This paper explores the challenges Broadcasters face when assessing video quality. Many factors affect the video before it gets to the TV: compression, image processing, scaling, decoding, transmission, etc.

Video processing and compression algorithms change the characteristics of the original program in the quest of reducing the bandwidth needed to send the programming information to the home. The art is to do this without allowing the audience to perceive a change in video quality. Successful video processing and compression algorithms perform the desired modifications while presenting a result to the viewer that, subjectively, looks natural and realistic. This sounds difficult, but it is necessary when transmitting many channels of high-quality programming.

Each broadcaster - traditional or web caster - must deal with rapidly changing varieties of programming, new video processing algorithms, and new compression algorithms. Video processing and compression companies continuously invent sophisticated ways to reduce the huge bandwidth requirements to manageable levels. How can broadcasters know if a new algorithm is better than their current choice?

Broadcasters invite the various video processing and compression companies into their R&D facilities, and perform side-by-side tests also known as a "bake-off". Each vendor starts with the same source material, and does their best to reduce the bandwidth while keeping the video quality high.

The broadcaster shows the results to a group of experts and asks them, which one is the best. This is termed subjective video analysis, and it measures the overall perceived video quality. The most commonly used video quality evaluation method is the Mean Opinion Score (MOS), recommended by the ITU. It consists in having several experts viewing a known distorted video sequences in order to rate its quality, according to a predefined quality scale. By doing this the expert viewers are trained to build a mapping between the quality scale and a set of processed video sequences. After the "training" is complete, the subjects are then asked to rate the new video processing algorithms.

Simply stated, the test setup is
* Start with a known video sequence.
* New Video Processing system alters the video sequence.
* Display the original and processed video sequences.
* Bring in experts to subjectively vote.

Complexity arises as
* New Video Processing systems may need new equipment to playback the video sequences.
* The original and processed video sequences should be displayed in random orders.
* Expert viewers are expensive and do not produce repeatable results.

Easier Solution
To streamline the process, equipment for video quality testing needs to be defined, which can capture, play, and analyze any two video sequences. Further, as new input/output modules are continuously under development, the test equipment should use an open-architecture approach to ease upgradeability.

Without a huge amount of money, you can watch up to four sports programs at the same time and do it within a reasonable budget. There are several different ways you can watch multiple sports programs.

One is using several TV's and the correct satellite TV receiver to watch two to four sports channels at the same time. Satellite TV providers have receivers that will do either two TV's or split screen of two channels on the same TV. Using this kind of satellite receiver, you can use a big screen TV to do side-by-side split screen or use multiple smaller TV's to watch different receiver channels at the same time.

So, if you really want to be "The Sports Authority" and get all the sports events that you can handle, then going with satellite and multiple TV images is really the way to go. The two main things to look at are the TV's and satellite TV receiver being used. Dish network provides several options including a high-definition DVR system that allows you to do split-screen automatically from the unit itself. This means using your existing TV, you can watch different sports events right on the screen at the same time.

Broadcasting minister Shaun Woodward said: "We've been fully engaged with preparing Whitehaven for a long time and it will - I underline that - be a success. Nobody in Whitehaven will be left behind because it is critical everybody understands it is happening."

However, concerns have been raised as only 27% of households in the affected area, almost 7,000 homes, have yet to switch to digital. This is largely because Whitehaven cannot yet receive Freeview and so satellite has been the only option for residents.

There have also been concerns that many people, particularly pensioners, do not know enough about the Digital TV switchover and that more needs to be done for them. Age Concern's director general Gordon Lishman said: "We will continue to champion the need for additional support for all older people who need it, not just the over 75s, and for a range of technology to be made available through the scheme. Measures must also be put in place so that vulnerable people are not exploited by rogue traders during the switchover."