Understand developing technologies

Consumer products

• You’re the consumer and any technological items in your household like cameras, television or editing software on your computer are the products you consume.

• Lots of these products have become accessible through costs because they are more popular and companies are in competition with each other, trying to sell the most products.

• This means prices are dropped so people buy their products.

Satellite

• This is one of the ways a service provider gets many networks to your house. Much like Sky or Freeview.

• The signal is sent from a station from earth which reaches the satellite orbiting the earth, then reaches our satellite dish.

• The signal can be distorted unlike cable, but, it covers a larger area and can be cheaper.

Cable

• Cable is another way for a service provider to get a network to you. The cable runs underground, under your house and runs up to your TV, the main network known for this is Virgin.

• Fibre optic cables are used.• A con to cable is that they can be cut and the

signal will be lost.• A pro is that there isn’t any interference and you

get your channels direct to your TV.

Analogue

• Analogue is actually no longer used, anyone who used a analogue signal had to switch to digital but the signal is sent through a giant antenna.

• Vodafone took some of the analogue signal and the government bought the rest.

• Analogue was switched off because the quality would become bad and the signal become weaker.

Digital

• Digital which has become what people use now because of the switch over still contains the same channels that analogue does, BBC, BBC2, ITV and Channel 4. The switch over happened because digital was considered to be better quality than analogue and could reach further, but digital can be interfered with easier than analogue. Analogue can reach a wider range of people.

• You do not need Sky, Virgin or BT to get digital TV. You are able to get digital TV by Freeview.

internet

• The internet has become one of the biggest technological used pieces of media in the world. Once pornography was the biggest media use on the internet, but now social networks have become the most accessed thing on the web.

• Some websites you are able to legally watch movies and TV programmes. However, there are some websites like Limewire (which was banned) were you could illegally download films.

Interactive

• New inventions have been created to make interaction with our television a more futuristic experience, just like Minority Report (Steven Spielberg, 2002). The basics of television interaction was changing channels or the volume but now we have touch motion technology, so you can activate your television controls without even touching a screen or remote control.

• However, you may need a smart remote to interact with your TV.

High Definition (HDTV)• Better quality image and sound.• British trials for HD first started in 1936, but were discontinued in 1937. • Although HDTV was released 1998, it didn’t become popular until early

2000s.• HD is a different standard of television, meaning the aspect ratio (in HDTV

is 16:9) and the resolution (in HDTV it is 720p, 1080p or 1080i) is increased.

• To view HD you must have a HD Ready TV.

3D (Three Dimensional) Originally they used red and blue filters for 3D. These filters would then combine to create a 3D effect.• Red filter for your left eye• Blue filter for your right eye

The old red and blue light 3D effect didn’t allow the full use of colour, therefore modern films use polarised light. This is also known as RealD.To access 3D on TV, you must have a ‘3D capable LCD or plasma TV.’

Pay Per View

This is where the audience can pay to watch a certain event on a special channel. These mostly include sports and films like;• WWE events.• Films on Sky Movies. You can pay for these events via TV, phone or onlineTo access these shows and channels, you will need satellite TV.Pay Per View contrasts with paying or channels by a monthly charge.

On-demand viewing• Here people are able to watch any programme from a specific channel

which have on demand services, whenever they like. • For example, there are on demand channels like BBC iPlayer, 4OD and ITV

Player.• Many people prefer to watch programmes on demand rather than live tv

as they are able to skip through the adverts and pause when they like. • You can access on demand on TV, internet and even a Wii console.

Streaming content• Streaming content is where you are able to watch media products live

online, Youtube is one of the biggest places to do so. • It’s instant and free which is extremely beneficial for our generation.

However there are cons to this;• If you have a bad internet connection, then the videos lag and load slowly.• There are adverts at the start of some videos, some in which you are not

able to skip through.• Sometimes streaming content can be illegal, for example, if you upload a

movie or TV programme without permission of the owner, this would be copyright.

Digital recorders• Digital recorders allow the viewer to pause, record and rewind live TV.• These functions like Sky+ and BT Vision. • They are functions inside the set top box (like Virgin Media and Sky)• From these, you are able to access LoveFilm and Netflix; services in which

you can access unlimited films and TV programmes for £5 a month.