Level 3 Diploma in Creative Media Production
Unit 8: Understanding the TV and Film Industries
Assignment 4/LO4: Understand developing technologies
in the television and film industries.
In regards
to this assignment Media Magazine have asked me to produce an essay outlining
that I understand how effectively technologies have developed in the TV/film
industries and their impacts. Within this assignment I will be comprehensively
explaining the technologies that have affected the lives of individuals and how
they choose to view TV through these contents such as; satellite, cable, analogue, digital, film-based, interactive, internet, high definition, streaming
content, on-demand viewing, digital recorders and pay per view.
Technology
has an major contribution to how we access media content and most of all how
that same media content accesses us. As technology is on-going, everlasting and
very innovative producers of major companies such as SKY or Virgin are having
to come with up fresh new ideas that coincide with today’s technology in order
to keep audiences enticed and engaged within their products. Also producers
have to make sure they are keeping a close eye on fierce competition to see
what products and service their using on audiences e.g. recording more than one
channel. Fortunately for Virgin
customers than can record up to three channels without any disruption whereas
SKY customers can only record two programmes unless the person is viewing one
of the programmes recorded. A few years ago people didn’t even have the option
to pause live television if they were just running errands around the house
because there were no catch-up channels on TV, mobile phones or the internet.
Also there was no on-demand viewing or online streaming. People didn’t have the
option to change the channel from normal analogue channels if the programme on
wasn’t interesting as much because back then there was only BBC 1, BBC 2, ITV,
Channel 4 and Channel 5. Nowadays producers are struggling and competing to
produce shows that could potentially attract a mass audience rather than niche
as there is over 500 channels included on the SKY Box set. Also people didn’t
have the option to voluntarily choose between HD (High Definition) from SD
(Standard Definition) when buying a TV, however nowadays HD is the way of life
for TV viewers. Audiences are guaranteed a clear pristine view of programmes
because pixels have been precisely defined to give a better quality. So now
audiences are more likely to see blemishes or imperfections on actors/actresses
if there watching a SD programme on their HD TV.
Satellite 
|
There are two types of television operations people have the
choice between in order of how they watch daily/past programmes, those are
satellite and cable TV. Satellite TV is a fairly simple process to have,
providing people have a satellite TV dish they can receive television signals
through a dish shaped unit because satellite TV is a broadcasting service. People
can receive these signals from having a satellite dish installed on their house
which has to be connected to a satellite television box which helps transmit
messages and signals to and from Earth in order for images and sounds to be
projected on television screens. Satellite TV has some advantages to it such as
the dish can find good quality programmes automatically because of the receiver
box, which therefore helps the signal to the TV. Also on satellite TV people
are able to watch two channels at one time and they can record two shows at the
same time. There are many diverse programmes featured on Satellite TV because
it provides over 300 channels for people to choose from. In contrast to the advantages of satellite TV
the disadvantages of this broadcasting service is the loss of connection that
occasionally occurs. Living in a bad area with lots of strong winds and heavy
precipitation is not a good idea if you’re trying to watch a programme you’ve
longed for as these services rely on a direct signal from satellites. If bad weather
interferes with the signal it eventually causes the image to not appear right
on the screen. Another disadvantage would be the appearance of the satellite
dish with its connecting wires all hanging from someone’s roof. Some people
find it unattractive and unappealing and “some neighbourhoods actually don't
allow residents to have dishes because it ruins a great skyline with wires
coming down from one's roof, all while connected to a large grey dish.”
(Satellite, 10/12/13) Although satellite TV provides people with quality
programming it still affects people such as the producers and the audiences. It
affects producers because people have so much options and opportunities to
watch other shows featured on different channels e.g. ITV news is shown on ITV
at 6pm although on Channel 4 The Simpsons are being shown. Even though the show
is repeats people that don’t really like the news will more likely watch a
repeated episode of The Simpsons. So nowadays producers try and create more
types of programmes to appeal to more people. Satellite TV also affects
audiences because they have a variety of programmes to watch at any time and
this also benefits producers because then there show is being viewed.
Cable 
CATV also
known as Community Antenna Television stands for CATV where it first originated
in the mountainous areas of Pennsylvania in the spring season of 1948 by a
husband and a wife. (John and Margaret Walson) In Mahanoy City John Walson
wasn’t able to make profit from selling television sets to local residents
because reception in the area was very weak so that made it harder for clear
signals to be passed through the mountains. One of the main problems was where
the location of the town was because it was in a valley roughly 90 air miles
away from the Philadelphia television transmitters. The problem was later
resolved in June 1948 when Mr Walson soon put an antenna on top of a nearby
mountain and a few of the local resident’s home to help amplify the reception
from the signals. Once these television signals were picked up they were
transported over a few twin-lead antenna wires from his store. “Walson
continued to improve the picture quality by using coaxial cable and
self-manufactured "boosters" (amplifiers) to bring CATV to the homes
of customers who eventually bought his television sets”. (Cable 1, 12/12/13)
This made business good for the Walson’s because sales had ascended and from
that day cable television was born. Although when cable television was
introduced its main purpose was to entertain it’s viewers it has a few
disadvantages. Many cable television providers offer their customers very
tempting enticing package deals that they find hard to refuse such as when they
can pay for their cable television service, landline service and internet
service all at once through the same company however if they don’t pay that
bill on time all the services will be shut off until the bill is paid. Another
disadvantage of cable television would be the cost of the service because
compared to other TV services such as satellite, cable television is very pricey
especially if people “want channel packages that include premium movie channels
like HBO, Showtime and Cinemax.” (Cable
2, 12/12/13) In contrast to the disadvantages of cable television the
advantages of the service is that if there’s a case of bad weather such as
storms the reception is not affected because there’s no installation required
like a satellite dish. Also another advantage of cable television would be that
it provides a selection of channels without any restricted content on standard
channels. Cable television is a closed service which means only subscribers
have control on what they want to watch because “a cable channel has the right
to show programs which feature violent imagery, strong language or suggestive
sexual content providing this information is clearly stated to the viewer
before it’s shown.” (Cable 3, 12/12/13) Cable television affects the producers
of the media content because if the picture of programs aren’t being shown
clearly on subscriber’s television producers will lose out on profit and
viewers. The production cost of making the programme will be wasted if people
aren’t able to view it, especially if they switch to another channel were a similar
programme with better connection/reception is being shown.
Analogue
|
Analogue television is part of the analogue transmission
because the process consists of encoded analogue audio and analogue video
signal broadcasted to transmit the brightness and the colour. “The video signal
of analogue television is transmitted in AM, whereas the audio is transmitted
in FM. Analogue television transmissions are subject to interference, such as
snow, only depending on the distance and geographical location of the TV
receiving the signal.” (Analogue 1, 12/12/13) We don’t still have analogue
television because it was switched off to begin a new updated television called
digital (DTV). “It first began on November 1936 at 3pm and lasted for 76 years.”
(Analogue 2, 06/01/14). People who had already updated their television years
ago would not have noticed a change, compared to the other thousands of Freeview
viewers who were surprisingly introduced to seeing their sets needing to be
retuned. So that meant unless people had a set-top box they would be welcomed
to a blank screen. 
As analogue has been switched to digital the remaining
analogue UHF frequencies have been scrapped for 4G mobile use. The standard
channels on analogue TV were BBC 1, BBC 2, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. The
advantages of analogue TV would be that the visuals are more accurate when
connection is being lost and also there is less bandwidth used. There aren’t
many disadvantages of analogue TV unless there is slight noise there may be a
disruption in the signal and it may take long to fix back. Even though there
were five main channels on analogue TV before the switch over if people knew
what they knew now and technology wasn’t as slow, not a lot of people would
have owned analogue TV for so long. Analogue TV affects producers and viewers in
many ways because producers had only so much budget and time to produce certain
programs for people. Unlike now they would have a better chance of having a big
audience watching their show as people had limitations from channels. Viewers
were affected mostly especially when it came to remotes especially if they were
old or they were content with how the old remote worked. The old remote was as
simple as can be because it did simple tasks like change the channel with the
assigned numbers or switch the TV on/off by the power button located at the top
of the remote control. Now though people have the opportunity to pause, rewind,
fast forward or better still rewind just as well as use interactive buttons
with different responsibilities for the viewer; green, blue, red and yellow.
These changes seemed confusing for some but when the switchover came there was
required help for those people to keep them up-to-date and informed regarding
the services on their TV’s. 
As analogue has been switched to digital the remaining
analogue UHF frequencies have been scrapped for 4G mobile use. The standard
channels on analogue TV were BBC 1, BBC 2, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. The
advantages of analogue TV would be that the visuals are more accurate when
connection is being lost and also there is less bandwidth used. There aren’t
many disadvantages of analogue TV unless there is slight noise there may be a
disruption in the signal and it may take long to fix back. Even though there
were five main channels on analogue TV before the switch over if people knew
what they knew now and technology wasn’t as slow, not a lot of people would
have owned analogue TV for so long. Analogue TV affects producers and viewers in
many ways because producers had only so much budget and time to produce certain
programs for people. Unlike now they would have a better chance of having a big
audience watching their show as people had limitations from channels. Viewers
were affected mostly especially when it came to remotes especially if they were
old or they were content with how the old remote worked. The old remote was as
simple as can be because it did simple tasks like change the channel with the
assigned numbers or switch the TV on/off by the power button located at the top
of the remote control. Now though people have the opportunity to pause, rewind,
fast forward or better still rewind just as well as use interactive buttons
with different responsibilities for the viewer; green, blue, red and yellow.
These changes seemed confusing for some but when the switchover came there was
required help for those people to keep them up-to-date and informed regarding
the services on their TV’s.
Digital
|
Digital TV is another TV broadcasting system that allows
people to view images with a better quality, compared to the old horizontal
lines of resolution from the normal analogue TV that was 480 lines. Now digital
is able to show 720 to 1080 horizontal lines of resolution. Also with digital
TV, people can view multiplexing of 6 channels under one bandwidth. The media
industry has converted from analogue TV to digital because now people’s
television box sets can have lots of channels. Also the media industry has
upgraded with society because now broadcasters can create several new channels
for viewers so that they have more of a variety when they watch programmes.
When the digital switchover took place viewers only had two choices; buy a new
television or get a new set top box which is programmed to receive digital transmissions.
There are many types of digital TV; such as digital satellite TV, digital
terrestrial, digital cable TV, telephone line digital TV and internet protocol
television. Back then people only had access to digital terrestrial because
they upgraded from analogue to digital, ensuring they had their old aerial they
would be guaranteed minimal disruption to their TV viewing at low extra cost
e.g. Freeview. Nowadays as technology has gradually moved on people now have
internet protocol TV (IPTV) which is connected to a broadband connection which
provides subscribers’ digital television services to their home such as
YouView, Google TV and Apple TV. Subscribers that have this service have a
choice to a subscription, giving them access to many libraries from archived
content online. However these customers could even pay a one off fee to get a
set top box. “The Government hopes that the switchover will create space for
the fourth generation of mobile phone services, or 4G, that could generate as
much as £4bn when it is implemented next summer.” (Digital, 13/12/13) Although
having digital TV has changed the ways of TV channels there are still
advantages and disadvantages. Some advantages of digital TV would be that they
can watch more channels than the standard mainline ones (BBC 1, BBC 2, ITV,
Channel 4 and Channel 5) because there’s more of a variety e.g. sports, sci-fi.
Another advantage is how interactive the TV can be towards the viewer because digital
TV allows viewers to access further information featured on the TV by accessing
menus and having more control over what to do on their TV rather than just
watch scheduled programs e.g. viewers can listen to radio channels via their
televisions or watch archived programs providing it’s from digital ‘on-demand’
services. Also another advantage would be that it’s more compatible with
today’s technology e.g. computers and also the image is more accurate and less
blurry giving a high resolution. The disadvantages of digital TV would be when
there’s loss of signal from bad weather conditions unlike analogue TV, the
picture will eventually deteriorate (screen will go fuzzy) leaving only sound. Once
the sound has completely gone the screen will freeze with the last received
data with further instructions on how to proceed on. Another disadvantage would
be the great history and memories analogue TV had for some viewers. Some
viewers had grown up with digital TV and were sad to see it go although some
were glad that TV had developed for today’s younger generation. Digital TV affects producers and viewers
because since there was so much extra space available for producers other
individual programmes lost budgets because of loss of profit, hence why there’s
so much ‘constructed’ and ‘reality’ shows nowadays. The increase in channels
meant good business for film companies because they could showcase their
products all over a range of channels. Viewers were affected because now they
could watch channels that interested them e.g. sport or geographical shows
since these channels were now added. Also now that people have such choices of
programmes they tend to be complacent and watch new shows, slowly forgetting
about the old programmes that were originally being shown.
|
Internet
Internet in other words; the World Wide Web, the net or the
web has changed the lives of people positively and negatively. As technology is
an everlasting service the internet will always be too because it’s a daily use
from people 24/7 whether it be for business or leisure it’s still efficient. In
the TV/Film industry the internet has played a leading role because nowadays
instead of people just watching TV shows or movies, they now have the power to
be a part of it. When shows are being shown or adverts are being advertised
sometimes a well-known social networking site will pop up to help keep
audiences no matter where they are, engaged at all times. An example of this
would be when X Factor is being shown Dermot says how people at home can like
the X factor page on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. People at home with
easy internet access or wherever they are watching X factor can easily do those
things. Over the developing years the internet changing has probably had one of
the biggest impacts on people; like the change from analogue to digital TV. The
internet has changed “from computers and smartphones to watches and eyewear,
almost anything can now be connected to what is essentially one huge global
network, which is constantly evolving further.” (Internet, 16/12/13) In the
TV/film industry the internet has completely changed how we interpret media
content because back then there weren’t specialised movie sites to watch film
trailers or films. (Rotten Tomatoes or IMDb) Nowadays people have the choice to
find films from these websites to get a better picture of the film instead of
reading film reviews from newspapers and download these films onto their
computers. People can now watch TV shows from all over the world by streaming
on their computers. Nowadays people interact with media content via their
smartphones or their tablets because it’s quicker and technology has improved.
As long as people are connected to a wireless network or they have data from
their network provider people can watch programmes/films, surf the internet or
interact with people all through a screen as long as they want. The advantages
of using the internet nowadays is how easy it is for people to complete tasks
on the internet, rather than doing it by hand e.g. watching films/TV shows
online. Another advantage would be how efficient it is for people to use Skype
via the internet which allows them to video chat to other people across the
globe providing there’s strong connection and access. Having the internet,
guarantees it to be around for years to come because as new technology is
created and developed the internet is slowly improved too e.g. people being
able to use their catch up apps on their phones without being connected at
home. Although, the internet has other contributions such as the social
networking sites that people are able to use such as Facebook or Twitter. Audiences are affected by the internet because
they can download or watch programmes online from illegal websites. People can benefit
from the internet by using it to watch shows online on their phones if they
aren’t at home or they can record programmes providing they have the SKY app
and even SKY. They also have other options to catch up on shows from iPlayers
if they missed their favourite show. Producers are affected by the internet all
the time because they produce the shows or films illegally or legally watched
by people 24/7. It doesn’t matter the outcome of how their programme is
distributed or viewed at the end of it they are the ones who are getting paid
to create more enticing shows. However people can do illegal streaming and
watch these programmes even before they are broadcasted instead of watching
shows on TV e.g. Love Film. Producers lose out on profit this way.
High
Definition (HDTV)
|
Within the digital TV category HD has the highest resolution
compared to the other digital cable formats (standard and enhanced). The resolution
for standard and enhanced is 480i and 480p whereas high definition is 720p and
1080i. 
High definition clearly means higher better quality on
TV’s but for people to receive HD on their TV they must have the required box
set to receive specific HD signals on a TV that can help to enhance HD. So
providing people’s TV’s have pictures with 720 or 1080 vertical lines and their
TV can show HD clearly, Even though there is HD, there are many other HD
content in other media formats; HD DVDs, HD audio and Blu Ray Discs. All these
formats help enhance the quality of the media content to a higher quality. Some
examples of HD TV would be BBC and BBC HD or SKY Sports and SKY Sports HD. People
are able to receive the same information from each of these formats; it’s just
that the quality is really different. Viewers watching football games can
clearly see the game in a clearer pristine view from switching to HD. Having HD
enhances the vision viewers see to a better realistic view. Some advantages of
HDTV are that it gives a better quality as a result of high resolution. Also
the sound quality is sharper and enhanced thanks to Dolby sound technology
which has improved the quality. In contrast a few disadvantages would be if
there are any authentication delays from the TV, there is guaranteed to be a
blank screen pop up. Also if any HDMI cables are broken or need replacing, it
can be very costly to buy back the specific one. “HDTVs can display images with
far more detail, better picture colour, clarity, and sharp, lifelike images
than traditional TVs can.” (HD, 15/12/13) HD is used more than SD because the
picture is more pristine for viewers. At the time SD may have looked clear but
compared to HD, SD is very fuzzy and the finer details aren’t very clear.
That’s why if someone watched a SD programme on a HDTV viewers would be able to
spot all the imperfections and blemishes from actors/actresses. Having HD
affects people because all the loved programmes they love can be watched effectively
in high quality definition because HD makes the viewer’s feel as they are a
part of the programme, that’s the result of a pristine effect HD has given. The
viewers will feel more engaged in the programme because it looks so realistic they
might sometimes be deceived in what they see. Viewers are more able to enjoy
their programme because actors and other effects are enhanced effectively. Producers
are affected because they have to create images with more detail to suit viewers’
expectations because with a clearer image the producer is able to add finer
details that viewers can’t miss. As producers are using this process very often
they have to ensure that viewers aren’t able to pick up on mistakes, so that
means hair and make-up has to be done to perfection preventing viewers to be
distracted from the actual TV programme they chose to watch. HDTV is a part of
the growth of technology so as long as more technologies are being developed
people are forced to buy or consider these changes.
High definition clearly means higher better quality on
TV’s but for people to receive HD on their TV they must have the required box
set to receive specific HD signals on a TV that can help to enhance HD. So
providing people’s TV’s have pictures with 720 or 1080 vertical lines and their
TV can show HD clearly, Even though there is HD, there are many other HD
content in other media formats; HD DVDs, HD audio and Blu Ray Discs. All these
formats help enhance the quality of the media content to a higher quality. Some
examples of HD TV would be BBC and BBC HD or SKY Sports and SKY Sports HD. People
are able to receive the same information from each of these formats; it’s just
that the quality is really different. Viewers watching football games can
clearly see the game in a clearer pristine view from switching to HD. Having HD
enhances the vision viewers see to a better realistic view. Some advantages of
HDTV are that it gives a better quality as a result of high resolution. Also
the sound quality is sharper and enhanced thanks to Dolby sound technology
which has improved the quality. In contrast a few disadvantages would be if
there are any authentication delays from the TV, there is guaranteed to be a
blank screen pop up. Also if any HDMI cables are broken or need replacing, it
can be very costly to buy back the specific one. “HDTVs can display images with
far more detail, better picture colour, clarity, and sharp, lifelike images
than traditional TVs can.” (HD, 15/12/13) HD is used more than SD because the
picture is more pristine for viewers. At the time SD may have looked clear but
compared to HD, SD is very fuzzy and the finer details aren’t very clear.
That’s why if someone watched a SD programme on a HDTV viewers would be able to
spot all the imperfections and blemishes from actors/actresses. Having HD
affects people because all the loved programmes they love can be watched effectively
in high quality definition because HD makes the viewer’s feel as they are a
part of the programme, that’s the result of a pristine effect HD has given. The
viewers will feel more engaged in the programme because it looks so realistic they
might sometimes be deceived in what they see. Viewers are more able to enjoy
their programme because actors and other effects are enhanced effectively. Producers
are affected because they have to create images with more detail to suit viewers’
expectations because with a clearer image the producer is able to add finer
details that viewers can’t miss. As producers are using this process very often
they have to ensure that viewers aren’t able to pick up on mistakes, so that
means hair and make-up has to be done to perfection preventing viewers to be
distracted from the actual TV programme they chose to watch. HDTV is a part of
the growth of technology so as long as more technologies are being developed
people are forced to buy or consider these changes.
Pay per
View
Pay per View TV is a self-explanatory process where customers
can simply pay a specific fee to view a programme. Satellite or cable TV broadcasting services
charge their viewers this fee (just as well as the normal standard rate fixed
monthly bill) to view special programs e.g. sports events and also Sky Box
Office. This service is where Sky customers can pay to watch featured films for
a fee before it’s on put on normal accessible channels other viewers are able
to see. The advantages of Pay per View TV is that sports and films can be
easily accessed but however there isn’t vast amount of disadvantages, except
for the fee and that it still is added on the fixed bill. This service has
changed the way we view TV because Sky had cleverly introduced ‘NOW TV’ which
can now completely turn Sky customer’s TV into a smart TV because they have the
neat compact NOW TV Box. ‘NOW TV’ is the new way for people to have easy access
catch up on from TV including BBC iPlayer, 4OD and Demand 5 all for a cost of
£9.99 (including the postage and the packaging). People can also download
preferred apps like Facebook and Spotify to their TV by a simple click. Having
NOW TV gives people more control of what they want to watch and when, as people
now can easily subscribe to the Sky Movies Pass service and the Entertainment
Month Pass Service. Also for the sport fanatics they can purchase the Sky
Sports Day Pass, giving them unlimited access of sports. “The Sky Movies Pass gives
you access to a great range of on-demand content and movies channels. The
Entertainment Month Pass gives you access to 10 pay TV channels, a great range
of on-demand content and box sets.” (NOW TV, 15/12/13) Sky have made the
subscription fee fit around people’s needs because there isn’t a sign-up fee
although there's a monthly subscription fee, so because of signing up they
would need to pay for the pass and also until they cancel the whole
subscription all together they would pay each month after that. Pay per view TV
affects the producers of the media content because they are the ones who have
to make these crucial decisions that impact audiences. They have to make sure that
this service can be effectively interpreted and used by buying customers
because if there not people will simply resort to illegally view these shows
online and companies will lose out on profit. Producers also benefit from this
service people literally pay to view certain featured shows. They pay fixed fee
and watch these shows. Audiences are affected because this service is simply
based on them regarding the entertainment they watch or miss so they have quick
easy options to view it there and then.
Digital
recorders
Everyone
who owns TV’s have digital recorders, even if they don’t know what every button
placed on the remote does as long as they understand how to use the digital
recorder for basic tasks e.g. changing the channels or switching the TV on/off.
The advantages of digital recorders is simply that viewers have control on how
to view TV especially if there recording programs because there phone suddenly
becomes the TV just as well as the remote. Also the disadvantages of digital
recorders is only if people aren’t connected to their box they can’t use the
Sky app on their devices. People who don’t have a Smart TV with internet
connection to access on-demand viewing and streaming content, but they have a
regular Sky TV are able to receive the content of digital recording. Providing
they have Sky + box and not the regular box they have the power to control what
programmes or films get recorded. Once
those specific programmes are recorded on their planner they can series link it.
This process is fairly used especially by people who are preoccupied, they can
easily series link every episode of that programme until the season of the
programme has concluded or that person can just voluntarily end the series link
to save more space on their planner. All the programmes recorded or series
linked can be watched by the viewer at any time, however if the bill is not
paid on time or certain channels have been voluntarily removed from that
person’s Sky the programme can’t be watched. If the person really likes that
show it can permanently stay on their planner by pressing ‘keep’ on the
planner, unless they switch it off or change the box. The main purposes of
recording is that when people decide to watch the programme they have the
option to fast forwards tedious adverts to get back into the programme quicker,
they can rewind something they missed, they can pause the programme to quickly
run an errand or they can just make the programme play throughout. Providing
programmes won’t clash if someone is recording more than one programme at the
same time, people won’t have to delete it from the list they can watch one of
the recorded programmes as the other preferred recorded channels are being
recorded. 
Another
improvement Sky had cleverly created was the ability for ‘on the goer’s’ to
login into their Sky account to record programmes or films on the planner from
electrical devices such as iPhones or iPads. Providing people are connected to
their Sky box they have access to view what’s recording from the TV guide. Once
this is happening people on the go can actually watch these recorded
programmes. In contrast to the past were people were literally forced to stay
at home just to watch their favourite programmes or films, nowadays people can
be anywhere doing anything and they can still have their ability to set to
record their favourite programme or film. Even if they forgot to record the
programme from the start on their phone, once it’s being recorded that person
can still catch the episode at home from very beginning. Also digital recorders
affect audiences because it allows them to be forgetful but still in control
even if they forgot to record at home, they can still catch up on their phones.
Digital recorders affect producers because either way their programmes are
being watched, even if it’s not at the same time the programme was originally
scheduled to show. Also they don’t have control of how their programmes are
viewed by audiences, although they still views and profit from when people
catch up and watch TV off the broadcasting website whether it be ITV player or
Channel 40D.
On-Demand
viewing
On-Demand viewing is simply viewers streaming online to catch
up on missed programmes whenever they want through on-demand services. Channel
4oD is a form of demand service because it allows viewers to watch the vast amount
of Channel 4 programmes that have been broadcasted on the TV over the last 30
days. Also viewers are given a chance to catch up on movies that were featured
earlier on “just as well as a selection of programmes from sister channels
More4 and E4. Viewers are given the opportunity to watch selected free content
from the archives and to buy programmes from other broadcasters with whom
Channel 4 has negotiated special deals with.” (On-Demand viewing, 16/12/13) All
these channels can be watched via the Channel 4oD website; Channel 4, More4,
E4, Film4, and selected programmes from National Geographic and Disney. It is
free because people can watch all the past streamed programmes online. Sky has
an On-Demand service for their customers which is located in the TV guide with
featured TV box sets of all greatest programmes and movies for no extra monthly
cost. Providing viewers have connected their compatible black Sky+ HD box to a broadband
route in order to receive the features of Sky’s On-demand service they would be
able to catch up on their favourite shows and rent movies through their Sky+ HD
box from the Sky Store. Once people have found something interesting in the
On-Demand service they are able to watch it with only one or more adverts to
keep the audience engaged and not get distracted because of the amount of
adverts shown. Another type of frequently watched On-Demand service is Netflix
and Love Film, although they are also known as Video On-demand (VOD) because
they both stream films to audiences. They have the ability to pause and play or
rewind or forward programmes they want to watch providing they have paid their
monthly fee. The advantage of programmes being On-Demand is that people have
alternatives to catch up later if they have missed a show as programmes are
organised to stay on the On-Demand service for a week. As On-demand is a great
addition to the Sky family it hasn’t got many disadvantages, just that not
everybody will be attracted by some of the TV box sets or programmes featured
on the On-Demand service. Nowadays people can use this new developing
technology via their electrical devices (iPhones or tablets) if they’re on the
go. They can do this because TV broadcasters such as Channel 4 or ITV have
designed specified apps (Channel 4Od and ITV iPlayer) that allow viewers to
still catch up on missed programmes once they have downloaded and agreed to the
terms and conditions before watching the content. These apps are beneficial to
viewers because the app is free and easy to download. These broadcasters know
this solution of On-Demand viewing is better so they try and advertise and
enforce viewers about it via the adverts of the channel. They show all the
electrical device icons at the bottom of the screen to show viewers that they
can catch up on shows on any type of device. On-demand services affect
producers because they are able to see what programmes are viewed by viewers so
they know what type of programmes to create more of.
Content
streaming
Content streaming is so mainstream that people are guaranteed
to do this at least three times a day without even intentionally meaning it as
it’s so easy to do. Content streaming is when media content such as a video or
a programme is being streamed continuously via the internet to various amounts
of people around the world. An example of content streaming would be ITV
because, featured on their website are all the earlier shown programmes throughout
the day for people who didn’t see the programme at the time it was distributed.
ITV have carefully laid out the content on their website so it’s easier for
people to find what they’re looking for.
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As shown in the picture above has soon as the viewer hits
enter on their keyboard they are immediately greeted by ITV’s contents such as
‘Drama lives on ITV’, ‘Don’t Miss’ and ‘Christmas Crackers’. These headings
automatically attract the viewer because the images below those headings are
constantly moving. The viewer also has options to type their requests in the
search box, located visibly at the top of the screen or they can simply press
one of the three options at the top of the page, which will help to narrow down
that viewer’s request leading them to the programme quicker. Audiences have
been so much freedom because they are able to decide on what to do when they
have missed a programme. Also when it comes to movies now people can visit
specific websites that show upcoming films or past films from the Box Office
for no fee and from there people are able to watch their preferred movie. In
the TV/film industry there are three types of streaming contents that people
can choose to watch; there are legal streaming content websites such as ITV
player or BBC iPlayer, legal membership streaming content websites such as Love
Film or Netflix and lastly there’s illegal streaming content websites. The
disadvantages of content streaming are that it is illegal for certain websites
hence why some of them have been permanently shut down. Also depending on the
viewer’s computer the video can cause viruses because it’s malicious and also
the video can take a while to buffer depending on the viewer’s bandwidth. The
advantages are simply that the videos are free and easy to download, making it
more efficient for people to watch the programme/film at any time. Producers
are affected by this technology because they can monitor who is or who has
watched their programmes they’ve created. Although monitoring the amount of
views on a video is easier than monitoring views on a programme of TV, as it is
possible to count how many times someone has refreshed that specific page. Also
producers are affected because the idea of content streaming has influenced some
people negatively as they are streaming videos illegally e.g. trailers for
films on YouTube and they lose out on box office sales. Audiences are affected
because they have control over how to catch up on previously shown programmes
they missed.
Interactive
TV
Technology
changing has made a big contribution to Interactive TV because it consists of a
two way cable TV system that enables the viewer to input their specific request
and give information providing they have an electronic device also called a
setup box. This service gives the viewer the opportunity to select which
program or movie they want to watch, anytime or place. Viewers with new setup
boxes can now have the privilege to conveniently access their emails via the
internet. 
Nowadays
viewers are available to use the four coloured buttons on the Sky remote to
access all the content instead of being able to just have a TV to literally
watch TV. On the Sky remote people can press the red button to play online
games, they can press the green button to view all recordings from a bookmark,
they can use the blue button which tags their favourite channels automatically
to the Sky Box so it more easier for the show to be watched and the yellow
button do other various amounts of jobs. Interactive TV affects the audience
because their box set is used to its full potential. They are able to access
current programmes being shown on TV by pressing the red button e.g. when the
Olympics were being shown people could view all the live games via the red
button and they could also access other information off the BBC service like
the news or the weather. Producers are affected also because they have the
opportunity to expand on their programmes to make it easy for people to access
extra content. Compared to old standard TV’s the interactive TV has been
precisely designed to suit the ways people entertain themselves via surfing the
net by using most used apps found on the menu screen. People are able to use
their remote control to type in text by using the allocated arrows, enter and
back buttons. Similar to a computer some TV’s give people the same full access
to visit any website they want if they want to interact with another via
Facebook or Twitter. Also providing
people’s TV has a built-in webcam already installed, they are able to use a
video chat system, such as Skype, that enables them to be connected and
contacted with friends and family anywhere in the world. Although not all TV’s are
able to perform this service, so people would have to buy a webcam separately.
To increase more revenues interactive TV helped encourage companies like BskyB
to promote and advertise their owned gambling services such as Sky Bingo and
Sky Las Vegas. People with interactive TV are able to connect to the internet
and if they have a game console e.g. Xbox they can gamble on their TV at home
providing they are connected to the internet to place bets. Interactive TV
affects audiences because they have complete control to do whatever they want
as it’s their TV; however they must have internet connection in order to get
these services. Interactive TV affects producers because they have the money
and the time to further these services that provide more money by combining
other new techniques that amaze the audience. As good as interactive TV comes
across it has its disadvantages because even though some TV’s are touch screen,
eventually the touch sensitivity will begin to deteriorate so people must have
their remotes on the ready. Also the cost of the TV is very expensive
especially if people buy webcams as well. The main advantages of interactive TV
is that people now have control over TV opposed to it being the other way and
also the length of time the interactivity will last. As interactive services
are an everlasting process its high likely interactive TV will be forgotten
about or easily replaced.
Film-based
Film-based technologies are simply computerized
software or graphics that adapt or transforms a film into a better media form
to add more effect. These technologies have helped certain films with profits
or stay one of best movies created in history. The image showed below shows how
this image has changed throughout the remakes of ‘The Pirates of the Caribbean’ through CGI and 2Design. Some films are re-created again and
again purely to update the graphics from the last one to suit the type of
technology used nowadays because as life goes on so does technology so for
example because iPhones and Android phones are frequently used it’s highly
unlikely that the type of technology used in the first version of ‘King Kong’ (1933) would be used nowadays
so the film had to remade to keep up with the technology around people. Many
old films were remade and some are going to be released next year e.g. the
famous Disney tale movies have been re made frequently to perfect the
imperfections of the characters as people have HD TV’s and these blemishes
would be easily spotted. Films like ‘The
Amazing Spider man’ (2012) was made again to keep up with the on-going
Marvel comics and to keep frequent comic followers interested. Compared to all
the other ‘Spider man’ this one
clearly showcases all the upgraded graphics and definition improved because
everything looks pristine and clear. People with HD and Smart TV’s will see the
impacts better than people with standard TV’s because that HD and Smart TV’s
are specifically designed to focus on these details. When films are being
recreated or re adjusted producers either decide to use 3D animation or
Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) depending on basis of the story. 3D animation is
a computer generated illustration that’s designed to give images or the
graphics in three dimensions. This process is used to give characters depth,
which helps them look more real-life. Computer soft wares are usually used to
do showcase life through images or pictures. Examples of films that used 3D
animation were ‘Finding Nemo’ (2003)
and ‘The Adventures of Tintin’ (2011).
The advantage of 3D animation is that when the film is made it looks really
good and realistic. However if it’s not made as good the film may look
horrible, leaving a negative effect on viewers. Computer generated Imagery
(CGI) is the process of computer graphics that help create or design some
images in films. Some advantages of CGI being used for films are the
imagination and creation of new creatures or different styled characters can be
designed on the software. Also CGI can be used to design digital make-up on the
cartoon characters or even enhance the make-up on screen actors/actresses e.g.
the blue skin of the Avatar in ‘Avatar’
(2009). The disadvantages of CGI would be actors aren’t really needed as much
before because nowadays on sets there are blue or green screens to add more
effect and also another disadvantage would be the blurred vision in the
animation because the images are so simplified it leaves a fuzzy effect on the
viewers and sometimes they feel departed away from the live action of a movie.
Producers are affected by 3D animation and CGI because there movies hit box
office sales, which leaves them with a bigger budget for the next film to be
created. Also they have the money and the specialized people to remake films
better than were before. Audiences are affected because once an old movie is
recreated the original loses its history, so if they preferred the original one
they would have to start getting used to the new technology that’s updating the
quality of the originals. I think film-based technologies are attracting people
to the cinema because when they see the films they see a more pristine accurate
image especially if it’s 3D because people are expecting to be amazed through
the on-screen graphics or animation. Also people feel more involved in the film
because they are so close and graphics are so precise.
Whilst doing this assignment I have learned how much a
difference technology has changed the lives of people just as well as other technological
devices around it e.g. phones or laptops in the TV/film industry. I’ve learned
how self-explanatory and efficient all these technologies can be, but with a
price and some effects. Before technology was made to suit the living standard
of people, hence why they were so complacent with all the old technology but
nowadays people have comfortably controlled the technology around them to suit
their living of life. Hence, why there are services like BBC Red Button to
catch up on missed sporting events or live shows or On-Demand viewing to watch
all box sets on the Sky TV guide for those customers. Technology is similar to
a person because it is forever growing and always changing, however technology
has its negatives just as well as positives. Although people say you are never old
until you feel it, technology is very similar to that because it’s so widely
used all the time it will never get old. Seeing how drastically technology has
changed for people and upgraded other devices or services e.g. 4G
connection-(faster, better) it makes people question about what the future
holds for these mainstream technologies.
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