TABLE OF CONTENTS The world s first digital electronic computer was built using 18,000 vacuum tubes. It occupied an entire room, required 140 kW of ac power, weighed 50 tons, and cost about $1 million. Today, an entire computer can be built within a single piece of silicon about the size of a child s fingernail. And you can buy one at the local parts house for less than $10.
Within our lifetime, the progress of technology has produced dramatic changes in our lives and respective industries. Impressive as the current generation of computer-based video equipment is, we have seen only the beginning. New technologies promise to radically alter the communications business as we know it. Video imaging is a key element in this revolution.
The video equipment industry is dynamic, as technical advancements are driven by an ever-increasing professional and customer demand. Two areas of intense interest include high-resolution computer graphics and high-definition television. In fact, the two have become tightly intertwined.
Consumers worldwide have demonstrated an insatiable appetite for new electronic tools. The personal computer has redefined the office environment, and HDTV promises to redefine home entertainment. Furthermore, the needs of industry and national defense for innovation in video capture, storage, and display system design have grown enormously. Technical advances are absorbed as quickly as they roll off the production lines.
This increasing pace of development represents a significant challenge to standardizing organizations around the world. Nearly every element of...
