The future is now

As the leading brands continue to make advances, the future is definitely digital

This is also a field where inventions hailed as ‘revolutionary technology' could become obsolete within a matter of a mere four to six months, or even less.

Yet the digital technology market is one where the consumer exhibits an overwhelming passion to grab hold of a new gadget the moment it hits the market - a product that could be rivalled in features, price, size and looks if one were to wait just a few weeks longer.

"But consumers cannot wait," says S.M. Siraj, Country Manager, Abba Electronics LLC, Dubai. "In fact, if they were to wait, there would be no end to the waiting, as technology is improving and changing with each passing day."

Changing trend

"Digital technology has already set in motion the process of changing the way we view and hear things," says Satish Shenoy, Deputy General Manager, Samsung Division, Eros Group, Dubai.

"The term ‘digital' refers to the way an audio/video signal is processed. Compared to the traditional analogue format, digital signals comprise binary codes.

"The main advantage here is the recording does not degrade over time. As long as the numbers can be read, you will always get exactly the same purity of signal."

The trend away from analogue to digital signals was established quite a few years ago, ushering in the digital revolution. But how has this new technology acted as a catalyst for change in everyday equipments such as the camera or the television?

"In photography, for instance, traditional film is fast being replaced by digital technology," says a company spokesperson at Al-Futtaim Electronics, exclusive distributors of Sanyo digital cameras in the UAE.

"Less than 10 per cent of the cameras in stores today are film-based, and it is believed that in 2006, the market will have only digital cameras."

"Camera technology is evolving at a rapid pace," says Siraj.

"Casio introduced its first digital camera in 1995 which then featured only 250,000 pixels. It had neither an optical zoom nor a digital zoom.

"Some of the main drawbacks of digicams in the earlier years included the bulky size of the camera, the quality of the pictures, high battery consumption and the long duration taken for picture saving."

Ten years on, the camera market has undergone a phenomenal change, he adds.

"People demand compact sizes with maximum features, especially in the ‘prosumer' market. Sleek and slim are the bywords here and with cameras offering up to seven mega pixel resolution, the range of in-built features we now have is almost incredible."

The transition of the camcorder from analogue to digital mode may have been at a pace slightly slower than that of the camera. Yet the market today unveils digital camcorders that record directly onto SD memory cards, doing away with the need for tape.

"Digital movie cameras now have the capability to record long, high-quality video clips with realistic stereo sound as well," says the Sanyo spokesperson.

"The use of longer lasting and sleek lithium-ion battery ensures up to one hour of high quality sequential recording. And with the possibility of connecting to the TV, VCR or DVD recorder and the PC, camcorders today offer more enjoyment opportunities."

Says Shenoy, "With digital video cameras, the question now being asked is why have two devices when you can have just one? Therefore, most products in this category combine a digital still camera with a digital movie camera. And its availability in compact sizes at affordable prices make it a real boon to the consumers."

"When it comes to televisions, the very word today refers to either a plasma or LCD TV, and of late, the high definition television or HDTV is gaining momentum," says C. Patra, Deputy General Manager, E&A Business Group, Eros Group, Dubai.

"In Western Europe and the US, TV broadcasters have already started shifting to high definition digital transmissions."

According to M.U. Ganapathy, National Sales Manager, Consumer Electronics Division, Al-Futtaim Electronics, Dubai, "Though analogue televisions are still available in the market, more consumers are now buying digital products. The distinctive advantage a digital device offers is the storage of data in memory chips.

"Hence, products that can store and read these devices are gaining greater acceptance. Also, the visual clarity of a digital product offers far better viewing pleasure."

More products are also now geared towards high definition (HD) capability, he says. "What is available in the market today are devices that are either HD compatible