In this blog I will be exploring how the advances in technology have changed the ways in which audiences view media and how the producers select their media content. I will be looking at Satellite, Cable, Analogue, digital, film-based, interactive and internet.
Satellite
Satellite TV is a TV system that is transmitted through orbiting Satellites that send signals to each other, it amplifies the signal and transmits it back to the subscribers on earth who receive it through their antennas. ‘A satellite receiver is either in the form of an external set-top box or a satellite tuner module built into a TV set.’ Satellite TV transmits high-quality audio and picture digital data with the use of MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 compression. MPEG-4 is known for providing high-definition video streams to computers. (Wikipedia)
Through this viewers can watch hundreds of channels world wide and therefore gives a large range of programmes or films to choose from. However, the receiver and satellite dish can be expensive and not worth it; a separate receiver for each TV is needed, making it very expensive if like most people the consumer has more than one TV in their home. Satellites can also malfunction in bad weather giving the consumer bad transmission making the picture and sound lag or glitch. You can look at the people who use Sky in their home. As being one of those people I can vouch that when it get a little too rainy outside you cannot view anything on your television. Even with free view it can be a big issue when you're stuck in the house due to the weather.
Cable
Cable television is a system of distributing television programs to subscribers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables or light pulses through fiber-optic cables. This contrasts with traditional broadcast television (terrestrial television) in which the television signal is transmitted over the air by radio waves and received by a television antenna attached to the television. FM radio programming, high-speed Internet,telephone service, and similar non-television services may also be provided through these cables. (Wikipedia)
Cable TV is stable in its services; there is only a problem with it if there’s a flaw in the whole system. This is not like the modern satellite television which goes off when there is storm. Combination of the cable TV with the internet or the phone can now be done, this way consumers have a single account to pay off both cable and their internet. However many cable companies are very confusing when it comes to how much their service will actually cost in the long run there are sometimes hidden cost which is a major disadvantage.
Virgin Media uses cable for their services and are best known for their fibre optic speed which makes them the faster service provider with broadband.
Broadcasting on cable has been proven to be cheaper than satellite. This has lead to producers creating or moving more and more content to cable service as it is faster and cheaper
Analogue
Analogue television in the United Kingdom includes terrestrial, satellite and cable services broadcasting using analogue television signals. As of 2013, Milton Keynes remains the only town in the country broadcasting in analogue, as the rest of the country have all switched off analogue signals and broadcast in digital only. (Web definition)
The whole of the UK and Northern Ireland no longer have the analogue system due to the digital switch over from 2008 – 2012, the analogue TV has been switched off and is impossible to get back if someone hasn't done the switch over they would be experiencing static on their television screen. However, analogue TV still exists in countries outside the UK in mostly developing countries for examples Nigeria, Namibia and Ghana.
Before the digital switch over I believe the numbers of producers where moderately low as there were only 5 television service providers. However, the producers that were around would have been very successful as there would be low competition for audiences.
Digital
Digital television (DTV) is the transmission of audio and video by digitally processed and multiplexed signal, in contrast to the totally analog and channel separated signals used by analog television. It is an innovative service that represents a significant evolution in television technology since color television in the 1950s.[1] Many countries are replacing broadcast analog television with digital television and allowing other uses of the television radio spectrum. Several regions of the world are in different stages of adaptation and are implementing different broadcasting standards. There are four different widely used digital television terrestrial broadcasting standards (DTTB):
- Advanced Television System Committee (ATSC) uses eight-level vestigial sideband (8VSB) for terrestrial broadcasting. This standard has been adopted in six countries, United States, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Dominican Republic and Honduras.
- Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DVB-T) uses coded orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation and supports hierarchical transmission. This standard has been adapted in Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
- Terrestrial Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting (ISDB-T) is a system designed to provide good reception to fix receivers and also portable or mobile receivers. It utilizes OFDM and two-dimensional interleaving. It supports hierarchical transmission of up to three layers and uses MPEG-2 video and Advanced Audio Coding. This standard has been adopted in Japan, Philippines. ISDB-T International is an adaptation of this standard using H.264/MPEG-4 AVC that been adopted in most of South America and is also being embraced by Portuguese-speaking African countries.
- Digital Terrestrial Multimedia Broadcasting (DTMB) adopts time-domain synchronous (TDS) OFDM technology with a pseudo-random signal frame to serve as the guard interval (GI) of the OFDM block and the training symbol. The DTMB standard has been adopted in the People's Republic of China, including Hong Kong and Macau. (Wikipedia)
The main focus of the digital switch over was to get the audience to modernise their technology. It also gives the audience in the UK an opportunity to explore a different range of channels to give them more varied range of entertainment to suit their lifestyles. It benefits the audience a lot as now they have more choice over what they watch and a much better quality of what they are watching. It is also beneficial for companies such as sky and virgin as they have got more subscribers because of the digital switch-over.
Digital TV has also giving producers a better chance of succeeding in the TV and film industry as they would gain a bigger audience base. However, this does increase competition between producers as they compete for their productions to be shown on the best channels and aired on the best time slot suited for their production. There has, most likely; been an increase in producers as there are many more channels on digital TV that need entertaining programs.
Film based
As technology develops film based technology develops and becomes more advanced. 3D animation is one of these technologies, ‘in a nutshell, computer 3D animation refers to the work of creating moving pictures in a digital environment that is three-dimensional.’ (Animated TV) There is also another type of 3D animation called CGI, CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) has become a popular form of animation of the years, beginning with films such as Pixar's Toy Story. Although CGI animation was used for creating 2D images, it was the use of 3D computer graphics in films and televisions which has raised the bar for the images the audience sees on screen. Due to the recent increase in 3D films there has even been films reformed into a 3D format such as films like Finding Nemo (2003) & Monsters Inc (2001)
CGI animation is increasingly being used for producing high quality visual effects and realistic images. The accessibility to the CGI software tools, in the recent years, has enabled individual artists and small production units to come up with content without the use of actors, expensive set pieces, or props.
There has also been a dramatic increase in IMAX cinemas around the world. IMAX cinemas (short for Image Maximum) are for from the average cinemas.
There has also been a dramatic increase in IMAX cinemas around the world. IMAX cinemas (short for Image Maximum) are for from the average cinemas.
Interactive
Interactive television represents a continuum from low (TV on/off, volume, changing channels) to moderate interactivity (simple movies on demand without player controls) and high interactivity in which, for example, an audience member affects the program being watched. The most obvious example of this would be any kind of real-time voting on the screen, in which audience votes create decisions that are reflected in how the show continues. A return path to the program provider is not necessary to have an interactive program experience. Once a movie is downloaded for example, controls may all be local. The link was needed to download the program, but texts and software which can be executed locally at the set-top box or IRD (Integrated Receiver Decoder) may occur automatically, once the viewer enters the channel.
Interactive television (also known as ITV or iTV) is a form of media convergence, adding data services to traditional television technology. Throughout its history, these have included on-demand delivery of content, as well as new uses such as online shopping, banking, and so forth. Interactive TV is a concrete example of how new information technology can be integrated vertically (into established technologies and commercial structures) rather than laterally (creating new production opportunities outside of existing commercial structures, E.g. Internet. (Wikipedia)
Internet
Internet television (or online television) is the digital distribution of television content via the Internet. Internet television is a general term that covers the delivery of television shows and other video content over the Internet by video streaming technology, typically by major traditional television broadcasters. It does not describe a technology used to deliver content.
Web television is a similar term often used to characterize short programs or videos created by a wide variety of companies and individuals, or Internet Protocol television (IPTV) - an emerging Internet technology standard for use by television broadcasters. Some Internet television is known as catch-up TV. (Wikipedia)
There are many websites dedicated to showing this content and they are not stuck on one single genre. Take the most famous catchup web site Netflix for example. Unlike TV channels like for example comedy central who only show comedy, Netflix can show comedy along with Action, Drama, Horror, Mystery, ect. Other websites that unlike Netflix do the same for free are PutLocker, Cucirca, Viooz even YouTube. But by watching TV programmes on these web sites is considered illegal so maybe just stick with Netflix.
The internet also has a lot to do with the media industry, it has changed the TV and film industry dramatically both for better and worse. Due to internet, audiences are now able to watch the favourite TV and film online when they want, whenever they want. This gives audiences chances to be able to control more of what they are viewing. However, because of this update in technology audiences are now able to download films illegally without paying. This has affected the producers in film industry most as they lose box office sales for their productions. It also affects film distribution companies like blockbuster as they lose consumers to the internet. Due to the internet the television and film industry has risen dramatically. Now because of the internet audiences are able to stream online, watch films and programs on-demand and pay to watch exclusive events.
In conclusion. With all of these different methods of using technology in viewing and creating media productions that I have studied I now have a better understanding of each of these technological methods. I have looked at both Satellite and Cable television and explained their uses and methods along with their issues. I have explored analogue and digital TV. I now known about the digital switch over and why is was important. I have spoken about the internet and what dramatic effect it has had on the television and film industry and how they can interact with media content. I have also explored the development of standard television quality into new high definition quality and how people benefit from this. I believe that in a few years’ time technology would have advanced even further and would have a massive impact to the television and film industries. Soon cinemas will be showing in a virtual format.
