Angelie New Media Technologies 08

Virgin Media is the UK's biggest on demand provider, with over 3 million Video on Demand (VoD) customers. With the VoD service, users can stream programmes whenever they want from the servers at their local head-end (central control device). TV Choice is a large library of programmes that have been uploaded by content providers such as the BBC, Channel 4, Disney Channel and many more. Subscribers to Virgin Media's premier television package (Size: XL) have the content included in their subscription, while other customers can pay £5 per month for unlimited access, or can use pay-per-view. Also part of TV on Demand is Catch Up TV, which streams programmes up to 7 days after they've been aired.

TV Choice is split up into different categories which users can use to find the programmes they want to watch:

• Virgin Central
  Virgin Central contains a selection of programmes that are free for all Virgin customers, even if the VoD service is not usually in their subscription.


• Channels
  Programmes are categorised by the following Channels: BBC, 4 on Demand, HBO, Warner TV, Living, Virgin 1, Paramount comedy, Bravo, Zone Reality, Discovery, National Geographic, Histort & Biography, MTV and Extreme Sports.
  
• What's New
  In this section, users can find programmes that have been recently added to the VoD service.
  
• Comedy
  New and classic comedies such Friends, Curb Your Enthusiasm and My Family.
  
• Drama
  e.g. Close To Home, Entourage and Lost
  
• Entertainment
  A variety of shows including The Charlotte Church show, Jerry Springer and Laguna Beach


• Kids
  The kids section features programmes from: Jetix, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr, Disney Channel, Pop, Tiny Pop and Baby TV.


• Lifestyle and Factual
  The lifestyle and factual section contains documentaries and other lifestyle shows.


• High Definition
  A selection of HD programmes (at the moment, this is quite limited... but presumably as HD becomes more and more popular, more HD programmes will be added)


• All A-Z

TV Choice on Demand would appeal to a wide variety of audiences, ranging from teenagers, to middle-aged people to the elderly. This is because of the wide variety of programmes available, which means that the audience is more likely to find something they're interested in. And very often, audience members will find more than one programme that they would like to watch. Virgin Media users use the TV on Demand service because of the instant gratification it provides. The audience can watch it whenever they want and aren't restricted by traditional TV schedules.

The main institution involved is Virgin Media. By providing an extensive selection of on demand programmes, Virgin Media is seen as a very good video on demand provider. They can use this aspect of Virgin Media to market the service and hopefully get more customers. Providing their current customers with a good quality on demand service could mean that the audience would stay loyal to Virgin Media and may be less likely to switch to other competitors such as Sky.
However, the increasing usage of on demand services has caused problems for broadcasters. If more people are using the on demand service, they would be less likely to watch normal TV channels. This means that they are much less likely to actually watch the adverts. This would mean that advertisers would be less willing to pay for advertising air time, which would lead to a decrease in revenue for the broadcasters.

1. Proliferation
With TV Choice on Demand, there is a massive amount of choice of programmes for the audience.


2. Digital vs. Analogue
TV Choice on Demand is available through digital TV as opposed to terrestrial services.


3. Fragmentation
Audiences are diversified because the main audience using TV on demand will be broken down into smaller groups who will watch different types of programmes on VoD.


4. Time shift/Convenience
   The audience can choose when they want to watch the TV programmes and can use the service whenever is convenient for them.
   
   

Blu-ray discs are a new type of disc, created by Sony, enabling recording, rewriting and playback of high-definition video. Blu-ray discs are likely to replace DVDs, since they offer a better experience and can hold more data.

Blu-ray discs can store 5 times more data than a DVD. They can hold 25GB of data on a single layer disc and 50GB on a dual layer disc. Blu-ray also uses advanced audio and video codecs, which further the audience's high definition experience. For a long while, Blu-ray was in competition with Toshiba's HD-DVD. But as of around February this year, Blu-ray won the battle and Toshiba has announced that they will be axing HD-DVD. DVDs use red lasers to read and write data, whereas Blu-ray uses a blue-violet laser (hence the name Blu-ray). Blue-violet lasers have a shorter wavelength than red lasers, which means that the laser spot can be focused with greater precision. This means that the data can be packed more tightly and stored in less space, even though the disc itself is the same size as a DVD. The data layer on Blu-ray discs is a lot closer to the surface, making it necessary for hard coating technology to be used to make the discs more durable. The increased storage space eliminates the need for Bonus Features discs, and instead all the content can be stored on just one disc.


The audience use Blu-ray because of the better cinematic experience. The high-definition picture and sound quality would make the audience want to use Blu-ray over traditional DVDs, since they would probably get a greater sense of satisfaction. Blu-ray discs would appeal especially to film fans, since they would really enjoy watching films in high definition, in the comfort of their own homes. Blu-ray discs could also be more appealing for the audience since they may take up less shelf space, since there wouldn't be any need for more than one disc per film.

Sony has been able to offer consumers a much better experience since they can produce much higher quality home entertainment products. By tapping into the market for high definition products, Sony has managed to attract the support of leading consumer electronics, personal computer, recording media, video game and music companies. Seven of the eight major movie studios (Disney, Fox, Warner, Paramount, Sony, Lionsgate and MGM) are releasing their movies exclusively in the Blu-ray format. When Paramount switched from HD-DVD to Blu-ray in January 2008, that was one of the final signs that Blu-ray would win over HD-DVD.
Through Blu-ray, Sony can make a lot of money. This is because when customers switch to Blu-ray, their old DVDs will no longer work in Blu-ray players. So, the audience would need to buy all their old films in Blu-ray format. While this would be very beneficial for Sony, it would be really problematic for the audience.


Key Concepts

1. Quality
   Blu-ray allows an an enhanced sound and picture experience, meaning more pleasure for the audience.


2. Miniaturisation
   More data can be smalled in a smaller space (i.e. one Blu-ray disc as opposed to multiple DVDs)
   
3. Vertical Integration
   Sony's Playstation 3s come with an integrated Blu-ray player. This could mean that Sony could use Playstations to try and sell Blu-ray discs.
   
4. Non-linear
   The audience could choose what order they want to consume the Blu-ray's content in.

Examples of films on Blu-ray

• P.S. I Love You
• First Sunday
• The Devil's Own
• Shall We Dance?
• Om Shanti Om
• Twister
• 27 Dresses
• First Knight
• The Golden Compass
• Ocean's Eleven
• Ocean's Twelve
• The Orphanage
• One Missed Call

• Wireless email


• Advanced phone features (e.g. speakerphone and voice dialling)


• Instant Messaging (using Yahoo Messenger and Google Talk)


• SMS and MMS


• Multimedia Player (plays audio and video files)


• Camera: capture the moment in perfect clarity with 2.0MP, built-in zoom and flash.


• 3.5mm stereo headset capable


• Browser (navigate and browse websites with a roll and click of the trackball)


• Organiser (Synch and store your calendar data, address book etc)


• BlackBerry Maps (get directions and view maps while on the road)


• Global Positioning System1 (GPS)


• 64 MB of built-in memory and an expandable microSD memory slot1,2.


• Bluetooth capability


• Full QWERTY keyboard layout (for fast text and email composition)


• High-resolution, light-sensing screen
  

Size and weight

• Length: 107mm


• Width: 60mm


• Depth: 15.5mm


• Weight: 111g

The main users of BlackBerrys are likely to be business people. They would use the BlackBerry as a personal organiser, probably setting calendar reminders for meetings etc. They may also use it to check their e-mails when they're out, in order to keep up with recent activity at work. The BlackBerry enables users to do a number of different things all from one device. Young adults may also use the BlackBerry. They would be more likely to use it for it's internet browsing capabilities, it's camera, multimedia player and possibly instant messaging services as well.

The main institution involved is Research in Motion (or RIM). RIM have used the technology to produce a convergent device that will be very appealing to people. They have also developed ways of making the device as small as possible, which would make it even more appealing to the audience. By creating a device that lots of people would want, RIM will maximise their revenue.

Key Concepts

1. Convergence
   The BlackBerry is an example of convergence between phone, camera, multimedia player, personal organisation device and computer/internet
   
2. Personalisation
   The BlackBerry is individualised since users can do what they want with it.
   
3. Portability
   The BlackBerry can be taken and used wherever the users want to use it.
   
4. Miniaturisation
   The BlackBerry Curve 8310 is the smallest and lightest BlackBerry smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard.

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.co.uk is the UK branch of the American e-commerce company Amazon.com, Inc. Amazon began as an online bookstore but then it diversified by also selling videos, DVDs, CDs, MP3s, computer software, video games, toys, jewellery and many more products. Users shop online and get their products delivered directly to their home.

Amazon uses online surveillance to track consumers searches and purchases. Then, they recommend other products based on these. This enables them to target the consumers more effectively.
So, when a user browses for different products, at the bottom of each product page is details on 'Your recent browsing history'. It also offers you a few other products based on the ones you've recently viewed. If you click on the link 'Visit the Page You Made' , you can get a list of all the products you've looked at recently. On that page, there is a 'You May Also Like...' section.

When you go on a product page, if you choose to buy the product, you can select the quantity you want, and then add the product to your shopping basket. If you purchase over £15 worth of eligible items, then delivery will be free. Once you've finished browsing, you can proceed to the checkout where you will give details on the delivery address and pay using a credit card or gift voucher.
As well as buying brand new products, users can buy and sell used products.

Audiences use Amazon.co.uk because it's convenient. They can shop whenever they feel like it, from the comfort of their own homes. Amazon offers a wide range of products, which are likely to suit lots of different audience members. Different users will buy different types of products from there. Users also know that they will get high quality products from Amazon, and don't have to worry about buying things online and then receiving poor quality products. The audience also gets a personalised experience through the online surveillance system.

The main institution involved is Amazon. They can use the online surveillance system to effectively target their audience, which could encourage users to spend more, therefore increasing their revenue. If Amazon gets a good reputation for their good services and high quality products, then more users will start to use it and brand loyalty may increase.


Key Concepts

1. Online surveillance
Amazon uses online surveillance a lot in order to track users browsing habits and then recommend other products to them based on this.


2. Personalisation
   The individual recommendations mean that the users experience is more personalised, since they are targeted based on their individual wants.
   
3. Time-shift/Convenience
   Users can shop on Amazon whenever is convenient for them.

James McAvoy Online is an unofficial and fan-operated website for British actor, James McAvoy.



The homepage is a few different shades of blue with black text. James McAvoy Online logo, which is fairly large on the page and would attract the audience's attention. Underneath that, and in the middle, are links to recent news articles. Underneath each link is a small description of the article, and a photograph to accompany the description. To the left of the recent news articles, is a 'Categories Menu' which can be used to search for news items under 5 different categories: film, James, television, theatre and website. Under the categories menu is a poll, which is an example of interactivity. Under that is a 'Who's Online', 'User's Login' and 'Past Articles section.


On the other side of the homepage, is the Main Menu. The Main Menu provides links to the different sections of James McAvoy Online:

• News
  The news section is set out in the same way as the news part of the homepage: links, with a photo and a small description for each news item.
  


• Biography
  The Biography section is split up into sections:
  ~ General Facts
  ~ Family, Marital Status and Education
  ~ Passions
  ~ Miscellaneous
  ~ Quotes about his fans
  Each of these sections provides lots of information and random facts about James McAvoy.
  


• Filmography
  The filmography section provides users with details on James McAvoy's previous work. It is split into the following sections
  ~ Film
  ~ Television
  ~ Theatre
  ~ Drama School
  


• Photo Gallery
  The James McAvoy Online gallery is very extensive. It contains photos from James's public appearances, photoshoots, magazines and interview scans, movie stills and promo pictures, TV stills and promo pictures, miscellaneous photos and fanart and desktop wallpapers.
  


• Interviews
  This section contains lots of links to interviews with James McAvoy. But, most of these are fairly old.
  


• Message Board
  In the message board area of James McAvoy Online, fans of James McAvoy can discuss James and his work. They can also get to know other James McAvoy fans.
  


• Links
  The links sections gives links to James McAvoy Online's affiliates and other James fansites
  


• Feedback
  The feedback section gives details on James McAvoy online, the 'JMO Team', and how to contact the webmasters and James himself.
  


• Members list

Also on the homepage, is a 'ParaChat Chat Room' area, where if website visitors click on the 'Chat Now!' button, they can talk to other James McAvoy fans.

Fans of James McAvoy love James McAvoy Online because of it's extensive gallery and generally up to date news section. Most James McAvoy fans would use James McAvoy Online for the photo gallery, since there are well over 3000 photos from various films, TV appearances etc. The forum enables fans to talk to other fans from all over the world. So the fans may like being able to interact with other fans on the forum, and discuss James McAvoy as well as get to know each other.

There aren't really any institutions involved in James McAvoy Online, since it is a website run by fans. However, the website and its webmasters do act as a sort of institution. This is because if James McAvoy Online gets a reputation for being the best James McAvoy resource online, more people will visit the site and maybe become members. And if it lives up to their reputation, the audience will stay loyal to James McAvoy Online.

Key concepts

1. Reach
   James McAvoy Online has the potential to reach James McAvoy fans from all over the world.
   
2. Horizontal Networking
   Photos are uploaded into the gallery for the benefit of the audience, but the webmasters do not gain commercially from this.
   
3. Narrowcasting
   James McAvoy Online is targeted at a relatively niche audience: James McAvoy fans.
   
4. Immediacy
   James McAvoy fans can access JMO whenever they feel like it, and will therefore instantly have their needs gratified.

A podcast is a series of audio files which are distributed through the internet, to be downloaded and played on iPods or MP3 players. These podcasts can be listened to whenever and wherever the audience wants to. Podcasts are normally released and distributed through podcatching clients. The main podcatching client is Apple's iTunes. Other podcathing clients include Microsoft's Zune Marketplace and Podget (for Linux users)

Skinscast is a weekly podcast which is, according to the Skinscast website, "so crammed with Skins stuff that we had to make up a new word and everything". Each week after the latest episode of Skins is aired on E4 (Channel 4's entertainment channel), the podcast can be downloaded through iTunes. The podcasts discuss the episode which has just aired, and delves deeper into the characters storylines, as well as finding out behind the scenes 'gossip and drama' from the Skins cast members.
One character is the main focus of each weeks episode. So, each week's podcast interviews the actor playing the episodes main character, and it is this actor's picture which is used in their episode's part of the 'What's in Store' section of the Skinscast page. These interviews are mostly focused on the actor's characters and what they've gone through in the most recent episode.
In the podcasts, other Skins actors are also interviewed and they often talk about things like backstage gossip (often heard from Mitch Hewer who plays Maxxie, Nicholas Hoult who plays Tony, and Joe Dempsie who plays Chris) as well as interviews about the actors themselves.
On the main page of the Skinscast section of the Skins website, visitors are given the option to share the page with a friend, by sending them an email through the website.

The audience for Skinscast would be fans of Skins who want to hear about backstage gossip as well as watch the episodes. The audience would be able to listen to their favourite actors whenever they want. Once the audience has listened to the podcast more than once, they could skip past some parts to get to their favourite bits. The podcasts enable the audience to hear about things that they may not have otherwise, so it extends their experiences of the programme.

The main institution involved is Channel 4. By extending the audiences experiences of Skins, they can encourage customers to stay loyal to them, if they offer better extended experiences than their competitors. Podcasting has made it a lot easier for Channel 4 to offer audio interviews and discussions, whereas before they would have only been able to offer those in text form. Podcasting also enables Channel 4 to create a symbiotic link between themselves and Apple, since audience members have to download Skinscast through Apple's iTunes.

1. Time shift
   The audience can choose to listen to the podcasts whenever is convenient for them, and they are not at all restricted by scheduling.
   
2. Portability
   Once the podcast has been downloaded onto an iPod, the audience can take that iPod wherever they want and therefore listen to the podcasts wherever they want.
   
3. Vertical Integration
   In order to download Skinscast, the website takes you straight to iTunes. Apple's iTunes only plays audio files on Apple's iPods.
   
4. Interactivity
   The audience can send in their photos and questions for the cast. They are also given the opportunity to enter competitions where they can win Skins props.
   

YouTube describes themselves as "a free online video streaming service that allows anyone to view and share videos that have been uploaded by our members".
YouTube uses Flash Video technology to stream videos (usually up to 10 minutes long) uploaded by their users. When users upload videos, they are re-encoded to limit the size and quality, and they are converted to the Flash Video format (.flv) and transcoded to use the H.264 codec .

The actual video, uses Stop Motion technology in order to make the Lego characters look like they're moving. Between photographic frames, the Lego people would be moved by extremely small amounts. So, when all the frames are played in a continuous sequence, it looks like the Lego people are really moving. Stop Motion software such as Stop Motion pro has made this technique a lot easier to use.

The video is like a set of highlights from Les Mis, which condenses a 2 and a half hour long show into just 4 minutes. The video uses clips from the songs on the Original Broadway Cast Recording and using stop motion technology, gets Lego characters to act out the songs. The Lego people generally resemble their characters extremely well, and use costumes which are quite similar to those in the show. Lego is also used to create sets which were inspired by the show sets and Lego props were also used.

The target audience for YouTube in general is people of all ages and genders who want to be entertained. But, 40% of YouTube users are over 35.
The target audience of this video would be Les Mis fans of all ages. These fans would be the ones who know the show fairly well, and would get a sense of enjoyment through watching the video. There's also quite a bit of humour in the video. For example,the Lego prostitutes (who look quite amusing) and when Valjean hits Javert with a chair, leaves, then goes back to kick him. Most audience members would find this new take on the musical quite refreshing.
Watching this video may also inspire other audience members to create more Les Mis related user generated content. For example, many Les Mis fans also upload their own versions of the songs.

The main institution involved is YouTube. YouTube enables users to broadcast their videos to the world. YouTube was bought by Google for $1.65 billion in 2006. YouTube can be used to distribute, exhibit and market the media. Due to YouTube's massive audience, many other institutions use YouTube to market their films, bands/artists and TV programmes. For example, the record compant Polydor uses YouTube to upload advertisements and full music videos for some of their clients. Similarly, the BBC uploads clips from their TV shows. YouTube also enables amateur filmmakers and bands to upload videos in order to try and promote their work.
However, YouTube has also had many problems with copyright issues. Due to the number of videos uploaded every day, YouTube is extremely difficult to regulate. This means that copyrighted videos are often uploaded, which can cause legal troubles for YouTube.

Key Concepts

1. Narrowcasting
   With Lego Les Mis, a very niche audience is targeted, and this video is something that would only really make sense and be enjoyable for Les Mis fans.


2. Democratisation
   YouTube enables anyone to upload and stream a video for people around the world to watch.


3. Horizontal Networking
   YouTube enables people to share their videos with other people, but there is no commercial gain (at least for the people uploading the videos)