Digital media refers to media that is recorded and stored in digital format rather than analog format. Examples of digital media include MP3 players, smartphones, digital cameras, DVDs, and digital TV. Digital media offers several advantages over analog such as improved quality, lower production costs, greater storage capacity, and faster speeds. However, digital media also enables easier piracy and raises intellectual property issues. The future of digital media is expected to bring greater accessibility for all as well as more personalized and social experiences through continued technological advances.

1. Digital Media Digital Media Production HAM 432 9 March 2009 Eric Fransella Gabby Haynes Rose Iorlano Claire McGarry Sean Ross

2. What is digital media? Digital media is media that is recorded in codes rather than waves ie. interpreted into numbers rather than its original form. Examples of devices that use digital media include: Mp3 players (eg. iPod) 3G (broadband wireless internet data, all in a mobile environment) Foxtel IQ (time shifting personal digital recorder) digital cameras mobile phones DVD digital tv digital recorders, etc.

3. What is the difference between digital & analogue? Analogue As a technology, analogue is the process of taking an audio or video signal (in most cases, the human voice) and translating it into electronic pulses. Digital Digital, on the other hand, is breaking the signal into a binary format where the audio or video data is represented by a series of ‘1’s and ‘0’s. For example , in terms of production, digital media allows: multi-platform devices such as iPhones to record images and sound, edit text and upload to web different formats eg. sound, audio to be integrated and edited on the same device.

4. What is the difference between digital & analogue? When comparing VHS to DVD, DVD has many more advantages. Digital video is much easier to produce and infinitely easier to edit. DVD sound quality is better, picture quality is better, DVDs preserve much better over time and DVD production adds the option of adding special features which further improve the marketability of a product; for instance directors cuts or deleted or missing scenes. However the move towards this digital age in television and cinema has made piracy easier and a much bigger issue both film studios and independent producers. The Australian film industry itself loses up to $230m each year (AFACT, 2007).

5. Advantages Advantages of digital media include: Quality - vastly improved quality when producing sound or vision. Digitally stored information does not deteriorate and infinite reproduction is possible without deterioration of quality. There is also no 'wearing down' like when working with VHS or cassette tapes. Cost – it is a cheaper way of producing content. Space - waves are compressed, therefore more information can be stored. Speed - digital media is generally faster than analogue media. Convenience – for example, digital TV allows the viewer to be in control of time (recording programs/fast forwarding ad breaks etc).

6. More advantages Advantages of digital media include (continued): Digital media allows users to contribute/interact between various online social medias eg, Facebook, Second Life, etc. Therefore it could be argued that digital media helps in the strengthening of social communities. Digital networks allow for the transmission of all media across varying platforms, thus allowing for multifaceted digital creations (Linked websites including, audio, video etc.) All forms of digital media can be stored on disk/usb etc, readable by any computer worldwide. In contrast to separate forms of analogue media eg. a slide projector to show slides, tape recorder to play sound, etc. Digital copies are always exactly the same as the original because digital information is zeroes and ones, whereas analogue information contains continuously varying electrical or magnetic values (eg. copies of VCR tapes always contain small errors).

7. Disadvantages Disadvantages of digital media include: Intellectual property issues - digital media can be modified and added to which blurs the lines of ownership and rights. Differing copyright laws in different countries - national boundaries and regional boundaries are relatively unclear. It could be argued that it has had a negative impact in how easy it is to copy and mass reproduce pirated movies or music. Some may argue that increased social media may deteriorate the level of normal social interaction - physical to technological - isolation in human contact, etc. Can also be argued (although not entirely fairly) that advances in this area will further decrease physical activity and therefore lead to an increase in the public health problems of obesity and inactivity.

8. Digital… the next 10 years The future of digital… Accessible to everyone - democratic but harder to find a professional advantage, in some areas everyone will need to be a digital media professional. Future digital media will filter and personalise information. Digital media professionals will have the ability to make meetings almost entirely obsolete. Video conferencing will greatly cut costs for business as they no longer have to fly people around the country, and social networking opportunities will greatly improve communication chains in business.

9. Further examples in digital developments The advantages/disadvantages of digital media can be seen through looking at the development of digital media to date and how it may be in the future: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj8ZadKgdC0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUHBPuHS-7s Google Epic, a short film on the what might happen in the digital media world involving Google.