An article about the impact of You Tube on television, and how successful You Tube is..
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2318273/YouTube-defeats-television-battle-viewers.html
Showing posts with label television. Show all posts
Showing posts with label television. Show all posts
Thursday, 2 May 2013
Wednesday, 27 February 2013
TV On Demand - a guide
Just press the red button
a student’s guide to interactive television
What is interactive television, and how is it changing the way we watch? And how are institutions adapting to these changes? Elizabeth Vickers investigates.
Television has changed. Once we were assumed to be passively entertained by that magic box in the corner of the living room, fed a steady diet of sitcoms and soaps and expected to be grateful for it. However, slowly but surely those little red dots have started creeping on to our screens, almost begging to be pressed...
How technology has made it possible
The basic reason why interactive television (iTV) has become more prevalent in recent years is simple: it’s only possible with digital television. Digital television can be broadcast by cable, satellite or received, like analogue, through a normal rooftop aerial. The main difference to analogue is that the signals are compressed, which means much more information can be transmitted in the same amount of bandwidth. The immediate consequence of this has been the remarkable explosion of channels – Freeview has meant that even households which had previously been reluctant to pay for television can now enjoy a range of free-to-air channels undreamt of a few years ago. Freeview, cable and digital satellite viewers can all access interactive television content, meaning it is now available to well over half of all households. The number should grow, as there are plans to ‘switch off’ analogue transmitters by 2010 at the latest.
Some digital television boxes are connected to a telephone line, enabling a two-way transfer of information, similar to an internet connection. This has meant that Internet services such as banking and email have become available even to people without computers in their homes.
The basic reason why interactive television (iTV) has become more prevalent in recent years is simple: it’s only possible with digital television. Digital television can be broadcast by cable, satellite or received, like analogue, through a normal rooftop aerial. The main difference to analogue is that the signals are compressed, which means much more information can be transmitted in the same amount of bandwidth. The immediate consequence of this has been the remarkable explosion of channels – Freeview has meant that even households which had previously been reluctant to pay for television can now enjoy a range of free-to-air channels undreamt of a few years ago. Freeview, cable and digital satellite viewers can all access interactive television content, meaning it is now available to well over half of all households. The number should grow, as there are plans to ‘switch off’ analogue transmitters by 2010 at the latest.
Some digital television boxes are connected to a telephone line, enabling a two-way transfer of information, similar to an internet connection. This has meant that Internet services such as banking and email have become available even to people without computers in their homes.
What is currently available?
In the last few years, interactive television has become more and more widespread, with many channels offering some sort of interactive content. At present, this content ranges from the very basic to the highly sophisticated, and it is constantly evolving.
In the last few years, interactive television has become more and more widespread, with many channels offering some sort of interactive content. At present, this content ranges from the very basic to the highly sophisticated, and it is constantly evolving.
The simplest interactive television is simply an update of the outdated analogue text services such as Teletext and Oracle. Channel 4’s text service is generally of this type, with a familiar roster of lottery numbers, weather and cheap holidays. However, once a year Channel 4 makes better use of its interactive capabilities when it enters its annual Big Brother frenzy. What exactly they provide has varied from year to year but during various series viewers could choose camera angles, read about recent events in the house, and vote online through their set-top box. On E4, their entertainment-focused channel, Big Brother coverage is available all day, every day by pressing the red button, an indispensable service for those viewers who are worried they might miss an argument about which of the housemates should do the washing-up!
ITV is another broadcaster which has recognised the opportunities provided by reality television. Although latecomers to the interactive arena, their red button content offers viewers the chance to vote on popular shows such as I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here! and The X-Factor. In addition, viewers can play games linked to the shows, read behind-the-scenes gossip and enter competitions. Interactive television gives broadcasters the chance to keep viewers interested 24 hours a day – a key weapon in the fight to keep hold of the fickle youth audience. Broadcasters are also linking more content with their websites and looking to mobile phone networks to help them widen their audiences. Channel 4 are offering mobile phone-only mini-episodes of Hollyoaks for download for 50p each. This could be a money-maker and a way of keeping one of their brands at the forefront of people’s minds.
Commercially, iTV has proven to be a revenue-generator for some institutions. Pay-per-play games are part of nearly all interactive television services apart from BBCi, and the UK’s rather relaxed gambling laws have meant gaming companies have been quick to exploit the possibilities of interactive television. A number of digital channels now offer ‘real money’ gambling, with virtual slot machines, poker games and horse racing just some of the games available. In these cases the channels themselves act as little more than portals to the more profitable interactive content, with the programmes themselves being low-quality time fillers.
Advertisers, too, have recognised the potential, with the red dot appearing in the corner of more and more advertising slots. These offer the chance to enter competitions, read more about the product, get a free sample or test drive, or even watch an extended version of the advert itself. Volvo used a recent advertising campaign as a trailer for a documentary about its cars, and we can expect to see more of this sort of thing as the technology develops. In addition, the interactive portals themselves often carry banner ads or embedded advertisements in much the same way as web pages do – so if you thought you could switch to the interactive content to avoid advert breaks, forget it – they’re way ahead of you. The blurring of the lines between entertainment and advertisement has been predicted for a long time, and this is one way that it could happen.
Pushing the boundaries – 2 case studies
In the UK the main institutions pioneering the use of interactive television are the BBC and Sky. Their different remits mean they have made very different use of the technology, demonstrating the true versatility of iTV.
In the UK the main institutions pioneering the use of interactive television are the BBC and Sky. Their different remits mean they have made very different use of the technology, demonstrating the true versatility of iTV.
1. The BBC
As a public service broadcaster, the BBC has a responsibility to provide services to the widest audience possible, including those minorities which may find they are not adequately catered for by commercial television. Their iTV system is known as BBCi, and has largely replaced the Ceefax system on analogue television.
As a public service broadcaster, the BBC has a responsibility to provide services to the widest audience possible, including those minorities which may find they are not adequately catered for by commercial television. Their iTV system is known as BBCi, and has largely replaced the Ceefax system on analogue television.
The BBC’s system of page numbering on its interactive content means users can easily find the page they want by inputting a number using their remote control. This has superseded their previous system, which involved an often lengthy and frustrating search through a series of menus. The slow response of the BBCi pages to the remote control meant casual browsers were discouraged from investigating further and, in some cases, stopped using it altogether. However, it has now been subject to a series of improvements and users have reported that they are much happier with the service.
To date, BBCi encompasses a wide range of content, from ‘added-value’ content that provides extra information about BBC programmes, to stand-alone content. The added-value pages cover the same things as Ceefax, for example recipes from cookery shows or the names and addresses of organisations mentioned in factual programming. It moves beyond the limited capabilities of Ceefax, though, to include things such as games for children based on their favourite Tweenies and Balamory characters.
For sporting events such as the Olympic Games and Wimbledon, BBCi has had great success with running multiple games or events concurrently on BBCi. In 2005, the number of people watching Wimbledon via BBCi went up by 30% – demonstrating that viewers respond positively to true choice.
The BBC have also been exploring ways to add interactive content to shows that have traditionally inspired some level of interactivity from home audiences – even if that used to take the form of shouting at the screen! Their Test the Nation quizzes offer the audience the chance to take part, by answering the questions shown on screen and comparing theirscores against those of the studio audience. This tactic is not only an enjoyable experience, it also encourages viewer loyalty, as you need to watch the whole programme in order to get the most out of it.
In keeping with its public service remit, BBCi has also begun to offer viewers the chance to have their own say, putting viewer-generated content on BBCi. Previously this has only been possible through public access television, rare in the UK, and could be a real chance to make television production truly interactive.
2. Sky
Sky Television, on the other hand, is a purely commercial business which has no public service obligations, and is free to exploit the new interactive technologies for profit. It is significant that Sky’s most lavish interactive services have been aimed at the demographic with the greatest amount of disposable income – young men. Or, to be more specific, young football-watching men.
Sky Television, on the other hand, is a purely commercial business which has no public service obligations, and is free to exploit the new interactive technologies for profit. It is significant that Sky’s most lavish interactive services have been aimed at the demographic with the greatest amount of disposable income – young men. Or, to be more specific, young football-watching men.
Sky Sports, a series of ‘premium’ subscriber-only channels that come only with Sky’s most expensive packages, is aimed overwhelmingly at men and, due to the cost, attracts a self-selecting group of viewers who are very attractive to advertisers. This provides a powerful incentive for Sky to use iTV facilities as a USP to make Sky Sports indispensable for sports fans.
On days where more than one match is being played simultaneously, such as Champions League heats, the interactive button takes you to a selection of screens where the viewer can watch one, four or even eight matches at once. During Premiership matches, the sports fan can choose the commentary they wish to accompany the match, from the professional Sky commentators to the Fanzone, where supporters of each team provide their own, often very entertaining, view of the game. Alternatively, they can use ‘Playercam’, where one footballer is tracked for ten minutes of the match.
Sky has also exploited interactive technology for another set of premium channels – the movie channels, where the most prestigious film premieres are available as Multi-Start movies. By pressing the red button, the viewer is given the choice of starting the movie every ten minutes between two certain times. Not quite the much-anticipated ‘video on demand’ that has been ‘around the corner’ for many years now, but certainly a useful service.
As with BBCi, Sky also offers extensive interactive news content, with channels devoted to headlines, other news, politics, sport and entertainment.
This gives the main Sky News channels the freedom to drop scheduled programming when major news stories break, such as the 7 July London bombings, while continuing to cover stories of lesser importance that will nevertheless be of interest to some viewers.
What does this mean?
One side effect of the rise of iTV is the potential that has arisen for fictional programming to become truly interactive. Channel 4 have been one of the first broadcasters to explore this, producing an urban drama aimed at young people called Dubplate Drama. Broadcast in December 2005, episodes were available to view not just on Channel 4, but on MTV, E4, and available to download from the PSP website and on 3 mobile phones. The BBC has also begin to look at interactive drama, with viewers of an episode of Holby City having a choice of two characters to kill off.
One side effect of the rise of iTV is the potential that has arisen for fictional programming to become truly interactive. Channel 4 have been one of the first broadcasters to explore this, producing an urban drama aimed at young people called Dubplate Drama. Broadcast in December 2005, episodes were available to view not just on Channel 4, but on MTV, E4, and available to download from the PSP website and on 3 mobile phones. The BBC has also begin to look at interactive drama, with viewers of an episode of Holby City having a choice of two characters to kill off.
However, these programmes exemplify the limited ‘choose one of two alternative endings’ format which, up to now, has been the extent of interactive fictional programming. One of the attractive features of iTV is that it offers instant feedback. Imagine a scenario in which the interactive content offers viewers four choices at each key point in the narrative, selectable by using the four coloured keys on the remote control. The number of choices effectively means the viewer is choosing their own programme from one of dozens or even hundreds of potential programmes.
This raises some interesting subjects for debate. First, the cost of producing such a programme would be much higher than one that followed a normal script – how would such a venture be commercially viable?
Secondly, do audiences really want choice? Part of the appeal of television it that it delivers narrative to its audience with little or no effort demanded on their part. Maybe a television viewer wouldn’t enjoy making narrative decisions, seeing it more as a burden or a chore.
However, the trend in recent years has been towards personalisation, with iPods and PVRs letting consumers create, respectively, their own radio stations and television channels. The Internet is awash with re-interpretations of popular texts, such as re-cut edits of Star Wars, re-written versions of Harry Potter and even Lord of the Rings re-created in Lego! Perhaps this shows that young, tech-savvy media consumers would welcome a legitimate arena for such creativity.
Another area for concern is the question of advertising. If embedded advertising in interactive content becomes the norm (and it certainly appears to be), and we see more blurring of the boundaries between programming and interactive content, will we eventually end up with some sort of advertising on screen at all times? PVRs (Personal Video Recorders) such as Sky+ have already worried advertisers, as they drastically cut down the amount of time people spend watching advertising. As more and more people adopt new technologies, institutions will be forced to find ways to make up for the loss in revenue, and this may mean exploiting iTV more. Ofcom will be keeping a close eye on developments, but there is little doubt that things will change.
Thinking points for students
When studying interactive television, perhaps the best way to start is to keep an eye on how different generations approach new technology. Are the younger members of your household more comfortable with interactive television, or does it tend to be older people who use it more often, finding it less intimidating than the Internet? What would encourage you to use iTV more often, and for what services would you be prepared to pay?
When studying interactive television, perhaps the best way to start is to keep an eye on how different generations approach new technology. Are the younger members of your household more comfortable with interactive television, or does it tend to be older people who use it more often, finding it less intimidating than the Internet? What would encourage you to use iTV more often, and for what services would you be prepared to pay?
Watch out for news stories about iTV and how it is being used in conjunction with programming, especially in programmes aimed at teenagers. Youth programmes often give broadcasters a chance to experiment with new technologies, knowing that their target audience will be comfortable with the interfaces and concepts involved. Take note of the ways people you know interact with television programmes – do they text to vote for winners of reality shows, for example?
Think about whether the technology is driving the changes, or whether it is just keeping up with the new demands institutions are making. Do you think we have reached the limit of what can be achieved using the technology available, or should institutions be doing more with it?
To find out you’ll need to keep pressing the red button!
To find out you’ll need to keep pressing the red button!
This article was first published in MediaMagazine 15.
New Media Technologies - what opportunities does it present for audiences?
You and your media
New media technologies and audience consumption
The most exciting aspects of learning about New Media Technologies relate to the immediate impact they have on our everyday lives and on our experiences and choices as consumers. In the first of two linked articles, Struan Bates explores how NMTs have transformed their audiences; and regular MM NMT expert Gavin Luhrs homes in on the red button to explore the impact of digital and interactive TV.
When you are logging-on to the Internet at home or watching a DVD with friends, have you ever considered yourself as part of an expanding New Media audience?
If you haven’t, it’s maybe because these experiences often occur alone, or with a few other people, rather than a larger ‘audience’. But aren’t thousands of others having similar experiences in different places? Thinking about the experiences of New Media audiences gives an insight into how work and leisure time is being changed by new technology. As a user of New Media your choices are important to the institutions that provide products and services. But have you ever wondered how advances in the technology itself are dictating how audiences form and interact?
Individual New Media Technologies are often complicated and evolving things. Don’t worry too much if you don’t know the difference between XML and HTML or what MP3 compression rates are; to understand the component technologies behind things like DVD, IMAX cinema or digital television often requires a high level of technical knowledge. It is more relevant to your course to understand the ways in which Audiences and Institutions have been changed by these technologies, and to be able to talk broadly about the future implications that New Media Technology may have for them.
More choice
New Media audiences can choose between a bewildering number of media products, but how does choice begin to affect the composition of audiences themselves? Digital technology, for instance, has given audiences in Britain access to hundreds of new digital television channels from around the world, giving audiences many more viewing options than the usual five terrestrial channels. The ‘digital revolution’ has also affected the way in which audiences consume music, with the Internet allowing listeners to access MP3 technology and download music tracks to play through their home PCs. This freedom of choice, though, has not continued unabated: legal challenges have been mounted by music companies who feel that consumers should not be able to listen to their artists without paying for the privilege first. Digital technology has therefore given users the ability to select media according to their interests, while simultaneously creating more diverse audiences.
Making life easier for consumers
New Media Technology has also facilitated a greater degree of choice for audiences and consumers of many ‘off-line’ products and services. For example, the appearance of Internet banks over the past five years has allowed consumers to open accounts more easily, without the requirement to fill in a number of forms or make a series of trips to their local branch. If customers have the Internet at home they have access to information such as latest interest rates and banking service reviews; this makes them more powerful as consumers as they can more easily make informed choices. Consumers of products such as clothes or cars can also make more informed choices by surfing the Internet for the best deals. These may often be abroad, though the World Wide Web allows barriers such as language and currency to be transcended; transactions can be carried out simply using the customer’s credit card details.
Consumers of New Media Technologies are therefore transformed from being a passive‘audience’ of technologies like the Internet into active participators, making choices and exploiting the media for their own requirements. The Internet, as one of the most accessible New Media Technologies, has offered the biggest array of choice to the largest audience by virtue of its ease of use. The possibilities to audiences and consumers increase on a daily basis as the web expands and a greater number of people have access to online technology.
Access for all?
‘Narrowcasting’ is when media texts are aimed at very small special-interest groups. TheInternet has allowed events to be ‘narrowcast’ to a niche audience whose interests are not shared by the majority of the population. This form of accessibility has begun to change the composition of media audiences in radical and unpredictable ways. For instance, whereas a fan of a rock group may have once gone to watch the band at a concert, they may now choose to watch a live web-cast in the comfort of their own bedroom. The Internet can also enable audiences to converge where previously they might not have existed: special interest or ‘fan-sites’ allow media communities to appear whose breadth is not restricted by distance or space. For example, fans of ‘cult’ television such as Doctor Who may live in various countries across the world, and without the aid of New Media Technology they may never meet. The Internet allows them to interact with each other as an audience community and share their interests online. To uncover these changes, the media researcher could use an ‘ethnographic’ model to ask questions about particular groups:
• What technologies are being used?
• How sophisticated are the users in accessing the media?
• In what contexts is the media being accessed?
This raises questions about the ways in which technology is changing the shape of audiences and the b that are associated with media consumption. New Media Technologies, however easy to access, are not wholly democratic. Some sections of society are partly excluded from experiencing them; one major factor is the cost of the devices and products available.
Cost and privilege
There is a misconception that some New Media Technologies (the Internet, for instance) allow audiences to access a wealth of media products and services cheaply. This is not always the case; the affordability of New Media products for audiences changes as different technologies become available. For example, a greater audience can now access the Internet more cheaply than they could five years ago, since cheaper computer hardware and ISP charges have allowed more of the population to use services like email and the World Wide Web. Another example would be games consoles (such as PS2 and X-Box), where the price of the hardware (the console itself) has come down in price significantly over the past five years, mainly due to increased mass production of the units and the cheaper availability of the component parts. Whether this form of New Media Technology is really cheaper for consumers, however, is questionable: the price of software (the games themselves) has roughly stayed the same, and for a number of formats it has increased.
On the other hand, digital television is a technology waiting to be fully successful. The promise of this technology has not wholly been realised due to the failure of institutions like ITV Digital, and the relatively high cost of the hardware involved. Up until fairly recently, someone who wished to install digital television at home would have to pay a lot of money for the privilege. Hence, the Internet has a greater audience, while digital television has failed to reach the mass audience that its promoters had envisaged. Different technologies may therefore attract different audiences by virtue of their affordability.
Quality of experience
This is an area where New Media have significant advantages over older technologies. Whiledigital technology in particular has given audiences images of greater quality, it has also opened new avenues for sharing and distribution: images can be attached to emails or displayed in websites. The quality of graphics and sound displayed by games consoles such as PS2 and N64 has improved significantly on the previous generation, and online gaming provides players with a quality of experience that extends beyond their bedrooms. The greater audience available to the online gaming industry helps to create an online community that can experience a product in a way that exploits its potential to its fullest. Whether the game is sophisticated graphically or otherwise is perhaps of less importance than the ability to interact with other gamers. Theinstitutions that provide these experiences know that the quality of experience in this expanding arena will also help to sell ‘units’ of software in the lucrative home market.
Existing forms of media can also be presented in different and exciting ways for audiences. The development of IMAX cinema has provided a whole new cinematic experience, which supersedes the style of film presentation that most filmgoers are familiar with. For the viewer who wishes to stay at home, the increasing affordability of DVDs has meant that their old VHS tapes have been replaced by an item of superior quality that comes with a host of added ‘extras’ such as directors’ cuts, interviews with the cast, and trailers. These all add to the quality ofexperience for the audience, extending their familiarity with the media product beyond a simple viewing. The development of a film as a New Media product therefore has an implication for the quality of experience as well as the quality of product.
But does this greater quality always mean a more desirable product for audiences? Many professional photographers dislike the pixel-perfect quality of digital cameras and prefer to use older techniques of developing rolls of film to achieve a result that provides a greater ‘realism’. Also, the greater number of television channels facilitated by digital television has meant that many broadcasters have paid less attention to the quality of their programming than thequantity of viewers they have attracted.
Audience power
The next time you use your mobile phone, download an MP3 track or switch on your games console, think about yourself as part of an audience. What choices are available to you? Who else is involved in your use of the technology? How is your quality of experience changing? Is what you are doing cheaper or more expensive than it used to be? Developments in the technology itself may help to dictate how people interact with one another. But as a user of New Media your choices and experiences can, in turn, help to drive the development of new products and devices – your behaviour as a member of a New Media audience can be as important to the institutions that govern the media as the evolving technologies driving it. MM
Struan Bates
What’s on the box tonight?
An introduction to thinking about digital and interactive TV
For OCR’s New Media Technologies unit (2732) you need to gather material for a case study. This article is intended to introduce some of the issues related to digital and interactive television; the topic is vast so further investigation on your part is vital.
Digital television has been with us for just a few years, but already it has reached a penetration rate of around 50% of homes (approximately 10-11 million homes). Digital television can be accessed using three platforms: Digital Satellite (Sky), Digital Cable (NTL/Telewest) and DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television – Freeview). All platforms offer an expanded choice of channels and varying levels of interactivity. In general, the digitised television signals mean better picture and sound quality as well as using less bandwidth – this is why it is possible to offer so many additional channels.
Increased channel variety
While some reject the value of all these additional channels, arguing that their output is over-reliant on repeats, imports and ‘trash’, most accept that the possibilities are enriching. Specialist music, documentary, arts, movie, children’s and sports channels are plentiful, particularly on digital satellite and cable platforms. Inevitably, much of the programming is of lower quality; but some of it is also of high quality and of the type rarely seen on the five terrestrial channels. Perhaps the ideals of public service broadcasting should be reconsidered for the digital age; today the channels offering ‘something for everyone’ seem increasingly outmoded.
Increased bandwidth also means that for little extra outlay, channel owners can offer +1 services, which allow viewers a second chance to see a programme they may have missed. Such channels, as well as multiple movie channels showing the same films at 15-or 30-minute intervals, question the traditionally rigid idea of scheduling. Just a few years ago, if you missed a programme you cursed your inability to programme your VCR. Now you can watch it an hour later, or a few days later as part of a weekly cycle of multiple repeat or ‘catch up’ slots. By clever navigation of the television listings, it is becoming almost possible to make your viewing fit around your life, not the other way around.
The increase in the number of channels does have some disadvantages. For viewers, the absence of original programming can lead to a feeling of ‘nothing’ being on across hundreds of channels. ‘Event’ programmes are also under threat; virtually gone are the days when 30 million people tuned into the same programme. For channel owners selling advertising time is increasingly difficult. Niche broadcasters may be advantageous in terms of reaching a specific target audience, but many have official audience shares of 0%. For example, Sky News, despite its reputation as the most successful 24-hour news channel, has an audience share of just 0.6%. In August 2003 the ‘extra’ channels combined had 25.1% of the audience share compared to BBC’s 24.4% and ITV1’s 23.1%. Little wonder, then, that there is an absence of money for risky, original programming.
Press the red button
Interactive features are one of the clear differences between analogue and digital television. On digital platforms the ‘red button’ on the remote control is commonly used to access the interactive content delivered with the television pictures. The appearance of these interactive services varies, but is much like a slimmed-down website or even a DVD video menu. Through the interactive ‘pages’ it is possible to play along with quiz shows, watch video clips, modify the experience of the channel’s main television programme, perhaps by selecting a different camera angle or narrative audio track, or play games. Sky viewers can even buy console-style controllers used specifically to play the games provided on the platform’s interactive service. Using a telephone connection, viewers can also send information to the channel, possibly in the form of votes, as has been used in programmes such as Big Brother and Restoration.
Alternative experiences
The increased bandwidth available on digital platforms allows interactive content to be sent along with a conventional channel. Quickly these interactive offerings have been embraced, admittedly with varying success. Test the Nation, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Banzai are just three quiz-based shows offering viewers the chance to take a fuller part in the proceedings. Premier League Football, tennis at Wimbledon and programmes such as Big Brother and Walking with Beasts have all offered extra video and audio content. Walking with Beasts offered an alternative narration; the BBC’s Wimbledon coverage on interactive television allowed viewers the choice of which game to watch. Such variations link to the experience offered by many other New Media Technologies. The traditionally linear nature of books and films has been made non-linear by the Internet and DVD video (an idea explored in MediaMagazine 4). Interactive services can mean that there is no definitive version of a programme, as viewers switch between the main programme and the supplementary video clips, pictures, or passages of text. The computerised feel of interactive television, and DVD, is making all of us a little more comfortable with computers, and is a good example of convergence.
Optional extras
For viewers, interactive services have the advantage of offering ‘extras’ as well as encouraging a closer interaction with a particular programme. It could be argued that the viewers have greater control if they can select camera angles or the depth of the narration. For the owners of digital television channels, interactive services are attractive because they can both encourage audiences to become more involved with programmes and, more importantly, earn more money through a share of call costs arising from activities such as voting or entering competitions. Increasingly advertisers are using ‘red button’ interactivity to offer viewers the chance to send for more details, request free samples or enter competitions. All viewers need to do is watch out for the red button invitation when the advertisement appears.
As you can see, there are many aspects of digital and interactive television to explore. A good place to start is the BBC News website and the Guardian’s MediaGuardian site. By using the ‘search’ boxes and visiting the sites regularly you will quickly become a digital television expert!
Gavin Luhrs
Glossary
Analogue: analogue signals are sent in radio waves which are received by rooftop aerials. Digital signals are composed of a series of ones and noughts, making the transfer of data, in this case a television signal, much more accurate.
Bandwidth: the capacity available to send data (television pictures, computer files).
Convergence: the process of technologies combining to create a new product – digital television combines moving pictures and computerised, interactive displays.
Digitised: if something is digitised it is converted into computerised data. At its most basic level digitised content is made up of a series of ones and noughts. This allows the perfect reproduction of content as many times as necessary.
Niche broadcasters: providers of specialist content, usually based on a theme. For example, there are channels devoted to food, travel, money and music.
Platform: the ‘stage’ on which something operates. The use of this depends on the context. For example you could talk about a gaming platform to mean either a PC or a games console. Or you could talk about either Sky Television or your PC as a platform for the Internet.
Scheduling: the process of deciding what is on television and when.
This article first appeared in MediaMagazine 6, December 2003
New media technologies and audience consumption
The most exciting aspects of learning about New Media Technologies relate to the immediate impact they have on our everyday lives and on our experiences and choices as consumers. In the first of two linked articles, Struan Bates explores how NMTs have transformed their audiences; and regular MM NMT expert Gavin Luhrs homes in on the red button to explore the impact of digital and interactive TV.
When you are logging-on to the Internet at home or watching a DVD with friends, have you ever considered yourself as part of an expanding New Media audience?
If you haven’t, it’s maybe because these experiences often occur alone, or with a few other people, rather than a larger ‘audience’. But aren’t thousands of others having similar experiences in different places? Thinking about the experiences of New Media audiences gives an insight into how work and leisure time is being changed by new technology. As a user of New Media your choices are important to the institutions that provide products and services. But have you ever wondered how advances in the technology itself are dictating how audiences form and interact?
Individual New Media Technologies are often complicated and evolving things. Don’t worry too much if you don’t know the difference between XML and HTML or what MP3 compression rates are; to understand the component technologies behind things like DVD, IMAX cinema or digital television often requires a high level of technical knowledge. It is more relevant to your course to understand the ways in which Audiences and Institutions have been changed by these technologies, and to be able to talk broadly about the future implications that New Media Technology may have for them.
More choice
New Media audiences can choose between a bewildering number of media products, but how does choice begin to affect the composition of audiences themselves? Digital technology, for instance, has given audiences in Britain access to hundreds of new digital television channels from around the world, giving audiences many more viewing options than the usual five terrestrial channels. The ‘digital revolution’ has also affected the way in which audiences consume music, with the Internet allowing listeners to access MP3 technology and download music tracks to play through their home PCs. This freedom of choice, though, has not continued unabated: legal challenges have been mounted by music companies who feel that consumers should not be able to listen to their artists without paying for the privilege first. Digital technology has therefore given users the ability to select media according to their interests, while simultaneously creating more diverse audiences.
Making life easier for consumers
New Media Technology has also facilitated a greater degree of choice for audiences and consumers of many ‘off-line’ products and services. For example, the appearance of Internet banks over the past five years has allowed consumers to open accounts more easily, without the requirement to fill in a number of forms or make a series of trips to their local branch. If customers have the Internet at home they have access to information such as latest interest rates and banking service reviews; this makes them more powerful as consumers as they can more easily make informed choices. Consumers of products such as clothes or cars can also make more informed choices by surfing the Internet for the best deals. These may often be abroad, though the World Wide Web allows barriers such as language and currency to be transcended; transactions can be carried out simply using the customer’s credit card details.
Consumers of New Media Technologies are therefore transformed from being a passive‘audience’ of technologies like the Internet into active participators, making choices and exploiting the media for their own requirements. The Internet, as one of the most accessible New Media Technologies, has offered the biggest array of choice to the largest audience by virtue of its ease of use. The possibilities to audiences and consumers increase on a daily basis as the web expands and a greater number of people have access to online technology.
Access for all?
‘Narrowcasting’ is when media texts are aimed at very small special-interest groups. TheInternet has allowed events to be ‘narrowcast’ to a niche audience whose interests are not shared by the majority of the population. This form of accessibility has begun to change the composition of media audiences in radical and unpredictable ways. For instance, whereas a fan of a rock group may have once gone to watch the band at a concert, they may now choose to watch a live web-cast in the comfort of their own bedroom. The Internet can also enable audiences to converge where previously they might not have existed: special interest or ‘fan-sites’ allow media communities to appear whose breadth is not restricted by distance or space. For example, fans of ‘cult’ television such as Doctor Who may live in various countries across the world, and without the aid of New Media Technology they may never meet. The Internet allows them to interact with each other as an audience community and share their interests online. To uncover these changes, the media researcher could use an ‘ethnographic’ model to ask questions about particular groups:
• What technologies are being used?
• How sophisticated are the users in accessing the media?
• In what contexts is the media being accessed?
This raises questions about the ways in which technology is changing the shape of audiences and the b that are associated with media consumption. New Media Technologies, however easy to access, are not wholly democratic. Some sections of society are partly excluded from experiencing them; one major factor is the cost of the devices and products available.
Cost and privilege
There is a misconception that some New Media Technologies (the Internet, for instance) allow audiences to access a wealth of media products and services cheaply. This is not always the case; the affordability of New Media products for audiences changes as different technologies become available. For example, a greater audience can now access the Internet more cheaply than they could five years ago, since cheaper computer hardware and ISP charges have allowed more of the population to use services like email and the World Wide Web. Another example would be games consoles (such as PS2 and X-Box), where the price of the hardware (the console itself) has come down in price significantly over the past five years, mainly due to increased mass production of the units and the cheaper availability of the component parts. Whether this form of New Media Technology is really cheaper for consumers, however, is questionable: the price of software (the games themselves) has roughly stayed the same, and for a number of formats it has increased.
On the other hand, digital television is a technology waiting to be fully successful. The promise of this technology has not wholly been realised due to the failure of institutions like ITV Digital, and the relatively high cost of the hardware involved. Up until fairly recently, someone who wished to install digital television at home would have to pay a lot of money for the privilege. Hence, the Internet has a greater audience, while digital television has failed to reach the mass audience that its promoters had envisaged. Different technologies may therefore attract different audiences by virtue of their affordability.
Quality of experience
This is an area where New Media have significant advantages over older technologies. Whiledigital technology in particular has given audiences images of greater quality, it has also opened new avenues for sharing and distribution: images can be attached to emails or displayed in websites. The quality of graphics and sound displayed by games consoles such as PS2 and N64 has improved significantly on the previous generation, and online gaming provides players with a quality of experience that extends beyond their bedrooms. The greater audience available to the online gaming industry helps to create an online community that can experience a product in a way that exploits its potential to its fullest. Whether the game is sophisticated graphically or otherwise is perhaps of less importance than the ability to interact with other gamers. Theinstitutions that provide these experiences know that the quality of experience in this expanding arena will also help to sell ‘units’ of software in the lucrative home market.
Existing forms of media can also be presented in different and exciting ways for audiences. The development of IMAX cinema has provided a whole new cinematic experience, which supersedes the style of film presentation that most filmgoers are familiar with. For the viewer who wishes to stay at home, the increasing affordability of DVDs has meant that their old VHS tapes have been replaced by an item of superior quality that comes with a host of added ‘extras’ such as directors’ cuts, interviews with the cast, and trailers. These all add to the quality ofexperience for the audience, extending their familiarity with the media product beyond a simple viewing. The development of a film as a New Media product therefore has an implication for the quality of experience as well as the quality of product.
But does this greater quality always mean a more desirable product for audiences? Many professional photographers dislike the pixel-perfect quality of digital cameras and prefer to use older techniques of developing rolls of film to achieve a result that provides a greater ‘realism’. Also, the greater number of television channels facilitated by digital television has meant that many broadcasters have paid less attention to the quality of their programming than thequantity of viewers they have attracted.
Audience power
The next time you use your mobile phone, download an MP3 track or switch on your games console, think about yourself as part of an audience. What choices are available to you? Who else is involved in your use of the technology? How is your quality of experience changing? Is what you are doing cheaper or more expensive than it used to be? Developments in the technology itself may help to dictate how people interact with one another. But as a user of New Media your choices and experiences can, in turn, help to drive the development of new products and devices – your behaviour as a member of a New Media audience can be as important to the institutions that govern the media as the evolving technologies driving it. MM
Struan Bates
What’s on the box tonight?
An introduction to thinking about digital and interactive TV
For OCR’s New Media Technologies unit (2732) you need to gather material for a case study. This article is intended to introduce some of the issues related to digital and interactive television; the topic is vast so further investigation on your part is vital.
Digital television has been with us for just a few years, but already it has reached a penetration rate of around 50% of homes (approximately 10-11 million homes). Digital television can be accessed using three platforms: Digital Satellite (Sky), Digital Cable (NTL/Telewest) and DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television – Freeview). All platforms offer an expanded choice of channels and varying levels of interactivity. In general, the digitised television signals mean better picture and sound quality as well as using less bandwidth – this is why it is possible to offer so many additional channels.
Increased channel variety
While some reject the value of all these additional channels, arguing that their output is over-reliant on repeats, imports and ‘trash’, most accept that the possibilities are enriching. Specialist music, documentary, arts, movie, children’s and sports channels are plentiful, particularly on digital satellite and cable platforms. Inevitably, much of the programming is of lower quality; but some of it is also of high quality and of the type rarely seen on the five terrestrial channels. Perhaps the ideals of public service broadcasting should be reconsidered for the digital age; today the channels offering ‘something for everyone’ seem increasingly outmoded.
Increased bandwidth also means that for little extra outlay, channel owners can offer +1 services, which allow viewers a second chance to see a programme they may have missed. Such channels, as well as multiple movie channels showing the same films at 15-or 30-minute intervals, question the traditionally rigid idea of scheduling. Just a few years ago, if you missed a programme you cursed your inability to programme your VCR. Now you can watch it an hour later, or a few days later as part of a weekly cycle of multiple repeat or ‘catch up’ slots. By clever navigation of the television listings, it is becoming almost possible to make your viewing fit around your life, not the other way around.
The increase in the number of channels does have some disadvantages. For viewers, the absence of original programming can lead to a feeling of ‘nothing’ being on across hundreds of channels. ‘Event’ programmes are also under threat; virtually gone are the days when 30 million people tuned into the same programme. For channel owners selling advertising time is increasingly difficult. Niche broadcasters may be advantageous in terms of reaching a specific target audience, but many have official audience shares of 0%. For example, Sky News, despite its reputation as the most successful 24-hour news channel, has an audience share of just 0.6%. In August 2003 the ‘extra’ channels combined had 25.1% of the audience share compared to BBC’s 24.4% and ITV1’s 23.1%. Little wonder, then, that there is an absence of money for risky, original programming.
Press the red button
Interactive features are one of the clear differences between analogue and digital television. On digital platforms the ‘red button’ on the remote control is commonly used to access the interactive content delivered with the television pictures. The appearance of these interactive services varies, but is much like a slimmed-down website or even a DVD video menu. Through the interactive ‘pages’ it is possible to play along with quiz shows, watch video clips, modify the experience of the channel’s main television programme, perhaps by selecting a different camera angle or narrative audio track, or play games. Sky viewers can even buy console-style controllers used specifically to play the games provided on the platform’s interactive service. Using a telephone connection, viewers can also send information to the channel, possibly in the form of votes, as has been used in programmes such as Big Brother and Restoration.
Alternative experiences
The increased bandwidth available on digital platforms allows interactive content to be sent along with a conventional channel. Quickly these interactive offerings have been embraced, admittedly with varying success. Test the Nation, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Banzai are just three quiz-based shows offering viewers the chance to take a fuller part in the proceedings. Premier League Football, tennis at Wimbledon and programmes such as Big Brother and Walking with Beasts have all offered extra video and audio content. Walking with Beasts offered an alternative narration; the BBC’s Wimbledon coverage on interactive television allowed viewers the choice of which game to watch. Such variations link to the experience offered by many other New Media Technologies. The traditionally linear nature of books and films has been made non-linear by the Internet and DVD video (an idea explored in MediaMagazine 4). Interactive services can mean that there is no definitive version of a programme, as viewers switch between the main programme and the supplementary video clips, pictures, or passages of text. The computerised feel of interactive television, and DVD, is making all of us a little more comfortable with computers, and is a good example of convergence.
Optional extras
For viewers, interactive services have the advantage of offering ‘extras’ as well as encouraging a closer interaction with a particular programme. It could be argued that the viewers have greater control if they can select camera angles or the depth of the narration. For the owners of digital television channels, interactive services are attractive because they can both encourage audiences to become more involved with programmes and, more importantly, earn more money through a share of call costs arising from activities such as voting or entering competitions. Increasingly advertisers are using ‘red button’ interactivity to offer viewers the chance to send for more details, request free samples or enter competitions. All viewers need to do is watch out for the red button invitation when the advertisement appears.
As you can see, there are many aspects of digital and interactive television to explore. A good place to start is the BBC News website and the Guardian’s MediaGuardian site. By using the ‘search’ boxes and visiting the sites regularly you will quickly become a digital television expert!
Gavin Luhrs
Glossary
Analogue: analogue signals are sent in radio waves which are received by rooftop aerials. Digital signals are composed of a series of ones and noughts, making the transfer of data, in this case a television signal, much more accurate.
Bandwidth: the capacity available to send data (television pictures, computer files).
Convergence: the process of technologies combining to create a new product – digital television combines moving pictures and computerised, interactive displays.
Digitised: if something is digitised it is converted into computerised data. At its most basic level digitised content is made up of a series of ones and noughts. This allows the perfect reproduction of content as many times as necessary.
Niche broadcasters: providers of specialist content, usually based on a theme. For example, there are channels devoted to food, travel, money and music.
Platform: the ‘stage’ on which something operates. The use of this depends on the context. For example you could talk about a gaming platform to mean either a PC or a games console. Or you could talk about either Sky Television or your PC as a platform for the Internet.
Scheduling: the process of deciding what is on television and when.
This article first appeared in MediaMagazine 6, December 2003
Monday, 11 February 2013
Does the influx of new niche TV channels mean a new platform for extremist views?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2276753/Muslim-fanatics-spouting-British-TV-Extremists-use-fringe-stations-terror-murder-torture-gay-people.html#axzz2KaQqICG3
Some people are arguing that as there are so many niche digital tv channels now, that more people will use them for extremist point of views. Some people have given examples of homophobic or violent content being shown on these channels which would not get shown on a "mainstream" channel. Is there enough censorship and regulation on television?
Some people are arguing that as there are so many niche digital tv channels now, that more people will use them for extremist point of views. Some people have given examples of homophobic or violent content being shown on these channels which would not get shown on a "mainstream" channel. Is there enough censorship and regulation on television?
Is Facebook now thinking about crossing over into the TV Industry
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2276964/Does-Facebook-want-know-youre-watching-TV-Firm-set-start-allowing-users-check-favourite-shows.html#axzz2KaQqICG3
Facebook is thinking about a feature that allows you to "check in" to watch your fave tv programmes. What impact would this have on tv companies?
Facebook is thinking about a feature that allows you to "check in" to watch your fave tv programmes. What impact would this have on tv companies?
Friday, 8 February 2013
BBC i-player revolution
The BBC has announced new plans to possibly start showing new episodes of shows before they've even been broadcast on television. WIll they start charging for this contents?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2275381/Coming-iPlayer-premieres-BBC-shows-12-month-trial.html#axzz2K8Lf6yTk
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Censorship and TV
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2266738/Censorship-row-BBC-cuts-racist-lines-classic-Fawlty-Towers-episode.html
Lots of people might agree with the view that racist or offensive language should be censored from TV in some cases. However, what if the programme was made in the 1970's when that language was more culturally acceptable? This week the BBC have edited out the N word from an episode of Fawlty Towers in case it offends people. Lots of people have complained that his is "airbrushing history". The character that says this word in the show is well known in the series for being old fashioned and not really "with it". So doesn't it make sense that he might use this sort of language? Or it is offensive no matter who says it and no matter what context it is said in? What do you think?
Lots of people might agree with the view that racist or offensive language should be censored from TV in some cases. However, what if the programme was made in the 1970's when that language was more culturally acceptable? This week the BBC have edited out the N word from an episode of Fawlty Towers in case it offends people. Lots of people have complained that his is "airbrushing history". The character that says this word in the show is well known in the series for being old fashioned and not really "with it". So doesn't it make sense that he might use this sort of language? Or it is offensive no matter who says it and no matter what context it is said in? What do you think?
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