and function to NICAM. Countries and territories that used MAC This is a list of nations that used the MAC standard for television broadcasting: Technological obsolescence Since the vast majority of TV stations and similar installations were only wired for composite video, the fitting of a MAC transmitter at the end of the chain had the effect of degrading the transmitted image quality, rather than improving it. For this and other technical reasons, MAC systems never really caught on with broadcasters. MAC transmission technology was made obsolete by the radically new digital systems (like DVB-T and ATSC) in the late 1990s. Although MAC transmission systems are still used, the technology is obsolete. It is expected that MAC will cease to be used for TV transmission by 2012. See also TV transmission systems: Analog high-definition television systems PAL, what MAC technology tried to replace SECAM, what MAC technology tried to replace DVB-S, MAC technology was replaced by this standard DVB-T, MAC technology was replaced by this standard References External links Multiplexed Analogue Components in "Analog TV Broadcast Systems" by Paul Schlyter IBA Engineering Announcement broadcast 3 February 1987 with more information on MAC High-definition television Satellite television Television transmission standards Television technology British inventions 1982 introductions Audiovisual introductions in 1982