What is the xbox 360?

What is the Xbox 360?

The Xbox 360 is a video game console produced by Microsoft.
Its Xbox Live service allows players to compete online and download arcade games and content such as game trailers, TV shows, music videos, or rented movies.
The Xbox 360 is the successor to the first Xbox, and it competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of gaming systems.
The Xbox 360 was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information divulged later that month at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. It is the first console to provide near-simultaneous launch across the three major regions, and to provide wireless controller support at launch.

Selling Statistics: The console sold out completely at release and by end of 2006 had shipped 10.4 million units worldwide.

What is High Denfinition Television?

Wikipedia: High-definition television (HDTV) is a digital television broadcasting system with a significantly higher resolution than traditional formats (NTSC, SECAM, PAL). While some early analog HDTV formats were broadcast in Europe and Japan, HDTV is usually broadcast digitally, because digital television (DTV) broadcasting requires much less bandwidth. HDTV technology was first introduced in the US during the 1990s by a group of electronics companies called the Digital HDTV Grand Alliance.
In the 2000s, a number of high-definition television standards are competing for the still-developing niche markets. Current HDTV standards are defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R BT.709) as 1080 active interlace or progressive scan lines, or 720 progressive scan lines, using a 16:9 ratio. HDTV is also capable of "theater-quality" audio because it uses the Dolby Digital format to support "5.1" surround sound. It should be noted that while HDTV is more like a theater in quality than conventional television, 35mm and 70mm film projectors used in theaters still have the highest resolution and best viewing quality on very large screens. Many HDTV programs are produced from movies on film as well as content shot in HD video.
The term "high-definition" can refer to the resolution specifications themselves, or more loosely to media capable of similar sharpness, such as photographic film. As of 2007, 24 million US households have HDTVs. However, only half are set up to actually receive HDTV programming as some consumers are not aware that they must get special receivers to get HDTV from cable, or use HDTV tuners to receive over-the-air broadcasts, and some are planning to use it in the future.

Summary of Article 1

Summary of 'We're all reporteers in the digital democracy'
by Emily Bell

The democratisation of media- mainstream media being influence and generated by consumers.

It has become second nature since september 11th to digitilised events such as the london bombings. There are thousands of photos and video clips taken by ordinary consumers using their increasingly handy digital equipment.

The working media now has the job of incorporating the 'media' into the media and keeping the citizen journalists content flowing by providing them with the tools and knowledge to do so.

Summary of Article

Summary of 'Writers who work for nothing: its a licence to print money'
by John Naughton

• When the virgin express train bound for Glasgow crashed in Cumbria on 24th February shortly after on the BBC news website appeared details of the crash and a photograph taken inside one of the derailed carriages with the anchor: ‘send pictures to yourpics@bbc.co.uk’
  
  
• A passenger had taken the picture using a camera phone and dispatched via the mobile network to the BBC. This is an example of what has become known as user-generated content.
  
  
• The London bombings of July 7th 2005 marked the first time we had seen such content impact on traditional news media in Britain. Many pictures and footage flooded in from camera phones and digital cameras of observer at the scenes of the attacks.
  
  
• Main stream media suddenly began to understand what user-generated content meant.
  
  
• Since then the digital media generated by the public has become in comprehensible.
  
  
• Good news for the hard drive and media storage manufacturers.
  
  
• Optimists see it as a great release of human creativity which up till now has been unheard of because of lack of technology.
  
  
• Cynics see it differently: as living proof that giving bloggin or movie editing software to the average punter is like giving a clock to a monkey. To them, the user-generated content movement is just vanity publishing on steroids.
  
  
• Sceptics ask: how the constant increase of media can be controlled and managed financially and physically.

5 key concepts concerning NMT

1. Convergence

This term is used to describe the process of multiple technologies being bought together to form a new product. Fore example home cinemas, mobile phones, PlayStation's etc

2. Personalisation

A characteristics of many NMTs is their ability to offer user a personalised experience with content and presentation tailored to user/ audience preferences

3. Interactive

Interactivity is a two way communication and in the context of NMTs mean content is reactive to audience's choice

4. Linear/ Non linear

• cinema experience- linear
• DVD- can be non-linear
• Internet - non linear
• interactive TV - can be either

5. Democratisation

• The ability to communicate your opinions and ideas
• Share creative output-blogging
• Creation of your own tv scheldule