Function

• Analog technology took audio and visual signals and converted them into electronic pulses. Signals were sent between phones or through television cables. Digital technology, however, converts these same signals into binary, or codes.
  
  

Benefits

• Errors can sometimes occur during data transfers, such as from a television station to a home television set or between two phones. Analog technology was not able to repair these errors, which caused distortion and interference. Digital technology is able to make repairs while it converts a binary code back into its original form (an audio or visual signal), because the binary code reveals to a digital receiver what the final product will be, even if a few small parts have gone missing during the data transfer.
  
  

Features

• Converting audio and visual signals into binary code enables digital technology to compress more information into a given space than analog technology was able to. The ability to do this enables digital phones to carry features like speed dial and caller ID. In addition, the ability to compress more information allows digital television providers to offer more channels and interactive features.