Chapter 2: Home Entertainment

Chapter 2: Home Entertainment

1. Pay-Per-View (PPV)

   • This is generally associated with cable and satellite TV services.
   • You pay a subscription and then you pay an agreed amount for each film or live event you watch. Pay-per view will also let you see other services such as Freeview.

2. Interactive TV

   • The user is able to make requests to the system and the system is able to react to these requests.
   • It allows you to use services that would've only been available using the internet. For example, you could order something you see in a TV advert using your remote control without even leaving the house.
   • Some interactive services are; betting, dating, gaming, shopping and voting.

3. Online services

   • All the services in interactive TV are available on the internet. some services are extremely popular such as eBay.

4. Gaming

   • A very popular service is online gaming. you are able to join in with other players globally. You can often adopt a persona, which means you can enter the game as a character or avatar rather than yourself.
   • Some games are free whereas other require a subscription or some form of payment.

5. Input and output

   • Input devices are needed for data to be input to a system. Output devices allow data out of a system.
   • Interactive TV...Input; Remote control, keypad. Output; TV screen, speakers.
   • Gaming...Input; keyboard, gamepad, joystick, mouse. Output; Monitor or screen, speakers.

6. Image Capture

   • Digital photography is a way of capturing photos without film.
   • Digital cameras store images as digital files on a flash memory card. Many computers have flash memory interfaces so that the memory card can be removed from the camera and the images downloaded directly into a computer and saved on backing stores.
   • Digital video cameras stores video clips as digital files in the camera. These can later be downloaded directly into a computer. Many video cameras can also take photos.
   • Digital images are made up of millions of tiny dots called pixels. The resolution of an image is a measure of the number of pixels in a certain area. The word 'pixel' is shortened from 'picture element'. A pixel is the smallest amount of information that can be displayed on a screen. Each pixel dot can have its own colour. monitors can display millions of different colours.

7. Music and sound

   • Music can be accessed from a number of sources; digital TV, digital audio broadcasting, the internet and CD's. You can use a computer to access radio stations almost anywhere in the world.
   • Mobile phones can be used for things other than talking to people. They are often called smart phones as they are so intelligent. Smart phones can be used to take pictures, access websites and play music. Advantages include; they are compact and easy to carry around, people who are on the move can be contacted and you can access the internet. However, there are disadvantages as well; they are quite expensive - especially when used abroad - mobile signals can interfere other with electronic equipment and they do not work if out of reach of a transmitter/receiver.

8. Leisure services

   • Webcams are digital video cameras connected directly to a computer. Webcams can be used for; monitoring your home for security and monitoring young infants in other rooms. However, disadvantages include; your privacy could be somewhat lost and you could be tempted to send a picture which you later regret.
   • Social networking is a way of communicating with people globally using the internet. Some social media sites include; Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Advantages include; easy to display photos and videos, usually free and easy to make friends online and keep in touch. however there are dangers to using social media; people may not be who they say they are, the threat of online bullying and you could post embarrassing photographs which you could later regret.