What happens to a digital signal as it experiences the cliff effect?

The correct answer highlights a phenomenon known as the cliff effect, which is associated with digital signals in communication systems. When a digital signal experiences the cliff effect, it does not gradually degrade like an analog signal. Instead, the quality of the signal remains stable until it reaches a certain threshold, after which it fails dramatically. This sudden loss of signal can result in the display dropping to a black screen, as the system cannot interpret the digital data without an adequate signal.

In contrast to a gradual degradation of quality that could be observed with analog signals, where you might experience fuzzy images or static noise, the cliff effect implies a clear demarcation where the signal is either good or completely absent. Therefore, the abrupt transition to a black screen is the most characteristic outcome when this phenomenon occurs.