorded version for playback?

Have we cleared that up?

[southwesternguy]

I'm not as smart as everyone else here. I thought the thread was about asking questions and getting answers. I guess there is such a thing as a stupid question.

I just thought that with everything being digital, and VHS being an analog format, how will an HD broadcast be recorded onto an analog VHS tape.

[Sigonfile]

Save all that old stuff.....your great grandkids will make a mint on ebay.

[WXDUDE]

Just to clarify a common misconception: Digital does not mean HD. You can broadcast a digital signal, but unless you have HD content or the ability to shoot in HD, it's still digital, just not high definition.

There are many quality levels of digital television programming. The most common are:


Standard Definition TV (SDTV) - SDTV is the basic level of quality display and resolution for both analog and digital. Transmission of SDTV may be in either the traditional (4:3) or widescreen (16:9) format.


Enhanced Definition TV (EDTV) - EDTV is a step up from Analog Television. EDTV comes in 480p widescreen (16:9) or traditional (4:3) format and provides better picture quality than SDTV, but not as high as HDTV.


High Definition TV (HDTV) - HDTV in widescreen format (16:9) provides the highest resolution and picture quality of all digital broadcast formats. Combined with digitally enhanced sound technology, HDTV sets new standards for sound and picture quality in television. (Note: HDTV and digital TV are not the same thing -- HDTV is one format of digital TV.)

[overthehill]

Don't you convert digital video to analog when you dub DVcam or DVCPro to Beta SP (or VHS)? You can always "down convert" video...even HD to SD. Sure you lose some quality, but the video is still acceptable for consumer use.

[east coast producer]

Here's the answer to the original poster's question.

No, the digital transition will *not* affect job hunters in either cutting tape at home or sending out VHS resumes.

Viewers at home are ONLY affected by the transition if they receive off-air programming (via antenna) and do not have a recording device that has a digital tuner (or for simply viewing programming, a television with a digital tuner). If that's the case, you buy a $50 converter box (using a $40 government coupon) to convert the digital signal to analog. Antenna -> Converter Box -> VCR -> TV.

If you receive your television from a cable or satellite provider, NOTHING CHANGES. Life goes on just as it did the day before the analog transmissions ended.

[s'news]

Correct. The day will come when few NDs want your tape on VHS. That day won't arrive because of this change.

I have seen the future, by the way. You'll transmit your "audition file" to the ND's inbox via the ThoughtStream format from Java. This will involve the placement of an index finger on each side of your head for approximately 4 to 6 seconds. If you cough during transmission, it'll mess up what you've sent. There'll be further refinements.

[wx or not]

Once we all go digital, all new hires must look like Ananova.:)

[MyracleMan]

Don't you convert digital video to analog when you dub DVcam or DVCPro to Beta SP (or VHS)? You can always "down convert" video...even HD to SD. Sure you lose some quality, but the video is still acceptable for consumer use.

Yes, you do. Since the DVCam or DVCPro shoots on more lines of resolution than BetaSP or VHS, you're still recording the best-quality BetaSP or VHS you can. You don't lose quality like you do copying from BetaSP to BetaSP, or VHS to VHS.

[Vulcan]

The stations will be broadcasting with a digital signal, even if the newsroom is still shooting with Super-VHS. The only difference is that the signal will digitally preserve the integrity of the dropouts on the tape.

Oh, and the new digital teevee law requires all stations to convert to videojournalists.