Unit 62: Task 1 Purposes of Digital Video

Unit 62: Digital Video Production for Interactive Media

Principles of Digital Video Technology in Interactive Media

Videos are no longer just for cinemas and TVs, with the advancement of technology people can watch and share films online and on the move. Videos can be found on the internet with websites having embedded videos, so you can watch a video without leaving the page, or have links to videos that when clicked can show you the video; they also be found as email attachments, this means the video will be a file (most likely MPEG4 or MOV or AVI) which can then be watched. Another platform videos can be watched are via DVDs and Blu-rays which are slowly becoming a thing of the past, DVDs took over from VHS allowing videos to be digital however with technology forever improving and the internet and devices taking over our lives more DVDs and Blu-rays are becoming less popular with people preferring to use internet services like Netflix to stream videos. 

Streaming methods

Videos can be streamed or downloaded, we tend to download smaller videos and files and stream larger ones because the larger the file the longer it takes. Downloading is when you copy a file from a device or the internet to another device such a s a phone or computer whereas streaming is when your device is receiving the data continuously but you can't save it. Streaming, such as YouTube, Netflix, Spotify gives you access to a huge range and selection of content without it taking up space on phones, laptops or hard drives and the only think you need to access it is the internet however because of this it uses a lot of internet data, especially watching at the highest resolution therefore watching on a phone through 4G quickly uses up data. Downloading, although takes up space allows you watch the videos without internet and anywhere; by compressing a file you make it smaller therefore it takes up less space and you have space available for more films or TV episodes.  

Compression

Compressing files means making a file smaller so that it takes up less space and be moved to other computers more quickly. There are two types of compression: lossy and lossless. Lossless compression is considered a better way as it takes the original file and recreates it into a smaller version, it still keeps the quality whereas lossy compression eliminates 'unnecessary' bits making the file smaller that way, it lowers the quality but keeps the original picture so that it's quite hard to tell unless it is made bigger or zoomed in on. The majority of the time videos are compressed through lossless compression but photos are compressed through lossy compression. 

File Formats and Media Players
There are many different video file formats as they all allow you to do different things therefore one will be better for something than another.
One of the most common and oldest file types is AVI (Audio Video Interleave), it was developed by Windows in 1992; it's simplicity makes it universally accepted with files running on Windows, Macintosh, Linux as well as being supported by all popular web browsers. AVI files store data that can be encoded by different codecs meaning that each AVI file is different.
WMV (Windows Media Video) was developed by Microsoft, originally being developed for web streaming applications but can now cater for more specialised content. This file type is the smallest in size as their file size decreases significantly after compression leading to a very low and poor quality video however the positive to the small size is that the video can be sent via email, something that other file types cannot do. Windows Media Player is the main application used to play WMV files on all Microsoft operating systems but there are WMV players available for free for Macintosh operating systems.
MOV (Apple QuickTime Movie) was developed by Apple and is the most popular type of video format for sharing and viewing amongst Macintosh users; it is used often on the web and for saving video files as they are of high quality but a larger file size meaning sharing via email is almost impossible. MOV files are played via the QuickTime Player which is the primary media player for Macintosh however a free application is available for other operating systems.
FLV (Flash Video Format) are videos that are encoded by Adobe Flash, they are played via the Adobe Flash Player which is a web browser plugin, the majority of browsers have it installed therefore it works equally well on different operating systems however most mobile devices do not support the Flash player plugin therefore requiring another method of delivery.
MP4 is an abbreviated term for MPEG-4 which was developed by the Moving Picture Expert Group who set the industry standards for digital and video and is a common file type used for sharing videos. It was first introduced in 1998 and it uses separate compression for audio and visual tracks, the compression allows the file size to be small but the quality to remain high making it great and popular for sharing over the internet with it becoming more popular than FLV as it is compatible with both online and mobile browsers.

The technology that needs to be considered in the production of digital video would be a HD camera, Panasonic and Sony developed the file-based format AVCHD (Advanced Video Coding High Definition) for the digital recording and playback of high-definition video. These files can be imported into editing software or be burned to HD Blu-ray discs, however they can not be played in all Blu-ray players, instead if they are compressed using H.264 which will allow it to be burned onto a larger variety of discs and be played on the majority of players.

Platforms

There are many digital video platforms, with the most common being DVDs,  apps and online websites however within those websites are more platforms such as Facebook Live which is platform within Facebook that allows live digital video to be streamed as well as the sharing of other videos that the website allows. YouTube is an incredibly common platform that is available online and as an app for mobile devices; YouTube allows for videos to be uploaded as well as being recorded live it is also the most common way for videos to be embedded on other websites - websites will embed videos from YouTube, which is the host, as it is a very simple process and easier to embed a high quality video from YT than embed a video straight into the website and have the possibility of it being low quality due to being too big of a file size and needing to be compressed.

Promotional Material is an example of a digital video in interactive media, for example on the home page of the Aldi website there is the promotional advert from the TV; it is there so that viewers can watch the advert and in this case know all about how amazing Aldi and their prices are. This works very well in the Christmas season as they have made a name for themselves creating memorable Christmas adverts. The advert, when shown on the TV is to influence the audience into buying their products however on the website the video is there to form a link for viewers for what they've seen on the TV and what they are currently seeing as well as offering different or immediate information or material that can be found on the website but is not found immediately and will take time to go onto certain products.  This enhances the website as it is something not done by other supermarkets and immediately advertises products, influencing the audience, however, it is towards the bottom of the page and isn't very big therefore some viewers may not see it as they won't scroll all the way down therefore making it less effective. The website and video can be watched on numerous platforms, it can be viewed through  mobile device and through a computer/laptop through the internet allowing more users to have access to it and not restricting them. 

Film Trailers is another example of videos for interactive media because film trailers can be found on numerous websites, such as those for cinemas and IMDb as well as on Facebook and Twitter. Cinema websites will use the trailers to offer more information about the film to the viewer rather than the written synopsis; since they are going to watch a film it is important they choose the right one they want to watch by seeing parts of the film. On Cineworld's website when you go onto the 'What's on' section and see the list of films available there is a play symbol on the film poster where you can hover on and click to watch the film; this is available on all websites however other will take you to another page rather than the video pop up; this means that viewers can easily scroll through the films on one page rather than have to go back and forth, enhancing the Cineworld website. This makes it easier for viewers to choose what film they would like to watch. On this website the video is embedded from YouTube; this means that the video was uploaded to that site and is not self-hosted, the positives of using an embedded video rather than a self-hosted one is that YouTube has very fast loading because they credit themselves in having fast playback speeds and high quality. Since the video is from YouTube the aspect ratio will be 16:9 and have a range of resolutions available but will be at least 720p or 1080p.

IMDb is a great website for interactive media because immediately on the homepage there is videos of upcoming films, collections of photos of recent events in the film and TV industry as well as links to other news articles and scoops. This whole website lends itself to the new and upcoming generation of tech and interactive media because of the sheer amount of things that available with a click or two. Everything is clearly labelled and set out neatly so that thing scan be found and nothing is hidden away. All of these things available are there for the users to see and be persuaded to read or watch and possibly make their opinion about something - watch a new film, start a new TV show, binge watch a TV show or learn about recent industry news. They inform and entertain and enhance the website so much that without them, the website wouldn't be successful at all; it would still be useful without these interactive media as it would still have information about actors and films etc but it is the extra things that entice people to use it as much as they do. IMDb has an app to enhance their user experience making it easier for their audience to navigate from a phone or tablet as well as on the go, allowing more of their interactive services to be of use - for example cinema times in the area. 

User Generated Content is an example of the how technology has developed so much and a use of video in interactive media websites such as YouTube and Vimeo allow users to upload videos they have made. To upload a video to YouTube users should use a certain file format, size and resolution, users can find this information in the help section on YouTube. The file formats should be: .MOV .MPEG4 .AVI .WMV .MPEGPS WebM; YouTube offers a range of resolutions for videos from the lowest 240p up to HD therefore videos can be any of these resolutions: 

• 426x240
• 640x360
• 854x480
• 1280x720
• 1920x1080
• 2560x1440
• 3840x2160

but it is recommended that videos are at least 720p when the aspect ratio is 16:9 however if the videos ratio is 4:3 the recommended resolution is 480p and YouTube will add black bars around the video to make up the space without stretching the video. The reason the recommended aspect ratio is 16:9 is because since 2009 it became the most common ratio for computer screens, laptop screens and TVs as well as becoming the international standard format for HD. Also, if the video you are uploading is larger than 128GB the video will have to be compressed, which will reduce the file size without losing the quality; one way to compress a video is to encode it using the H.264 codec. 
YouTube attracts millions of users everyday with people watching music videos, short films, vlogs etc. The website is very interactive and has been enhanced to be as easy and useful to its users, with users being able to subscribe to other users and having easy access to their videos as well as recommending videos based on your searches and previous views and the trending list allows people to see what videos are being most watched at the time. YouTube is available on platforms such as web, phones and tablets, having apps available on both Apple and Android which make it easier for the user as things are more convenient and at hand as well as having a good layout that assists with use. The app and website both offer easy sharing ability with relevant links that can be used to send over message, Facebook, Twitter, email and even embed the video in a website page or presentation.  

Advertising is used by many companies and organisations to promote and raise awareness of their services or products. They will use short videos or moving ads on webpages to reach an audience. They will also use longer videos on pages to add more detail and appeal to the audience as it is easier to sell something if the audience can see it rather than read about it. YouTube shows ads before a large proportion of videos, some 30 second adverts cannot be skipped but longer ones can be skipped after a short time; by paying to advertise on YouTube companies can hit their target audience easier by using similar videos or using demographics and research about viewing history for their audience. The problem with this is that it's expensive and lots of people don't care for the adverts as they are more interested in video being shown after it.

Virtual Reality Tours are a very useful interactive media text as they can offer a visual view of a room or location rather than just stating what is there. They help users by allowing them a 360 degree tour of a room letting them see more detail have the ability to walk through a room. An example of a virtual tour is The Atlantis suite tour, this allows users to zoom into the room and see the exquisite decoration, using the mouse viewers can move around the zoom and click onto the other rooms, in the terrace suite tour you can even see the view from the balcony. Virtual tours are a persuasive decider helping users decide about whatever they are buying/looking at because they have a better visualisation. To create a virtual tour a camera with a fisheye lens takes photos from one spot, the photos are then stitched together to create the 360 degree. They are usually Java, Flash or Quicktime formats, this allows them to played in the almost all browsers and devices while also keeping a high resolution. 

Games can be found on a range on platforms - as add-ons and extras on DVDs as well as online. New games with large followings will introduce DLC (downloadable content) as an extra after the original game is out, the content is distributed using the internet from the game's publisher.  Also, games can be found as apps on phones and tablets. Other than DVD extras all other games need the internet, even if it is just to download them at the start they all require the internet. 

Interactive Films are films in which have been designed to allow the viewer to choose how events plan out, they can make decisions on behalf of the protagonist changing the sequence of events and ending. This works really well for the audience of this generation as not only are they watching a film they have control over it which is something that viewers are used to, they choose what videos to watch, what videos are boring and don't want to finish and what videos they watch over and over again. Interactive films give them the ability to watch the film numerous times but changing the decision each time creates a different story. An example of this is TryLife they are an online website with different episodes that give the viewer the choice of what the character should do in that situation. The episodes feature real life experiences and decisions teens could be faced with in their life with the episodes trying to educate viewers about consequences. The interactive film enhances the website as instead of just stating facts or stories about situations it makes the viewers think more about actions and consequences.

For River Tees Rediscovered a video will be created for them to post on their website, the format will be an AVI file as this is a more universal file type and can be played on all players. They may also share the video over social media therefore the video will need to be a small enough size meaning it may be need to be compressed. The video will enhance the website by showing the activities in the Tees Area that people can get involved with, with the purpose being highlighting the importance of the river in the local area as specified on the brief.