Sunflower Broadband, which provides cable-television, telephone and high-speed Internet services in Lawrence and other communities in northeast Kansas, is among the first cable operators in the country to provide all-digital TV services.

That’s good news for viewers on the Sunflower system, said Brian Dietz, a spokesman for the National Cable and Telecommunications Assn.

“It will just enhance the television experience,” said Dietz, who knows of only one other cable system in the country to go all-digital, in Long Beach, Calif. “It’s one of the few areas of the nation that have done it. It’s definitely a step forward for Lawrence, Kansas.”

Sunflower launched its all-digital service last month, accessible for customers using digital-equipped TVs or digital cable boxes. Sunflower is a division of The World Company, which owns the Journal-World.

“We feel this is the future of television,” said Patrick Knorr, general manager for Sunflower. “We’ve always tried to position ourselves to give our customers cutting-edge technology, and the best technology available in a cost-effective manner.”

Digital signals provide clearer pictures and better sound than traditional analog service, Knorr said. The conversion to all-digital format also allows Sunflower to provide video-on-demand services, and positions the company for technological advances that have not yet arrived.

Among the possibilities:

¢ Interactive video, to allow adjustable views of sporting events.

¢ Interactive menus, to allow viewers to see not only who is starring in a particular show but also learn what other shows that actor has appeared in, what brand of clothes the actor is wearing and where they can be purchased or even for how much.

“It’s only going to get more rich as time goes on,” Knorr said.

The upgrade comes as the federal government is moving to mandate television’s digital evolution. Congress eight years ago set a goal of ending analog broadcasts by Dec. 31, 2006, and now is considering legislation that would mandate the switch by the end of 2008.

On Friday, Knorr noted that Sunflower’s digital conversion hadn’t rendered analog sets obsolete. While all Sunflower channels are delivered digitally, many of Sunflower’s channels continue to be available as analog signals, too.

“Unless you have a black-and-white, dial TV, you can still receive the analog signal just the same the same as you always have,” he said.

But new offerings set to begin next month – including Inspirational Network and I-Life – will be limited to digital delivery, Knorr said.

“It also looks very good that we’ll be adding MSNBC,” Knorr said, noting that viewers would need a digital receiver to watch the channel.

Sunflower serves residential and business customers in Lawrence, Eudora, Tonganoxie, Basehor, Piper, Linwood and parts of rural Douglas and Leavenworth counties.

All customers in Sunflower’s service area can receive advanced digital services and high speed Internet with the exception of customers in Linwood and rural Leavenworth County. Those customers will be able to receive such services later this year, Knorr said.

The World Company also owns WorldNet LLC, which provides telephone service through Sunflower’s cable lines in Lawrence, Eudora, Tonganoxie and Basehor.