Talk:High-definition television

Unification Aspects:

High-definition television (HDTV) is a digital television broadcasting system with higher resolution than traditional television systems (standard-definition TV, or SDTV). HDTV is digitally broadcast because digital television (DTV) requires less bandwidth if sufficient video compression is used.

From a Unification perspective, the following points can be made:

• HDTV is a refinement of TV technology. The development of HDTV is a good example of human intelligence, creativity, and ingenuity, and the inner desire to improve on and perfect whatever has already been achieved. These attributes are connected to our spiritual dimension and set us apart from all other known species.

• The above attributes enable us to fulfill God's "Third Great Blessing" to humanity, namely, to harmonize with and establish dominion of true love over the created world.

• TV technology has brought the world closer together. We can now see how people in distant parts of the world spend their daily lives, we can learn about their cultures and their hopes, dreams, and aspirations. Also, we can see some of their problems and difficulties, and we can see history as it is being created. Also, formal education can be conveyed through TV programming. In this manner, TV can be a force for goodness and an instrument toward bringing humanity together as one global family.

• On the other hand, current TV programming is geared heavily toward entertainment, much of which is filled with violence, vulgarities, and disrespect for the human body and spirit. Anger, hatred, and extreme self-indulgence are conveyed as "normal," and beauty and goodness are usually superficially portrayed. In addition, it engages its viewers in a fictitious understanding of the world, where the consequences of unwise choices and risky behavior are often downplayed, if shown at all. In this manner, TV programming often promotes false values and false expectations, especially among young people who are not mature enough to recognize the deceptions.

• We, however, have a choice. It remains our responsibility to choose carefully and wisely what we watch on TV, and to guide our children about which values to choose.

Unification Aspects is designed to relate the subject of this article to Unification Thought and to aid
teachers and researchers who wish to further pursue these topics from a unification perspective.