COMM 230 tamu

spectrum reallocation

Wireless spectrum, or the "invisible infrastructure," that allows wireless communications; will be accomplished through the FCC's authority to conduct incentive auctions where existing license holders, such as broadcasters, will relinquish spectrum in exchange for proceeds that will be shared with the Federal government.

DRM

anti-piracy measures [i.e., digital rights management (DRM) technology

bit

the higher the bit level, the higher the quality of the digital reproduction

"a la cart" regulations

A la carte MVPD service would allow subscribers to order individual channels as a customized programming package instead of relying on standard bundled packages or tiers. This issue has attracted considerable policy interest, especially in the mid-2000s, because consumers have often complained to their elected officials or policymakers about the high cost of cable service in relation to other services. Indeed, the FCC (2013c) has documented for nearly two decades that cable rate increases outpace the general inflation rate. It reported that the average price of expanded basic cable service (cable programming service tier) grew by a compound average annual rate of 6.1% from 1995 to 2012. In contrast, the consumer price index for all items rose by only 2.4% during those 17 years.

Social Information Processing

Another way to look at how and why people choose to use or not use a technology is social information processing. This theory begins by critiquing rational choice models, which presume that people make adoption decisions and other evaluations of technologies based upon objective characteristics of the technology. In order to understand social information processing, you first have to look at a few rational choice models.

Codecs

Audio compression algorithms are typically referred to as audio codecs

Committee of Advanced TV Service (ACATS)

In 1987, the FCC in the United States created the Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service (ACATS). This committee was charged with investigating the policies, standards, and regulations that would facilitate the introduction of advanced television (ATV) services in the United States (FCC, 1987). See the sidebar about ACATS chairman Richard E. Wiley and his key role in guiding the creation of a U.S. digital television standard.

American Recovery Reinvestment Act (ARRA Open Internet Rule 2010)

In response to a weakening U.S. economy, Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. Stimulus funds were appropriated for a wide range of infrastructure grants, including broadband, to foster economic development. Congress earmarked $7.2 billion to encourage broadband deployment, particularly in unserved and underserved regions of the country.

IDTV

Internet-Delivered Television or I-DTV

Moore's Law

Moore's Law (discussed in Chapter 12) remains in play, as storage capacity continues to expand. Supplanting flash memory cards with 128 Gb of capacity that reached the market in 2012, were the newer 256 Gb cards in 2014, as demand for highly compact, robust memory cards with maximum storage capacity continues. One challenge to this market is the addition of high capacity built-in memory found on some newer portable devices, decreasing the need for additional flash memory cards.

Rational Choice Model

One model, social presence theory, categorizes communication media based on a continuum of how the medium "facilitates awareness of the other person and interpersonal relationships during the interaction (Fulk, et al., 1990, p. 118)." Communication is most efficient when the social presence level of the medium best matches the interpersonal relationship required for the task at hand. For example, a person would break up with another person face to face instead of using a text message. Another rational choice model is information richness theory. In this theory, media are also arranged on a continuum of richness in four areas: speed of feedback, types of channels employed, personalness of source, and richness of language carried (Fulk, et al., 1990). Face-to-face communications is the highest in social presence and information richness. In information richness theory, the communication medium chosen is related to message ambiguity. If the message is ambiguous, then a richer medium is chosen. In this case, teaching someone how to dance would be better with a DVD that illustrates the steps rather than just an audio CD that describes the steps. Social information processing theory goes beyond the rational choice models because it states that perceptions of media are "in part, subjective and socially constructed." Although people may use objective standards in choosing communication media, use is also determined by subjective factors such as the attitudes of coworkers about the media and vicarious learning, or watching others' experiences. Social influence is strongest in ambiguous situations. For example, the less people know about a medium, then the more likely they are to rely on social information in deciding to use it (Fulk, et al., 1987). Think about whether you prefer a Macintosh or a Windows-based computer. Although you can probably list objective differences between the two, many of the important factors in your choice are based upon subjective factors such as which one is owned by friends and coworkers, the perceived usefulness of the computer, and advice you receive from people who can help you set up and maintain your computer. In the end, these social factors probably play a much more important role in your decision than "objective" factors such as processor speed, memory capacity, etc

Next Generation TV Marketplace Act

Repeals provisions of the Communications Act of 1934 concerning: (1) the carriage of distant television stations and significantly viewed signals by satellite carriers, (2) the retransmittal of television signals to eligible state counties in the designated market area of another state by cable operators or satellite carriers, (3) the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) qualified carrier certification process, (4) the designation of cable channels for commercial video programming use, (5) the carriage of local commercial television signals and qualified low power stations by cable operators, (6) the FCC's authority to adopt syndicated exclusivity rules for private home viewing of secondary transmissions by satellite of broadcast station signals, and (7) the requirement that cable systems or other multichannel video programming distributors obtain consent to retransmit a broadcasting station signal.

Cable Communications Act of 1984

The Cable Communications Act of 1984 was passed to formalize the municipal franchising process while limiting some of their rate regulation authority. The act also authorized the FCC to evaluate cable competition within markets

Federal Radio Act

The Federal Radio Act imposed technical regulation on use of spectrum and power, allowing stations to develop a stable local presence.

Diffusion of Innovation

The diffusion of innovations, also referred to as diffusion theory, was developed by Everett Rogers (1962; 2003). This theory tries to explain how an innovation is communicated over time through different channels to members of a social system. There are four main aspects of this approach. First, there is the innovation. In the case of communication technologies, the innovation is some technology that is perceived as new. Rogers also defines characteristics of innovations: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability. So, if someone is deciding to purchase a new mobile phone, characteristics would include the relative advantage over other mobile phones; whether or not the mobile phone is compatible with the existing needs of the user; how complex it is to use; whether or not the potential user can try it out; and whether or not the potential user can see others using the new mobile phone with successful results.

Step of Innovation Adoption

The first step is knowledge. You find out there is a new mobile phone available and learn about its new features. The next step is persuasion - the formation of a positive attitude about the innovation. Maybe you like the new phone. The third step is when you decide to accept or reject the innovation. Yes, I will get the new mobile phone. Implementation is the fourth step. You use the innovation, in this case, the mobile phone. Finally, confirmation occurs when you decide that you made the correct decision. Yes, the mobile phone is what I thought it would be; my decision is reinforced.

Principle of Relative Consistency

The potential revenue from consumers is limited because they devote a fixed proportion of their disposable income to media, the phenomenon discussed in Chapter 3 as the "Principle of Relative Constancy." The implication is emerging companies and technologies have to wrest market share and revenue from established companies. To do that, they can't be just as good as the incumbents. Rather, they have to be faster, smaller, less expensive, or in some way better so that consumers will have the motivation to shift spending from existing media.

Critical Mass Theory

There have to be some innovators and early adopters who are willing to take the risk to try a new interactive technology. These users are the "critical mass," a small segment of the population that chooses to make big contributions to the public good (Markus, 1987). In general terms, any social process involving actions by individuals that benefit others is known as "collective action." In this case, the technologies become more useful if everyone in the system is using the technology, a goal known as "universal access". Ultimately, universal access means that you can reach anyone through some communication technology.

Uses & Gratifications Theory

Uses and gratifications research is a descriptive approach that gives insight into what people do with technology. This approach sees the users as actively seeking to use different media to fulfill different needs (Rubin, 2002). The perspective focuses on "(1) the social and psychological origins of (2) needs, which generate (3) expectations of (4) the mass media or other sources, which lead to (5) differential patterns of media exposure (or engagement in other activities), resulting in (6) needs gratifications and (7) other consequences, perhaps mostly unintended ones"

DTV

from analog to digital television (DTV) technology.

internal factors

how technology is used and operated?

consumer electronics

including audio and video electronics, video games, and cameras

Media System Dependency Theory

media system dependency theory is "an ecological theory that attempts to explore and explain the role of media in society by examining dependency relations within and across levels of analysis" (Grant, et al., 1991, p. 774). The key to this theory is the focus it provides on the dependency relationships that result from the interplay between resources and goals. The theory suggests that, in order to understand the role of a medium, you have to look at relationships at multiple levels of analysis, including the individual level - the audience, the organizational level, the media system level, and society in general. These dependency relationships can by symmetrical or asymmetrical. For example, the dependency relationship between audiences and network television is asymmetrical because an individual audience member may depend more on network television to reach his or her goal than the television networks depend on that one audience member to reach their goals.

Theory of the Long Tail

the theory of the long tail that presents a new way of looking at digital content and how it is distributed and sold, and the principle of relative constancy that examines what happens to the marketplace when new media products are introduced. This theory begins with the realization that there are not any huge hit movies, television shows, and albums like there used to be. What counts as a hit TV show today, for example, would be a failed show just 15 years ago. One of the reasons for this is choice: 40 years ago viewers had a choice of only a few television channels. Today, you could have hundreds of channels of video programming on cable or satellite and limitless amounts of video programming on the Internet

distribution

"Surrounding this core is the organizational infrastructure: the group of organizations involved in the production and distribution of the technology."

production

"Surrounding this core is the organizational infrastructure: the group of organizations involved in the production and distribution of the technology."

pull technology

"pull" what they want to watch when they want to see it. This global transformation in delivery is affecting every aspect of broadcasting in countries worldwide.

VCR

1977 saw the introduction of practical home VCRs with two competing standards. Sony debuted the Betamax, and JVC the VHS. By 1982, a full-blown price and technology war existed between the two formats, and by 1986, 40% of U.S. homes had VCRs. Video distributers reluctantly distributed content in both formats until VHS eventually won the standard for the most homes and Betamax owners were left with incompatible machines. VCRs gave consumers new power for on-demand programming through video rental stores or over-the-air recording. VCR penetration quickly grew from 10% in 1984 to 79% 10 years later. In 2006, the FCC estimated that 90% of television households had at least one VCR (FCC, 2006). However, VCRs were susceptible to damage by dirt, overuse, magnets, and physical shock. In the 1980s, the first videodiscs challenged VCRs

LED

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits visible light when an electric current passes through it. The light is not particularly bright, but in most LEDs it is monochromatic, occurring at a single wavelength

AM

AM varies (modulates) signal strength (amplitude); The oldest commercial radio station began broadcasting in AM in 1920, with the technology advantage of being able to broadcast over a wide coverage area. AM signals are low fidelity and subject to electrical interference.

analog

An analog audio signal is an electronic copy of an original audio signal as found in nature, with a continually varying signal. Analog copies of any original sound suffer some degree of signal degradation, called generational loss, and signal strength lessens and noise increases for each successive copy.

digital audio

Audio is digitized by sampling the amplitude (strength) of a waveform from a capturing device (typically a microphone) using an analog to digital converter (see Figure 18.1). Depending on the equipment used to make this digital copy, various samples of the original sound wave are taken at given intervals using a specified sampling rate (i.e., 32 kHz for broadcast digital audio; 44.1 kHz for CD and MP3; 192.4 kHz for Blu-ray) to create a discrete digital wave (Alten, 2014).

Child Online Protection Act (COPA)

Congress continued to pursue a law protecting children from harmful material on the Internet with the Child Online Protection Act (COPA), passed in 1998; however, federal courts have found it, too, unconstitutional due to First Amendment concerns (McCullagh, 2007). It is noteworthy that the courts consider the Internet's First Amendment protection more similar to the press, rather than broadcasting or telecommunications

DLP

Digital Light Processing (DLP) projectors - Developed by Texas Instruments, DLP technology utilizes hundreds of thousands of tiny micro-mirrors mounted on a 1-inch chip that can project a very bright and sharp color image. This technology is used in a three-chip system to project digital versions of "films" in movie theaters. For under $3,000, a consumer can create a digital home theater with a DLP projector, a movie screen, and a multichannel surround-sound system.

Guglielmo Marconi

Guglielmo Marconi sent the first wireless data messages in 1895. The growing popularity of telephony led many to experiment with Marconi's radio technology as another means for interpersonal communication

HD radio

HD Radio utilizing digital subcarriers to deliver information.; An effort by the U.S. radio industry to add technological sizzle through digital over-the-air radio broadcasting (called HD Radio) has largely fallen flat with only 8% of adults surveyed by the Pew project saying they'd ever listened to the service

Technology Eco System

Hardware/software/content , organizational infrastructure, social systems, individual users

HDTV

High-definition television (HDTV) represents the highest image and sound quality that can be transmitted through the air. It is defined by the FCC in the United States as a system that provides image quality approaching that of 35 mm motion picture film, that has an image resolution of approximately twice that (1080i or 720p) of analog television, and has a picture aspect ratio of 16:9

PAC

IBOC technology consists of an audio compression technology called perceptual audio coder (PAC) that allows the analog and digital content to be combined on existing radio bands, and digital broadcast technology that allows transmission of music and text while reducing the noise and static associated with current reception. The system does not require any new spectrum space, as stations continue to broadcast on the existing analog channel and use the new digital system to broadcast on the same frequency.

lytro

Imagine being able to refocus a picture after taking it. This is possible with cameras from Lytro. Using light field data, the Lytro captures data like any other digital camera such as color but it also collects data on where light is coming from. This data allows the image to be refocused after it is captured. Lytro calls these images — living pictures. These images cannot only be refocused on the camera LCD screen but also on the screens of mobile devices and computers. So a user can post a living picture on Facebook and friends can refocus the image. The original Lytro camera was released in 2011 and costs $199 for a 16 Gb model. Looking like something between a telescope and a stick of butter, the Lytro was marketed to the young hip crowd looking for an unusual and fun consumer camera.

Videotape

In 1956, Ampex developed videotape technology that allowed recording of programs. These first videotape recorders were about the size of a double home refrigerator, used two inch wide videotape, and noisy vacuum systems held the tape in place. An hour long tape could weigh 30 pounds.

Blu Ray/HD DVD

In 2001, the Blu-ray format, supported by Sony, Hitachi, Pioneer, and six others, competed against the HD-DVD format supported by Toshiba, NEC, and Microsoft (HDDVD.org, 2003). Unlike the Beta/VHS battle, Blu-ray could hold significantly more content (50 GB compared to 30 GB for HD-DVD and 9 GB for standard DVDs). The initial cost for the players was around $500, but fell dramatically into the $250 range as the format war continued

low-power FM

LPFM, or low-power FM, service limits stations to a power level of either 100 watts or 10 watts (FCC, n.d.-b). The classification was controversial because existing full-power stations were afraid of signal interference. The service range of a 100-watt LPFM station is considered to be about a 3.5-mile radius. In practice, the signals cover a radius of 10-12 miles. LPFM stations do not have the option of adopting HD Radio but they do provide free analog programming to supplement existing FM broadcasts.

lossless

Lossless compression works by encoding repetitive pieces of information with symbols and equations that take up less space, but provide all the information needed to reconstruct an exact copy of the original.

lossy

Lossy compression works by discarding unnecessary and redundant information (sounds that most people cannot hear) and then applying lossless compression techniques for further size reduction. With lossy compression, there is always some loss of fidelity that becomes more noticeable as the compression ratio is increased.

Fairness Doctrine 1949

One of the most controversial content regulations was the vague Fairness Doctrine, established in 1949, that required broadcasters to present varying viewpoints on issues of public importance (Napoli, 2001). Despite broadcasters' challenges to FCC content regulation on First Amendment grounds, the courts defended the commission's Fairness Doctrine (Red Lion Broadcasting v. FCC, 1969) and its ability to limit network control over programming (NBC v. United States, 1943), In 1985, the FCC argued the Fairness Doctrine was no longer necessary given the increased media market competition, due in part to the emergence of new communication technologies

OLED

Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED)-The Sony Corporation introduced remarkably bright and sharp OLED televisions in 2008 that had a display depth of 3 mm-about the thickness of three credit cards.

P2P

Peer-to-peer; In a P2P network, the "peers" are computer systems which are connected to each other via the Internet. Digital files can be shared directly between computers on the network without the need of a central server. In other words, each computer on a P2P network becomes a file server as well as a client.

Plasma

Plasma gas is used in these sets as a medium in which tiny color elements are switched off and on in milliseconds. Compared with early LCD displays, plasma sets offered wider viewing angles, better color fidelity and brightness, and larger screen sizes, but these advantages have diminished over the past decade.

podcasting

Podcasting is the distribution of audio or video files, such as radio programs or music videos, over the Internet using "really simple syndication" (RSS) for listening on mobile devices and personal computers (Podcast Alley, 2014). A podcast is basically a Web feed of audio or video files placed on the Internet for anyone to download or subscribe to. Podcasters' websites may also offer direct download of their files, but the subscription feed of automatically delivered new content is what distinguishes a podcast from a simple download or real-time streaming. A quick search of the Internet will uncover a myriad of content that is available - and accumulating daily.

push technology

Program delivery is also shifting from over-the-air broadcast where viewers have content "pushed" to them to an expanding online environment

SDTV

SDTV, or standard-definition television, is another type of digital television technology that can be transmitted along with, or instead of, HDTV. Digital SDTV transmissions offer lower resolution (480p or 480i) than HDTV, and they are available in both narrowscreen and widescreen formats. Using digital video compression technology, it is feasible for U.S. broadcasters to transmit up to five SDTV signals instead of one HDTV signal within the allocated 6 MHz digital channel.

satellite radio

Subscriber-based satellite radio service, a form of out-of-band digital "radio," was launched in the U.S. in 2001 and 2002 by XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. The competitors received regulatory approval to merge in July 2008 to become SiriusXM. Satellite service was authorized by the FCC in 1995 and, strictly speaking, is not a radio service. Rather than delivering programming primarily through terrestrial (land-based) transmission systems, each service uses geosynchronous satellites to deliver its programming

TV everywhere

TV Everywhere (TVE) describes "an MVPD initiative, which allows subscribers of certain services to access video programming on a variety of fixed and mobile Internet-connected devices" (p. 10499). In theory, TVE was designed to provide a subscriber with the opportunity to view live (linear) programs or on-demand (non-linear) video content on such mobile devices as smartphones and tablets inside and outside the home. The subscriber would just need to authenticate (i.e., log in) through an application from the MVPD to confirm his or her identity as an MVPD subscriber.

cyberlock services

The "bad guy on the block" in illegal file sharing is the cyberlocker service (legal issues are discussed in the next section). Cyberlockers are online data hosting services that provide remote storage space within a secure cloud-based storage system. They can be accessed globally over the Internet and are often called online storage or cloud storage services. Megaupload, RapidShare, Hotfile, 4Shared, and Mediafire are the most popular cyberlockers. The storage capacity provided by these cyberlockers varies depending on the price. Services normally offer some storage and downloading services for free, and then charge for premium accounts that include more storage capacity and faster file transfers

1st amendment

The First Amendment is a particularly important component of U.S. communication policy, balancing freedom of the press with the free speech rights of citizens. The First Amendment was created at a time when the most sophisticated communication technology was the printing press. Over time, the notion of "press" has evolved with the introduction of new communication technologies. The First Amendment has evolved as well, with varying degrees of protection for the traditional press, broadcasting, cable television, and the Internet.

Telecommunication Act of 1996

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 changed media ownership limits for the national and local market power of radio, television, and cable television industries; however, the FCC is given the authority to review and revise these rules. Structural regulation includes limitations or permissions to enter communication markets. For example, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 opened up the video distribution and telephony markets by allowing telephone companies to provide cable television service and for cable television systems to offer telephone service

MPEG

The file-size problem for music downloads has changed thanks to the efforts of the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), a consortium that develops open standards for digital audio and video compression. Since the development of MPEG, engineers have been refining the standard to squeeze high-quality audio into ever-smaller packages. MP3 - short for MPEG 1 Audio Layer 3 - can take music from a CD and shrink it by a factor of 12

CRT

The first type of television monitor was the cathode ray tube (CRT). The rectangular screen area of a CRT is covered with lines of phosphors that correspond to the picture elements (pixels) in the image. Color monitors use three streams of electrons, one for each color channel (red, blue, and green). The phosphors glow when struck by a stream of electrons sent from the back of the set. The greater the stream, the brighter the phosphor glows. The glowing phosphors combine to form an image.

cloud music services

The four major cloud service providers offer similar products with a similar mission: Allow users to buy new music and access existing libraries from multiple devices, via streaming from the cloud.; Amazon Cloud Drive with Cloud Player, Google Play, iCloud with iTunes Match, Ubuntu One with Music Streaming

megapixel

The number of thousands of pixels on any given sensor is referred to as the megapixels.

Edwin Armstrong

The one person who made the most lasting contributions to radio and electronics technology was Edwin Howard Armstrong. He discovered regeneration, the principle behind signal amplification, and invented the superheterodyne tuner that led to a highperformance receiver that could be sold at a moderate price, thus increasing home penetration of radios. In 1933, Armstrong was awarded five patents for frequency modulation

pixel

The pixel, also known in digital photography as a photosite, can only record light in shades of gray, not color. In order to produce color images, each photosite is covered with a series of red, green, and blue filters, a technology derived from the broadcast industry. Each filter lets specific wavelengths of light pass through, according to the color of the filter, blocking the rest. Based on a process of mathematical interpolations, each pixel is then assigned a color. Because this is done for millions of pixels at one time, it requires a great deal of computer processing. The image processor in a DSC must "interpolate, preview, capture, compress, filter, store, transfer, and display the image" in a very short period of time

"Cutting the cord"

The rising popularity of broadband-delivered video subscription services, such as Net-flix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime, have led to concerns that customers, especially younger customers, will be "cutting the cord" on MVPD subscriptions (or never begin subscribing) in favor of more affordable services

image resolution

The size of this sensor and the number of picture elements (pixels) found on it determine the resolution, or quality, of the captured image. The number of thousands of pixels on any given sensor is referred to as the megapixels. The sensors themselves can be different sizes. A common size for a sensor is 18 * 13.5mm (a 4:3 ratio), now referred to as the Four Thirds System (Four Thirds, 2012). In this system, the sensor area is approximately 25% of the area of exposure found in a traditional 35mm camera. Many of the sensors found in DSLRs are full frame 35mm in size

digital media player

To play MP3s and other digital audio files, a computer-based or digital portable media player (PMP) is needed. Hundreds of portable media players are available, from those with 512 MB flash drives to massive 250 GB hard drive-based models. They are sold by manufacturers such as Apple, Archos, Cowon, Creative, and Sony. The amount of available disc space is most relative to the way a person uses the portable player, either as a song selector or song shuffler.

must carry

To protect broadcasters and localism principles, the act included "must carry" and "retransmission consent" rules that allowed broadcasters to negotiate with cable systems for carriage

UHF

UHF stations used six megahertz of bandwidth and encoded video using amplitude modulation (AM) and audio in frequency modulation (FM). However, because UHF transmitted on a higher frequency, requiring more electricity, existing television sets needed a second tuner for UHF, and new antennas were often needed. This issue put UHF stations in a second-class status that was almost impossible to overcome. It was not until 1965 that the FCC issued a final all-channel receiver law, forcing television manufacturers to include a second tuner for UHF channels.

Betamax vs. VHS

Video distributers reluctantly distributed content in both formats until VHS eventually won the standard for the most homes and Betamax owners were left with incompatible machines

privacy

With the increasing sociability and personalization of the Internet, protecting privacy online has become an important topic; More than 85% of Internet users have taken steps to reduce the amount of data they make available online by setting stricter privacy settings in social networking sites, changing their browsing behaviour, or installing specific security software

Communication Technology

a tool for making more efficient use of a wide range of resources including time and energy, more influence in our private lives.

piracy

ability to create and distribute an indefinite number of exact copies of an original sound wave through digital reproduction comes the incumbent responsibility to prevent unauthorized copies of copyrighted audio productions and safeguard the earnings of performers, writers, and producers.

Mobile services

accessing video on mobile devices. 71 % of tablet users and 45% of smartphone users watch long-form TV, movies, and sports on their devices. Tablet use increased an estimated 56% in 2013 to 9.7 million units while wireless carriers provided service to more than 200 million smartphones in the United States.

structural regulations

addresses market power within (horizontal integration) and across (vertical integration) media industries. Federal media policy has long established the need to promote diversity of programming by promoting diversity of ownership.

multicasting

an approach that some U.S. broadcasters at national and local levels have adopted, especially the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Many PBS stations broadcast two child-oriented SDTV channels in the daytime along with educational channels geared toward adults. Most public and commercial networks reserve true HDTV programming for evening prime-time hours.

computers

an electronic device for storing and processing data, typically in binary form, according to instructions given to it in a variable program; including hardware (desktops, laptops, tablets, etc.) and software.

Mass Media

as society progressed, technologies were created to help control information. For example, information was centralized by mass media; including books, newspapers, periodicals, movies, radio, and television.

memory cards

as storage capacity continues to expand. Supplanting flash memory cards with 128 Gb of capacity that reached the market in 2012, were the newer 256 Gb cards in 2014, as demand for highly compact, robust memory cards with maximum storage capacity continues. One challenge to this market is the addition of high capacity built-in memory found on some newer portable devices, decreasing the need for additional flash memory cards

horizontal integration

buying up competitors and commanding a greater market share Ex. Samsung makes multiple electronics

Telecommunication

communication over networking and all kinds of telephony (landlines, long distance, wireless, and voice over Internet protocol).

software

computer technology, requiring instructions and algorithms more commonly known as "software."

data compression

data compression - to reduce the size of the digitized audio file even further. This is similar to "zipping" a text file to more easily send the digital file across the Internet and to store more digital files on devices.

DVD

digital videodisc or digital versatile disc (DVDs). Despite the higher quality signal, the discs were never accepted in the consumer market. Based on the compact audio disc (CD), the DVD was introduced in 1997 as a mass storage device for all digital content. Bits are recorded in optical format within the plastic disc. Unlike earlier attempts to record video on CDs (called VCDs), the DVD had more than enough capacity to store an entire motion picture in analog television quality plus multiple language tracks, and bonus content. DVDs were disadvantaged by the lack of a record capability. However, they were smaller, lighter, and more durable than VHS tapes.

Internet

including enabling equipment, network providers, content providers, and services

LCD

liquid crystal display) is the technology used for displays in notebook and other smaller computers LCDs work by rapidly switching color crystals off and on.

multichannel TV

mulitchannel: Cable Companies, Comcast, Time Warner, Charter, Cablevision, Suddenlink, Mediacom, Cable TVs that have these? or supply cable AND OTT??

compact disc

nothing has revolutionized the way we listen to recorded music like the compact disc (CD). Originally, engineers developed the CD solely for its improvement in sound quality over LPs and analog cassettes. After the introduction of the CD player, consumers became aware of the quick random-access characteristic of the optical disc system. In addition, the size of the 12-cm (about five-inch) disc was easy to handle compared with the LP. The longer lifetime of both the medium and the player strongly supported the acceptance of the CD format.

OTT

over-the-top (OTT) providers including Netflix and Hulu.

PPV

pay-per-view PPV, they pay a per-unit charge for ordering a movie or another program that is scheduled at a specified time.

portable audio device

portable audio devices and streaming audio are becoming mainstream practices. Online listening may include content originating from over-the-air stations

content path

production and distribution; The process that media content goes through to get to consumers

FCC

programming rules and regulations imposed by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC)

inhibiting factors

providing a disincentive for adoption or use of a communication technology. most important inhibiting factors for most new technologies is the cost to individual users.

Mobile Revolution

shift toward mobile communication technologies include mobile Internet access (involving new hardware and software, provided by a mixture of existing and new organizations), mobile advertising, new applications of GPS technology, and a host of new applications designed to take advantage of Internet access available anytime, anywhere.

Smart TV

smart TV adoption may result in the decline of the standalone media streamer. The last few years, services like Netflix, iTunes, Spotify, and BBC iPlayer improved their libraries and quality of service to the point they were the easiest way to consume media. But the new generation of TVs has streaming software built in.

3-DTV

stereoscopic TV, is an effort at mimicking reality. It's an optical illusion, a trick to make our brains think something's got depth, when it hasn't - to make something look real, when it's not. That may sound a tad dishonest, but it's not different to adding extra detail with high definition cameras

vertical integration

technical term for owning multiple functions in an industry, a vertically integrated company has a disproportionate degree of power and control in the marketplace. Ex. television stations buying up more television stations

mDTV

the A/153 ATSC Mobile DTV Standard (mDTV) was approved on October 15, 2009 by a vote of the ATSC membership (O'Neal, 2009). The mDTV standard uses the same 8VSB modulation scheme as the DTV terrestrial broadcast standard, but incorporates decoding technology specifically added to improve mobile reception. Local television broadcasters in the U.S. can include these mobile signals along with their regular DTV transmissions.

NAB

the National Association of Broadcasters; NAB Labs to provide for over-the-air radio innovation and public education

scalability

the ability to produce audio-visual quality as good (or as bad) as the viewer desires (or will tolerate). The two most common digital display options are:HDTV (high-definition television, scalable); SDTV (standard-definition television, scalable)

content regulations

the degree to which a particular industry enjoys First Amendment protection;Ex. in the United States, the press is acknowledged as having the most First Amendment protection, and there certainly is no regulatory agency to oversee printing. Cable television has limited First Amendment protection, while broadcasting has the most limitations on its First Amendment rights

external factors

the environment within which communication technologies are introduced and operate

censorship

the practice of officially examining books, movies, etc., and suppressing unacceptable parts

mp3

there is one codec that has emerged as the clear leader - MP3. Before MP3 came onto the digital audio scene in the 1990s, computer users were recording, downloading, and playing high-quality sound files using an uncompressed codec called

limiting factors

those factors that create barriers to the adoption or impacts of a technology. Ex: most analog coaxial networks cannot transmit more than 100 channels of programming.

motivating factors

those factors that provide a reason for the adoption of a technology, individuals,organizations, and social systems must have a reason to take advantage of a technology.

enabling factors

those that make an application possible. For example, the fact that the coaxial cable used to deliver traditional cable television can carry dozens of channels is an enabling factor

OTA

traditional linear over-the-air (OTA) television and multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs, which include satellite TV services, cable companies, and telco providers)

FM

varies the frequency of the signal;which provides superior sound, is of limited range; FM radio's technological add-on of stereo broadcasting, authorized by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1961, along with an end to program simulcasting (airing the same program on both AM and FM stations) in 1964, expanded FM listenership

VHF

very high frequency (VHF) band would not provide enough space

content

what is communicated through the software

hardware

—the physical equipment related to the technology. The hardware is the most tangible part of a technology system, and new technologies typically spring from developments in hardware.