Audience Consumption of New Technology - Downloading Music

Downloading music from your computer has become one of the largest internet phenomenons to date. Through active internet connections and by having a system such as ‘Limewire’ or ‘Kazaa’ installed on your computer, you can download (illegally) music from anyone else who is also using these systems. Alternatively through databases such as i-tunes, at cheap costs you can buy tracks and albums online. With fee paying systems, the music downloaded actually contributes to the current music chart when deciding song positioning, it’s not all based on what is bought in shops.

Audiences are able to get music easily and cheaply from the internet. The music transfers directly to your PC and once it is downloaded it is yours to keep. It can be played immediately and can be distributed amongst friends. It’s an alternative to going to a shop and buying a CD because the whole thing is done in the comfort of your own living room. Likewise, if you’re buying a CD from Amazon, there is still a delivery time (usually a few days) where as a download arrives straight to your computer within minutes. The downloading phenomenon has mainly affected teenagers and young adults who generally have less money to spend on things such as music and if there is a cheap or free alternative, they understandable would jump at the chance.

Unfortunately, with programs such as Limewire where downloading is free, the music creators actually lose out. Whenever you buy a CD from the shop part of the money spent goes to the producer (such as The Strokes, Jamie T or 50 Cent). However with illegal downloads there is no prophet made because people instead of buying the CD are getting the song for free. However companies such as Apple make sure the producers get money (as well as themselves) by charging people affordable prices for the music).

New Phenomenon - Nintendo Wii

The Nintendo Wii is the latest creation by Nintendo. It's the only games console of its type, capitalising on infrared technology like no one has ever done before to create a new gaming experience for the consumer. It also has and online internet connection where owners of the console can visit webpage such as goodle or myspace and input, the whole time browsing with the wii remote. Soon there will be games available to play online but at the moment Nintendo are still testing for bugs. Farthermore you can play Nintendo Gamecube games on the Wii, with slots at the top of the console for retro controllers and memory cards. There is also a memory card slot in the front of the machine which works like a memory card. Players can take saved data to friends houses and even store pictures which can be then transferred through the internet.

This new technology provides the audience with a new gaming experience. The games are far more interactive because the wii remote follows the actions of the player. Say for instance you are playing a shooting game, by pointing the remote at the screen it can be used as a gun. In 'Excite Truck', turning the Wii remote on its side can be used as a steering wheel as you race at the wheel of a monster truck. More famously the Wii remote can be used as a variety of sporting gear in the 1st game ever produced, Wii sports. It can be either a tennis racket, a golf club, a bowling ball, a baseball bat and by attaching the nunchuck (an additional controller) it can even be used to box with. All of these things involve the consumer into the product to make the entire gaming experience more fun.

Nintendo are the only people that benefit from this product. From the main menu there are icons that link the player to either a game on an inserted disk, news updates provided from Nintendo, a weather forcast provided by Nintendo, a feedback forum where players can leave comments regarding the Wii and even an online Nintendo store where players can purchase retro games for their console through the console itself. With a credit card you can buy old games such as 'Mario Kart' for the N64 and even more ancient arcade games such as PacMan.

This technology is attempting to move gaming into the next level. It's moving away from the conventional 2D gaming and finding ways to involve the consumer more, like a 3D simularion in a sense. On release date the Wii sold out in hours and it was over 2 months before stores srated stocking them due to their high demand. This alone shows how the Wii will revolutionise gaming as we know it.

Free Choice - Chicken Run DVD

It's a widely known fact that Chicken Run is one of the greatest films known to man kind and when it was released on DVD i became hysterical. The DVD is an alternative way to view films and gives a more personal experience when seeing the film. With DVD technology you can watch a better quality film than on VHS and with the additional features you can interact with the film as well, watching extras, trailer clips, video game clips as well as the directors running commentary.

With the extra features, the audience can have a more personal experience with the film. After a regular viewing of Chicken Run, there are a range af extras to choose from. You can watch the official trailers that were screened at the time of cinema release as well as a teaser trailer which is a little bit longer. There is running directory commentary throughout the film so you can watch it with the directors explaining how they did each perticular shot and how they created the characters. Farthermore you can watch clips from every Aardman Animation production made to date, with clips from all the Wallice and Gromit films as well as very early stop/start animations done dating back to 1989. There is also a trailer for the Chicken Run play station 1 game in which scenes from the game are showed. All of these things involve the audience and they are able to interact with the fantastic film on a new level.

Through the extras, Aardman Animations are able to promote earlier work of theirs as well as selling their video game. Hopefully by informing the audience through thr running commentry of the complexity of making stop/start animation, people will go out and buy other things made by them in appreciation. The teaser trailers also hopefully will attract people to their products.

The DVD is replacing VHS. With a better quality picture and additional features, it is clearly a better advance in technology and the consumer gets more for their money and just generally enjoy the whole thing a lot more.

Convergence - PSP

The PSP is a new(ish) product produced by Sony that, as well as being primarily a games console, has alot more to offer than the PS1, PS2 and to some extent the newly released PS3. It is a portable hand held piece of machinery that is a games console and an mp3 player with additional access to the internet. It is effectivly a handheld video game computer.

This has a massive impact on audience. They now have an all in one piece of technology that is imporantly portable. Access to the internet means they can do whatever they want, be it related to gaming or otherwise. They can visit website, do online banking and even download things. Farthermore you can upgrade your PSP technology by downloading the software from the sony website. The online gaming system makes gaming more competitive and thus more fun. By playing against players worldwide tips and hints can also be shared. If your PSP doesn't have an active internet connection then with bluetooth technology you can still play against people within a reasonble distance.

Sony have made massive prophets on the PSP. As it's been marketed as a new convenient way of gaming it has attracted massive sales. The internet technology anywhere means no wires with more and more people buying, Sony are definatly smiling to themselves. Adcertising agencies have also phropheted too. In some games these companies subliminally advertise their products by paying money to Sony and the game producers. McDonalds for example have had their trademark 'M' imputted into the hit game Grand Theft Auto andit appears throughout the game.

The PSP is replacing both the old fashioned PS models (as well for other models such as Nintendo) and also computers. The convenience is definatly a factor and it can be taken anywhere anytime. Definatly a gaming revolution.

Broadcaster Sub-Section - SKY Sports

Factual Information

Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of 9 channels. Sky Sports is the dominant pay-television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. It has played a major role in the increased commercialisation of British sport since 1990, sometimes playing a large role in inducing organisational changes in the sports it broadcasts, most notably when it encouraged the FA Premier League to break away from the Football League in 1992.
Sky Sports 1, 2, 3, and Xtra are available as a premium package on top of the basic package. These channels are also available as options on nearly every cable system in the UK and Ireland. Unlike the other channels, Sky Sports News is provided as part of the basic package and also broadcasts on Freeview.


How does it relate to audiences?

Sky sports target audience can, in its simplest form be broken down to targeting one main group; men. Although men like a wide variety of things and not just sport, it’s clear by the way they present the coverage of sport as well as the adverts sky promotes that men are the main target. The entire layout of the webpage is quite sharp and hardlined which appeals to men, accompanied by the fact that all the people on the homepage are famous sportsmen that generally men will know rather than women. Because sport is dominated by men worldwide, it isn’t a surprise that they are they target of the website. Although Sky Sports is perhaps best known for its football coverage, due to this it suffers a loss of viewers in the summer when no football is played.


How does it relate to institutions?

The main institution involved is obviously sky because it is their television channel. However, other institustions such as ‘The FA’ and ‘The Rugby League’ are involved. Farthermore, sponsors that endorse the poroduct such as the ‘Barclays Premier League’ or ‘The Heineken Cup’ prophet from the website. There are also adverts on the website such as ‘Playstation 3’, ‘Dell PC’s’ and ‘Xbox 360’ in which competitions advertise the newest technology available.
Sky are the main benifitters however and the website has many adverts and campaigns selling the new Sky + system as well as package deals for sky, not nececcarily related to sport. Obviously the likes of Sony and Dell have to pay to put their adverts on the site which gets sky more money. It’s a known fact that technology such as the Xbox appeals more to men than women so its clear that the companies have put their adverts on a mainly male visited site for a reason; so men can see them. Not to be stereotypical but the chances of seeing makeup being advertised are slim to none because the advertising companies know that they aren’t going to make any sales by putting them there.


Media texts/content

· Multiple sports, football, rugby, golf, cricket, nfl, nba, formula 1 (just to name a few)
· Games: Xbox – Brian Lara cricket 2007, PS3 – Vitrua tennis 3, Sky sports fun and games, skybet to some extent
· Video clips + highlights of all the recent sporting events from all sports, live streaming of the cricket world cup as well as hundreds of match reports and other upcoming news written by the sport teamProgrammes of all sporting types, the foorball premier league, the darts premier league, NFL (afc and nfc), rugby union/league.

VLog - Sealab

Sealab is a series that features on youtube as well as many other video data bases online. It is also aired on bravo under a creater name known as 'adult swim'. On youtube there are many episodes available and are listed in chronological order. The episodes follow a group of animated characters based on a underwater laboratory where they seem to do anything but work.

This perticular episode is one of the many episode in the sealab series in which characters in the underwater lab suffer a series of disturbing deaths at the arrival of a joy, the grief counceller.



Youtube is an online database where anyone can create an account and upload any video of their choice onto the internet for others to see. People can publicise their own cartoons and create a fan base, or can simply upload comical videos for other people to appreciate. If someone stumbles upon on of your videos and they like it, they can click another link to view other videos uploaded by the same person.

In terms on institutions youtube gains mass publicity (not to mention that over 300,000 videos are uploaded daily. Infact most institutions lose out when it comes to youtube. Because anything can be uploaded onto youtube, the most frequent things are television clips or parts of movies or entire television series. This means that they lose out on merchandise sales because people can watch their stuff for free on the internet. This is also similar with music videos. The premiership are currently fighting a battle with youtube to prevent football footage being shown on youtube because they lose out.

Independant Website - pat-ball

www.pat-ball.com is a website dedicated to the underground sport that is pat-ball. Set up by Chris Jenkins (founder of the WPBO) it is a place where fans of pat-ball can register themselves as official players of the sport and assign themselves to a team in preperation for the pat-ball championships on the 23rd June. The only technology involved is the internet and the website where players can interact with eachother to learn more about the sport.

It appeals to any lover of pat-ball. It encourages people to sign up through the log-in system and become affiliated players who can compete on an international stage later in the year. There are feedback forums where players can leave comments on rules and pitch sizes, a place where people can post their own individual scores to be updated to the league table and also a team homepage where teams can update photographs and other personal information related to their team. These profiles are available for everyone to see and it builds tension leading up to the championships. There is a featured player of the month column where selected players are asked 10 questions in relation to themselves and pat-ball.



Because pat-ball is an underground sport there aren't any institutional organisations benefitting from the website. The actual tornament itself will be relitavely small in comparison to other sporting events and the founders of the website have created it purely so lovers of pat-ball have a place to share this love and fight for the title of world pat-ball champions. There are no advers on the site promoting products from other companies.



There are a few media texts mentioned but they are all related to the same website. There are multiple links to an additional world pat-ball website and as well as an individual link to the WAPP - world associated pat-ball players where players can register to get frequent updates on the sport as well as having a say on the official rulings.