The Changing Digital World

There are now many ways of watching television using the different broadcasting systems available to us today. Cable TV (e.g. Virgin Media), Digital TV (e.g. Freeview), IPTV (e.g. I-Player), Multiplex (e.g. BBC) and Satellite (e.g. SKY) all provide hundreds of different channels including specialist channels such as Music, Sport, News etc. This massive growth of channels in the digital world has changed how we view television. We now have a wide variety of channel choices along with TV systems creating ways to record programmes and TV obtainable on the Internet (including websites such as ‘BBC I-Player’).

There are certain advantages of using digital cameras over film cameras. With film cameras, you have to wait for the film to be developed in order to view what has been filmed. Digital cameras allow us to constantly monitor what is being filmed therefore preventing any on set problems that may affect the film.  There are also portability advantages as digital cameras are overall smaller than film cameras, making it easier to film different shots and in different locations. Digital cameras have a low light sensitivity that film cameras lack, allowing for less lighting involved in shooting and less irreversible lighting issues in post production. Although digital cameras do have electrical noise, grain from film cameras is more intrusive to the viewer’s experience.  As well as this digital cameras can shoot in High Definition, regularly used today. These both offer an aesthetic advantage over film cameras.

Editing in the digital world has improved along with the other technology in the digital world. Editing software such as ‘Final Cut Pro’ allows editors choose from a variety of shots and takes to edit together in order to make the final programme. Shows such as ‘Friends’ shoot with multiple cameras and it is the editor’s job to decide what shots are used and what aren’t. As the cameras are improving the quality of the picture, so are the post production stages. Editing now includes graphics, contrast and brightness levels, music and many more aspects that create a better show.