Commercial television was standardized originally mainly for entertainment, sports, and news, using over-the-air broadcasts. While a few upward compatible changes have been added over the years, the standard has remained essentially unchanged. Moreover, no other standard has had so many products and services built around it and withstood such a period of rapid technological change. Digital television promises to disturb the current equilibrium in consumer television and in the broader media industries. It is forcing a convergence with the simultaneous expansion of personal computing into the home and the commercialization of research networks. Digitizing television in a cost-effective manner and integrating it with computers, telecommunication networks, and consumer products will produce a large array of new products and services. The paper describes digital television, factors affecting it, its potential, and some major issues in its evolution. >