| Today's modern car DVD players are versatile | | | | example) can be handled by a device. ISDB is versatile |
| machines. Not only do many come with a wide array | | | | and comes in a wide variety of signal modulations |
| of features (GPS navigation, the ability to receive | | | | (which have to do with the frequency the signal is |
| analog TV signals, several different kinds of audio file | | | | beamed at). |
| decoding capabilities etc.) but they also can be used in | | | | At any rate, several other countries besides Japan |
| many parts of the world, each with its own method of | | | | now make use of ISDB standards, including the |
| sending and receiving digital broadcast signals. | | | | Philippines and a number of nations in Central and |
| Answering the question "Car DVD player mysteries: | | | | South America (Brazil, El Salvador, Peru, Chile, |
| What is ISDB-T?" might be something worth looking at | | | | Argentina and Venezuela are just a few). |
| when trying to figure out how a car DVD player | | | | The types of devices that can make use of ISDB-T |
| works. | | | | tuners to take in these digital signals is varied, and one |
| For starters, every car DVD player works to handle | | | | might see it on devices like car DVD players, cellular |
| incoming broadcast signals for radio, television or other | | | | phones that can take in digital broadcast signals and |
| information in certain ways. One of the things the | | | | also laptop computers that can do the same thing. |
| player has to do is make sense of the digital | | | | Around the world, standards for digital broadcast vary |
| broadcast signal standard in use in the country in which | | | | as well, with some countries falling under what's called |
| the player is being used. There are several different | | | | ATSC (new to North America, it replaced the older |
| classes of signal around the world and ISDB | | | | NTSC standard in mid-2009 and is projected to |
| ("Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting") is one of | | | | completely take over in Mexico by 2021 and Canada |
| them. | | | | by 2011) and others falling under DVB-T, to name just |
| This particular way of sending and receiving digital | | | | a couple examples. |
| signals (analog broadcast signals for TV and radio are | | | | Today's modern devices must be versatile enough to |
| quickly going away in terms of popularity and usage) is | | | | be sold anywhere, of course, and may feature two or |
| a Japanese-developed standard for how digital | | | | more such tuners in order to be able to be sold widely. |
| television and digital radio stations send and receive | | | | It's also easy enough to find out about just what |
| those signals. | | | | standard your country is making use of by going online |
| It is also a replacement for what was called "MUSE," | | | | or by looking at the devices sold in your country, all of |
| or "high-vision" analog high-definition TV (HDTV). With | | | | which will say just what broadcast standards they're |
| digital signals, much more information can be delivered | | | | capable of handling. Anybody considering purchasing a |
| much more efficiently than with older-standard analog | | | | car DVD player should take comfort in knowing that |
| signals, by the way. | | | | most devices today will be able to handle a number of |
| Basically, ISDB-T is a way to efficiently compress | | | | different signals, both efficiently and with a great deal |
| digital audio and video signals such that a wide variety | | | | of ease. |
| of formats (MPEG-2, JPEG and MPEG-4, for | | | | |