Television Technology


Internet TV

Internet TV, is a type of convergence which is very beneficial for us, the audience.

It allows us to pick what we want to watch from a directory of channels, when and if we choose. There are two ways that we can view Internet TV – The content of what you want to watch can be streamed to the media player/TV that want to watch off, or you view the programmes on your computer on websites such as 4OD and BBC iplayer.

Because everyone has jumped on this new wave most channels now have an internet channel/website where their viewers can watch their programmes. 

Who provides Internet Television?Which channels provide on demand service?

Electronic brands such as Sony and Samsung now make Internet televisions, and even 3D televisions which I will go on to talk about later. Not only can you watch on demand television on these internet televisions but you can also browse the internet on some, as long as you have a keyboard and a mouse to get the full experience. Including going on social networking applications such as Skype and Facebook.

Most major channels offer on demand services, both on the TV and each have their own websites such as BBC who have BBC iplayer, Channel 4 have 4OD and ITV have ITV player.

Overall Internet Television is almost the ultimate convergence and brings the entertainment of television together with the adventure of exploring the internet. 

3D Television

3D Television is quite self explanatory, a television that shows three dimensional image. Although the 3D technology has been around for quite a while now, to have the experience of watching 3D films etc in your homes is bringing a whole new practice to us.

Most new 3D televisions are able to produce 2D video images as well as 3D, so that ultimately we have a choice, although when you want to watch things in 3D you have to put on the glasses which would have came with the television.. Which is a bit impractical if you were to have visitors over, and with prices for the glasses ranging near to a hundred pounds, who really has the money to be spending on something which may end up not being the next best thing?

 Some people who have been viewing 3d television have complained about headaches and even visual problems. So possibly 3D Television wont be the next big thing like turning digital, but in fact a bad decision made by television companies.

All different genres of programmes have tried the new 3D experience, with Sky sports even showing the Chelsea Vs Stoke City Premier league in 3D back in April.

Some 3D televisions are passive meaning that everything that makes the image 3D happens inside the television this is an advatage in the fact that the television is cheaper and so  is the glasses. The other type is Active meaning that the glassess is where the technology happens but this makes the glasses all the more expensive although they are more “stylish” like the ones shown.

Motion Sensor Television?

The Sony Bravia WE5 is energy saving, with heat and motion sensors that turn off the television if it senses no motion or an empty room also with a light that senses the light getting darker and dims the brightness on the TV to suit it.

In comparison...

All three of these technologies are fairly new and so while they may have reached its full development stages, 3D TV could still have a  bad response from the public, with ridiculous prices for accessories alone and our homes not providing the right lighting for the best quality image. And while an eco friendly TV with motion sensing may seem like the perfect choice, customers may not be willing to sacrifice picture quality over saving a few pounds on their electric bill.

 

Camera Test

What are the two effects of increasing video gain?

It allows more light in but makes the image grainy.

What should the shutter speed usually be set to?

50

When should you increase shutter speed and what is a side effect of doing this? 

You should increase shutter speed when you want to create slow motion in post production, increasing the shutter speed makes the image quality higher but you need more light.

What is the purpose of doing a white balance?

Doing a white balance allows you to get the correct color on your video. 

What is the effect of increasing the audio gain?

Increasing the audio gain makes the audio louder 

Describe the stages of focusing a camera.

To focus a camera you should zoom in on someones hair for example as it has the most detail and focus clearly on that, but although the image may seem focus you should also use the expand focus button to get an even more precise image.

Why would you use the ND filter?

The ND filter would be used if you was outisde for example and there was too much light.

If you are shooting in a dark location, would the exposure be better at F1 or F8?

F1

Digital Television

Digital TV

Digital Television and signals has made way for a new way to watch TV, to edit video and a whole new experience with media. With the digital TV takeover soon approaching most of the nation has experienced a new way to watch their televisions. We are now able to watch over a hundred channels daily, with multiplex there is a channel for all of us, from cartoons for the kids and game shows for your Nan. Not only can we watch more we can view better picture quality and even watch our favourite shows at a time that suits us rather than the time it’s originally broadcasted at. While watching game shows we can interact by pressing the red button and playing along. Recently Internet TV has become another option, giving us games on our televisions and on demand TV so we can watch out favourite episode again and again.

Video Technology: Aspect Ratio & Pixels

Aspect Ratio

Aspect ratio is the different screen sizes in which video is recorded in for example 16:9 is widescreen and 4:3 is standard. We have different aspect ratios but haven’t always had widescreen televisions, as that is fairly new technology. Despite this films have been being recorded in 16:9 for over 50 years, but viewers had to view them in standard viewing; the process for this to be possible is Panning and Scanning.

Pan and Scan

Panning and scanning is the process which is used in order to change widescreen format to the smaller 4:3 format which was widely popular in the 1950’s. But a lot of directors and people in the industry noticed that you often lose the full effect of the shots when this is done. Some films are composed specifically for widescreen for example in the screenshot of a film (below), you can see where it has been panned and scanned; also clearly showing how a whole character is cut out despite being able to hear her voice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMJhM3So4y8

By panning and scanning or cropping, it may even leave some viewers confused, or even frustrated by the fact that they cannot see the whole picture. With the growing number of widescreen televisions being sold, it may be that buying a widescreen television is the only way to fully enjoy your movies.

Pillar boxing and letterboxing

Pillar boxing is when you have video which is in 4:3 formats but you are viewing it on a widescreen television, the effect of this is that you have to black “bars” either side of your image on screen. This is a better way to tackle to the problem rather than have the image stretched leading to distortion and people appearing fatter than they are.

Letter boxing is almost the same as pillar boxing but it is the other way round; it’s when you have a widescreen format video but you are watching it on a standard television, so you would have two black bars at the top and bottom of the image. Some people may prefer this rather than their film being “panned and scanned”.

TV Motion and Pixels

In the UK video is filmed 25 frames per second so that the images appear as a moving picture rather than a bunch of still images on screen. The more Pixels that we have in photographs or video means better quality. The TV Screen is made up of hundreds of horizontal scan lines, these make up each frame. Different countries use different numbers of lines and different amounts of frames per second.