Blog #2: Digital Television for the Good of Humanity

According to our class lecture, The FCC defines Digital TV as “any technology that uses digital techniques to provide advanced TV services such as high definition TV, multiple standard definition TV, and any other features and services.” Digital TV has progressed by enhancing its image size, resolution, and sound quality. Broadcasting of this digital communication has improved by forming the Advanced Television Systems Committee and creating the ATSC Standard. This standard uses a complex 8-level Vestigal Sideband Modulation. This was made possible by cutting off most of the lower side bands of the video signals and creating more space for more audio and video signals. A typical analog signal was unable to do this; however, when the computer came along this was made possible by interpreting the waves and put the upper side band on top of the lower side band and eliminating the interference allowing for much more space. Digital TV is such a huge part of our lives and is a fantastic way to connect you to other parts of the world but is also beneficial on an educational level. According to Valerio Fuenzalida’s article, “The Cultural Opportunity of Children’s Television Public Policies in Digital Television,” Fuenzalida states the educational potential of Digital TV. Fuenzalida explains how this form of television can help with social and emotional aspects in children and help build confidence, internal abilities and learn ways to overcome adversity and frustrations. This is huge, especially with the world we live in today. With the advancement in television we are capable of doing so many things to improve not only our lives but the lives of our children. Fuenzalida also goes on to explain when Israel’s The Baby TV Channel partnered with Fox and appeared in the United States a few years later transmitting some of its programs to Latin America on Saturday and Sunday mornings with DirecTV offering Baby First TV by satellite. This was a fascinating opportunity and a great way to bring the world together through digital communication. These kinds of advancements could bring even more innovative ways to improve the lives of our children and teaching them not only to improve their cognitive skills but their emotional and sociological skills as well and bring the world together for the good of humanity.

Sources Cited

Fuenzalida, V. (2012). The Cultural Opportunity of Children’s Television Public Policies in Digital Television. Communication Research Trends, 31(3), 4–17.

Communication Technology Blog #1: Motion Pictures

The Communication technology that is most fascinating to me is motion pictures and how they have evolved through time. I have always been a huge movie buff and couldn’t imagine life without it. Watching a movie is an incredible way to step out of your everyday ordinary life and experience a journey while learning all sorts of new and exciting things. I think it really adds color to your life and the way you interact with others and the way you view the world. According to a class lecture and the textbook, “Communication Technology Update and Fundamentals,” Ch. 2 explains how in the 1890’s, William Disckson, the assistant to Thomas Edison, developed the kinetograph and the kinetoscope, a motion picture camera and coin fed viewing system. Edison later created the Vitascope which made it possible for larger audiences to see these images publicly and concurrently by the year 1894. The author states, “In France in that same year, Georges Méliès started the first motion picture theater. Short movies became part of public entertainment in a variety of American venues by 1900 (Campbell, 2002), and average weekly movie attendance reached 40 million people by 1922.” Theater attendance began to grow through 1930 until the Great Depression hit affecting this technology significantly. Attendance rose and fell in correlation with the wars but hit is peak from 1946 to 1949 with 90 million attendees weekly. From here, Television was introduced and attendance began plummeting again. It is incredible to see all the different ways technology has advanced and expanded overtime to enhance how we view these incredible films. While theater sales are not what they used to be, we have been introduced to technological advancements that allow for a different ways to experience films. Technology is such a crucial part of the world we live in and it is important to keep up with the constant changes and gain a better understanding of these fascinating communication technologies.