The Impact of Digital TV on audiences and TV companies Essay Example for Free

The Impact of Digital TV on audiences and TV companies Essay Fifty years ago, TV was the new thing that would enhance our lives. Even up to this day, we still captivate ourselves to this evolving culture which has had such an impact to us. Just imagine if one of the worlds greatest events would not have been shown in TV (imagine people across America not watching the twin towers fall-what impact would it have on other people?). But these recent times, the advent of Digital Television is another step towards the progression of television itself. It opens a whole window of possibilities- more channels, more choices, better interactivity. Even the television companies itself will be given a new challenge by introducing this new technology to its current and future customers. It is up to them however to find the gap in the market to gain full advantage of Digital TV. When there is progression, so will be regression. Digital TV will not just catch on and be the next best thing instantly. There will be some people who will oppose to the idea and the companies will try and fight over viewing rights of channels. A recent Ofcom report said more than 60% of UK households now receive digital TV. With a digital switchover planned to take place from 2008-2012, should the government say yay or nay? Let us imagine ourselves when the digital switchover has taken place. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? First off, let us discuss the advantages of digital TV. It has a great appeal to the majority of people. Even though the cost of gaining access to one is still expensive experts say that the price of present digital subscriptions and hardware will drop dramatically after a few years. However, the cheapest free view set-top-box presently is as low as à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½25.00. Another advantage is that digital TV could allow the audience to pause record their programmes without the use of tapes. It is also said to be quicker and simpler process than the old VCR. In line with digital TV, the actual television set is changing. There are now ones that are called HDTV (high definition TV). This technology coupled with digital TV provides us with high quality video and sound that is dramatically noticeable. In more simple terms, pictures and sound will have more consistency and less interference. Digital TV has also embraced the convergence of interactivity. Extra information and interactive features now accompany most programmes. Compared to analogue TVs teletext, digital TVs interactivity takes it to a new level. It is more user-friendly and makes the viewer more involved. There is even an electronic programme guide which gives you far more information about programmes content. This hands-on approach is what makes digital TV unique. Of course, these advantages over the audiences equate to the benefits that companies and the government get. At the moment, there are 3 main ways to go digital: Satellite (SKY, Canal +, RAI, etc.), Cable (NTL and Telewest) and Freeview. At the moment, Satellite access is ahead in terms of market share with 7.1 million subscribers (Sky subscribers), followed by 3.9 million homes supplied by freeview and 2.5 million subscribers get their digital TV through cable. These statistics suggest that competition is fierce at the moment. It said up to 1.5 million boxes had been sold in the lead-up to Christmas, with 190,000 sold in each of the two weeks before the holidays. There might be fierce competition, but this is deemed to be a healthy competition. There will be a time when existing sales are starting to tail off. The introduction of the switch off will be a seizing opportunity for them to increase their sales. These opportunities are enhanced services-which adds value to a subscription (or in the case of freeviews, a sharp increase in set-top boxes and HDTVs-which is already happening). Recently, Sky has recently offered a new free satellite service called Sky FreeSat. It allows access to 140 non-subscription channels for a one-off fee. Even the likes of BBC and ITV are to launch a free-to-view satellite TV service to cater for viewers unable to receive Freeview digital coverage-and to rival the monopoly that Sky has. Also, in line with the HDTV technology, the BBC aims to produce 100% HD programmes by 2010. The government will also have some advantages over the switch off. When all the analogue signals have been switched off, those signals could be sold to telephone, communications or aerospace companies to make use of the cleaned up space. The countrys image is also on the line. It essentially propels the country into the digital age in order to gain a more competitive advantage. Furthermore, there are more opportunities for a better efficiency of the operation of government services reducing costs and keeping down taxes. I have used the word majority because there are people who are not in full favour of digital TV. There are also drawbacks for the companies and the government. Digital is an all or nothing technology. The pictures are either crystal clear or absent. In heavy rain or snow an analogue signal might give a grainy but watchable picture. Digital signals are more robust and will tolerate a high level of interference but, when conditions become too bad, both the picture and the sound will vanish. In addition, because all the work is done by an internal computer, it sometimes makes mistakes and the picture can disappear in a maze of coloured squares or simply freeze on the screen. However, this trade off between pictures which might always be grainy and crystal-clear pictures which occasionally disappear will be preferable to most people. Digital provides just one channel from the set top box at a time (the same as existing satellite TV receivers). You cant watch one digital channel and record another unless you: 1. Have more than one set top box 2. Keep your existing analogue satellite receiver 3. Continue to use analogue terrestrial TV (as long as the transmissions last about 5 10 years is anticipated) In a survey, when asked to identify the disadvantages of digital television, a third (32%) state that it is too expensive, 9% that you have to pay for a subscription, and 8% that there are too many channels and choice. Also, the 40% who do not have digital television yet will discover that the present cost of service is not attainable in their opinion. Of course, without the funding that the BBC get from the TV license lowered, they would obviously look to increase the cost threefold. The increase in the number of channels isnt without disadvantages. For viewers, the absence of original programming can lead to a feeling of nothing being on across hundreds of channels. Event programmes are also under threat; virtually gone are the days when 30 million people tuned into the same programme. For channel owners selling advertising time is increasingly difficult. Niche broadcasters may be advantageous in terms of reaching a specific target audience but many have official audience shares of 0%. There was even a study made by Dr Jeremy Klein claiming that Millions of people are not using digital TV because they find it too confusing. He says that Elderly and short-sighted people find it laborious and demanding changing channels. It is said that two million people are affected by this problem. As a result, the elderly and people with low-income will be put off with this news. They feel that it will be better to stick with the old and what they are used to. Companies are also having trouble with the changes.

G.C.S.E English and English Literature Coursework Poetry Assignment Ess

G.C.S.E English and English Literature Coursework Poetry Assignment We have been set the task to compare the ways in which the poems I have studied deal with the passing of time. The three poems are â€Å"To his Coy Mistress†, â€Å"Ozymandias† and â€Å"To the Virgins to Make Much of Time†. All three of the poems clearly deal with the passing of time in different ways. â€Å"To his Coy Mistress† is about a man telling a woman that if he had all the time in the world, he would spend it with her. In the â€Å"To the Virgins to Make Much of Time† a man is trying to persuade a woman to make much of her youth with the time she is given. â€Å"Ozymandias† is about time in a different way by saying no tyranny can beat time like the statue in the poem. This poem is different to â€Å"To his Coy Mistress† and â€Å"To the Virgins to Make Much of Time†. It’s not about love or anything else to do with the other poems but the passing of time. In the â€Å"To his Coy Mistress† by Andrew Marvell the poet wants to persuade his coy mistress to have a fiscal relationship with him. Marvell splits the poem into three different stanzas, each one with a different purpose. The first stanza is an introduction, Marvell speaks about what he wants to do with the Mistress, he speaks about time, and how it is not on their side. The second stanza introduces that time is their enemy; he uses fear in this section to try and persuade her. And in the final section he changes the person in which he writes in he now talks about 'we', he speaks about how when the couple are together they can tackle the problem of time. This is very well thought out because it is clear what he wants, he splits up the stanzas effectively and makes the whole picture clear in your head, and this is a... ...o are about someone who has most of hers yet to come. However they use different tactics to show the passage of time to the reader, and explore how time lasts as long as a person does. The poets both use day tones to help them convey this, they are day the time that has or will pass. In Ozymandias the day is for something that was once hugely impressive but over time has deteriorated into nothing, whilst in the other two poems the mourning is for something that over time to come will lapse into nothingness – person’s life. I thought that â€Å"Ozymandias† was the most appealing. I think this because it’s different to the other two poems and sometimes different is better. It shows use that even if something is hugely impressive, over time it will deteriorate into nothing. I think it shows this in a very effective way and could appeal to many different people.

Karl Marx Philosophy Essay

Karl Marx is regarded as one of the greatest philosophers of the 19th century. He was born and raised in Prussia and got influenced by Ludwig Feuerbach amongst other radical Hegelians. Though he subscribed to the Hegelian belief regarding the dialectical structure and the historical inevitability, Karl Marx believed that the fundamental reality was to be found in the material base of the economy as opposed to the conceptual ideal found in philosophy. Marx graduated with a doctoral degree at Jena in the year 1841 after writing about the materialism and atheism of Greek atomists. He later moved to Koln where he established a radical newspaper known as Rheinische Zeitung becoming its editor. He later moved to France and Belgium where he practiced some journalism before he finally settled in England in the year 1849 (Kemerling, para 1). Here he lived in poor conditions and engaged in the study and development of his theories that cut across politics and economy. Karl Marx was of the belief that philosophy should be practical in order to change the world. This paper shall discuss the philosophical works of Karl Marx and how his work was regarded in the capitalistic society of the time. Karl Marx’s Philosophy Karl Marx’s work was primarily based on the economy. In his work that was published in 1844 entitled ‘Economic and Political Manuscripts of 1844’, Marx presents an argument that the circumstances of the current industrial societies usually leads to workers being alienated from their own labor. He reviewed a book by Bruno Baier, ‘On the Jewish Question’ and concluded that religion had great influence on the political situation in Europe at the time. He was of the view that Europe needed restructuring that could only be brought about through revolutionary activities. Marx went further to elaborate on his economic theories in subsequent works that included the ‘Capital’ of 1867-95 and ‘Theory of surplus value’ of 1862 (Kemerling, para 2). Karl Marx in conjunction with his colleague Friedrich Engels published their work entitled ‘The Communist Manifesto’ in the year 1848 which was aimed at initiating social revolution. In this work, the two focused on the struggles that are experienced between the social classes of the proletariats and bourgeoisies. It also elaborates on the distinction between the communism and other forms of socialist movements. This piece of work also proposes the various social reforms and encourages the laborers to revolt against the incumbent regimes (Kemerling, para 3). Karl Marx and the Historical Materialism Karl Marx’s take on the historical materialism was greatly influenced by Hegel’s argument that human history should be viewed based on the dialectical aspect. Karl Marx developed a link between the Hegelian dialect and the materialism of his time. To Marx, human history was influenced by economics. He argued that from the beginning of times, humans have never been motivated by ideologies but instead, they have usually been motivated by material concerns. This includes the need to eat and to continue to exist. This forms the basis for the historical materialism as propounded by Marx (Tucker, p 12). Marx observes that, initially humans used to work together and in unity, however, the development of agriculture and the issue of private property ownership spoilt the collective style of living. Agriculture and private ownership of property gave rise to the division of labor and differentiation in the society leading to different classes that were based on power and wealth. Eventually, all this led to social conflicts which are characterizing the capitalistic society in which we live (Tucker, p 15). Capitalism has worsened the situation by increasing the disparities between the haves and have-nots. Karl Marx postulated that the class struggles are inevitable given the historical forces which can not be controlled by individuals. He also claimed that capitalism came up with a new misery which he termed as â€Å"exploitation of surplus value† (German, para 18). Marx agitated for an economy that would involve the exchanging of value in commensurate measures. In this regard, Marx argued that the value of the laborers could be determined simply by their labor input in production of goods and services. Capitalism was seen as exploitative as it driven by profit motives and Marx argued that the profits originate from the surplus value that is produced by the laborers. Capitalism therefore was seen as having the desire to produce an unbalanced exchange system where they exchange less for greater value (Tucker, p 25). The communist manifesto This was compiled following a combined effort of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels and published in 1848. The Communist Manifesto is regarded as one of the most influential political work to have ever been published. The writing of the Manifesto was commissioned by the Communist League and written by the two respected figures Marx and Engels and it provided the League with purpose and program of their duties. In this work, analysis of class struggles and problems associated with capitalism are well elaborated (German, para 6). The manifesto explains that historically, human society has been characterized by class struggles. These struggles become essential in determining the reorganization of work and way of life in general through a revolutionary means. In their view, Marx and Engels observed that in case the struggles fail to have a breakthrough, then the society is doomed to slide backwards instead of leaping forward. Historically, the society had been shaped with such struggles as observed in England in 1640s and France in the late 18th century where the bourgeoisies prevailed over feudalism. Engels and Marx theorized that the bourgeoisie’s revolutions were to spread in other parts of Europe hence ushering in a rapid growth in the forces of production. In return, there will be rapid growth of the working class which will in turn precipitate the proletariat revolution (Marx, Engels & Jones, p 45). Karl Marx and Engels believed that capitalism was in the process of establishing itself and causing destruction to the feudalism that had preceded it. The two believed that capitalism would later create the prerequisite conditions for the establishment of socialism. They believed that this was going to happen since capitalism was aimed at creating mass production and a revolutionary working class. The Communist Manifesto provides a sketch of capitalism development which is marked by the rise of towns during the Middle Ages, voyages that gave rise to merchant capitalism, and the growth of manufacturing sector that was meant to address the new market demands (Marx, Engels & Jones, p 48). The working class is described by Karl Marx and Engels as those who do not own the means of production. They thus earn their living through laboring for those with the means of production. They become enslaved to the machinery and their lives are dominated by exploitative processes. The workers then shall become collectively organized through trade unions and political organizations. The perennial struggle between the classes leads to solidarity and Marx and Engels believe that this class is the sure revolutionary class based on the position they occupy in the workplace. Since they hold the potential to run the production of wealth in the society, the working class is seen to be potential leaders of the revolution. The revolution that Marx and Engels anticipated was to result in a classless society as opposed to the previous revolutions that had only managed to lead to ruling classes being replaced by a small group of individuals. The revolution by the working class would abolish the stratified society to emancipate all the dispossessed (German, para 11). Conclusion According to Marx, individuals are born into the world in which they do not have much control. They are supposed to follow the conventional rules like everyone else. He however proposed a breakthrough to the predetermined nature of life by offering an alternative in the name of communism. Marx called for the overthrow of the bourgeoisies through the revolutionary activities of the proletariats or the laborers. The working class was called upon to unite and revolt against what he termed as oppressive capitalist regime. However, it can be argued that this utopian view of society was unachievable since naturally, the human society gets divided into the leaders and the followers. Even if the working class was to overthrow the bourgeoisie, there was going to be very little change in the social structuring contrary to what Karl Marx had believed. The laborers are bound to categorize themselves into different groups and the exploitation would continue to be felt amongst the different classes. Nevertheless, Karl Marx gave us a political philosophy which would later contribute immensely to the shaping of the world politics as communism remains a significant force in world politics. Work Cited German, Lindsey. Reflections on the Communist Manifesto. Retrieved on 6th May 2010 from; http://pubs. socialistreviewindex. org. uk/isj79/german. htm. Kemerling, Garth. Karl Marx (1818-1883). 2006. Retrieved on 6th May 2010 from; http://www. philosophypages. com/ph/marx. htm. Marx, Karl; Friedrich Engels & Gareth Stedman Jones. The communist manifesto. 2002. London: Penguin. Tucker, Robert C. Philosophy & myth in Karl Marx. 2000. New Brunswick, N. J. : Transaction.

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