Evolution Of Entertainment ? From Radio To Cell Phone Movies

July 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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Internet has made it possible to check out information about the history and evolution of popular entertainment. One can safely say that radio shows were the first attempt at mass entertainment. Until then, it was not possible to reach out to many persons at once. Cinema and performance artists had to travel from one place to another to entertain people. Radio made it possible for a single person situated at the single spot to entertain millions of people spread all over the world.

Radio shows were completely passive and relied a lot on the listener’s.imagination. Movies came along and then came television. Television was a significant improvement over the radio because it combined visual and audio entertainment options. It was better than cinema because one could be entertained in the privacy of one’s house.

For very long time, combination of cinema, radio shows and television shows formed the crux of entertainment. It is only when newer technologies came up that people came up with newer solutions and ideas. The ability to capture audio and video on the move made reality shows possible.

A camera that can be brought into a home meant that an individual’s life could be shot without doing anything different. This set of a boom that coincided with the rising popularity of internet. Today, people can enjoy real life entertainment with the help of cameras installed in cell phones and high-speed wireless internet connections. The distinction between fictional and real life entertainment has blurred with advancement of technology.

 

 

 

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What is Satellite TV

June 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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Satellite TV is a type of broadcasting service that allows the users to receive television signals by means of dish-shaped receiving unit. The television signals are first uploaded to the communication satellite that is electronically scrambled and prevents unauthorized downloading. These signals are received by those who have paid the subscription fee and users are provided with a descrambler and a receiving unit to receive the signals.

The actual tuning procedures are done through cables just like any other cable television services. Satellite TV is preferred more than other broadcasting methods to avoid traditional problems associated with other broadcasting methods. Normally, in traditional methods, the signals are received through the antennas in the user place. The signal is not clear in the traditional method because the signal strength largely depends upon the distance between the antenna and transmitting antennas, also various climatic factors affect the signal. In cable TV system, heavy cabling is done for transmitting proper signals and therefore it is very expensive.

Satellite TV is a better option when compared with these broadcasting services. This service is mostly preferred for its strong signal and also reduces the large amount of cabling. Earlier satellite TV systems had large receiving units. Today, advancements in the technology have reduced the size of the receiving unit and they have become compact in size. Also, these days satellite services are not direction sensitive like those earlier satellite services. The installation procedure is very easy and more economical. The quality of the signal is also greatly improved in the satellite TV services and these services are now introducing the new definition of entertainment.

 

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Evolution Of Entertainment Industry – More Emphasis On Eyeballs And TV Ratings Today

May 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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Desire for entertainment is a basic need that differentiates man from animals. Animals work in an instinctive manner and focus on their needs. They hunt to eat and survive. There is very little scope for pleasure and entertainment in their lives. They are just not built that way.

On the other hand, the human being has come a long way from the battle with nature and lives a life today that not only focus on survival but on something more than mere animal existence. Entertainment, amongst other things, makes a huge difference to the quality of life of the individual.

It would not be incorrect to say that each and every activity of man is directed towards entertainment. We don’t need to earn a lot of money just to survive on good quality food and basic requirements. However, we go ahead and try to earn a lot more money so that we can enjoy the good things in life, which invariably are related to entertainment.

From a trip to a baseball game in town to a quiet and private dinner for you and your spouse-anything can be defined as entertainment. However, if one considers entertainment as an industry, any and every activity which has an audience and which helps individuals enjoy motions is classified as entertainment. That is why we have soap operas that cater to those who love emotional and mushy stuff. A sport is a perennial favorite for the athletic and aggressive individuals. Music and reality shows have become very popular because they provide peak into the life of celebrities and other individuals who were considered unapproachable in the past.

 

 

 

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Reality TV – Insight and Exploitation

March 28, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Sinces its inception, television as an entertainment medium has been in a state of constant evolution, from the early live broadcasts to the birth of scripted drama – TV has seen a variety of vogues over its lifetime.

One of the most controversial of these has to be the genre now known as reality TV. Starting its life as an attempt for true to life documentation of a situation, the reality format has since metamorphosed into something that, at its exremes, many now consider to be either grotesque or exploitative.

Reality TV is a general term that is used to describe any programming that takes as its main feature the unscripted action of a set of subjects. While at the tamer end of the scale the reality TV genre offers up documentaries that provide an insight into worlds that the view may not otherwise see, the genre also includes a number of offerings that are much less worthy.

With the prolifeation of cable and satellite television channels, there is more and more  demand for programming to fill in schedule slots – and reality TV offers a relatively inexpesive way for producers to create shows to fill these spaces.

Low level reality TV production often involves the placement of subject in situations where the darkest areas of their lives and emotions are held up to the scrutiny and ridicule of audiences. With chat shows offering participants an opportunity to air their dirty laundry in public under the guise of providing guidance, and reality based gameshows tempting people to air the least appealing sides of their nature with the lure of a desirable prize.

Love it or hate it – reality TV looks set to stay.

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The Role of Radio in Modern Television

March 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Since the arrival of the television in households across the world the importance of the radio has seemingly dwindled and dwindled, with more and more people tuning out in favour of more visual medium of TV.

The days of families gathering around the wireless for the latest installment of a serial drama are seemingly long gone, with home entertainment these days being more likely to feature family members in separate rooms viewing the programming of their choice.

But does this mean that radio as a spoken medium no longer has a role to play in the evolution of light entertainment?

In short, the answer is no, radio continues to play an important role in the development of talents and personalities that provide us with distractions during our downtime.

For example, many of the stars of the screen whose faces are familiar to us would never have made it into the public consciousness without the existence of radio. For presenters, radio is often the first port of call in a career plan, allowing them to hone their on air skills before attempting to make the transition to television.

And some of the most popular television shows have some roots in radio programming, where writers and producers have tried out ideas on audiences, helping them to weed out the ones that work and latter translate them into a visual medium.

Television audiences may be disregarding of the radio as an entertainment tool, but most are unaware of what their favorite shows owe to this understated medium.

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The Advent of Color Television

March 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Color television is documented as far back as 1928, when it was demonstrated by John Baird and again by Bell Telephone Laboratories a year later. The Colombia Broadcasting System, or CBS, began experimenting with color television through a field sequential color system. The FCC examined CBS’ system and noted the system’s potential, but stated the system required more testing. With the advent of World War II, color television experimentation was put on hold in order to focus on the war effort.

After the war, CBS developed a color system that ran at a higher scanning rate than the monochromatic standard that already existed. They petitioned the FCC in order to commercialize their system. Unfortunately, since the system was not currently compatible, it meant that consumers would have to carry the cost of the switch. Some argued that broadcasters would lose their existing monochromatic audience because they would not have switched to the color system yet. Around the same time, the Radio Corporation of America, or RCA, developed its own system of color television. Recognizing that every day without a decision would ultimately be more costly for the American public, the FCC controversially went with CBS’s design in 1950. However, the Korean War caused a limited number of color receivers to actually be produced, and CBS was forced to discontinue color broadcasting just four months after they began broadcasting in color.

In 1953, a new system based off of RCA’s design was petitioned to the FCC by the National Television Systems Committee.  The FCC approved the electric color dot sequential system in late 1953. Broadcasting stations were quick to adapt to the newly approved technology, but color broadcasting was limited. NBC was especially supportive of color programming because RCA (its parent company) manufactured color receivers. CBS and ABC were much slower to provide color programming. Color television did not truly take off until the late 1960’s.

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From Radio to Television: The History of American Bandstand

February 23, 2011 by Leave a Comment

American Bandstand holds an important place in music and American history. It was one of the few television programming (along with soap operas) to successfully transfer from radio to television. During the 1950’s, it was common for stations to host a music record show because of the high amount of teenagers it drew to the show coupled with a low production cost. Advertisers were eager to advertise to the teenage market and record companies provided free records in hopes of gaining air time for their artists. This programming became known as “teen dance party” programs.

American Bandstand originated in Philadelphia’s WFIL-TV in 1952 under the name Bandstand. The show was hosted “live” by Bob Horn, a well-known local DJ. As Bandstand’s success grew, Bob Horn began hosting in front of the cameras while Dick Clark played disk jockey. Bob Horn was then arrested for drunk driving right in the middle of WFIL’s large campaign against drunk driving. Dick Clark then took over the show.Dick Clark should be given monumental credit for insisting that the show become racially integrated when he took over the show from Bob Horn, given that many of the recording artists played on the show were black. Clark took the program to ABC in 1957 and succeeded in getting the network to pick up the newly renamed American Bandstand. It first aired in August of 1957.  The show aired at 3 PM, a perfect match for its target audiences: the teens were at home and adults were at work.

In 1964, the show was moved to California and only broadcasted once a week. By the late 60’s, American teens had foregone the clean-cut rock and roll of American Bandstand in favor of psychedelic rock. The show tried to adapt by focusing on disco. Eventually, after 30 years on the air, ABC cancelled the show in 1987, unable to compete with music videos.

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History of HBO

February 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The Home Box Office started in 1972 as a pay-per-movie-view service based out of New York. Also in 1972, the station expanded to broadcast an NHL game to people in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The station continued to expand until 1975, when HBO was able to broadcast a Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier heavyweight championship boxing match through satellite technology. Thanks to the success of this broadcast, HBO was the first network to utilize satellites in regular programming transmission.

HBO soon faced competition from other premium networks like Showtime. Showtime was able to get exclusive deal with Paramount Pictures’ movies, leading HBO to seek an exclusive partnership with other movie companies, such as Columbia Pictures and 20th Century Fox. In 1990, HBO launched HBO Independent Productions, which was dedicated to creating original television series. The first show HBO Independent Productions created was Roc for FOX. The company went onto develop programming for other networks, including 1991, after HBO acquired Citadel Entertainment.

HBO recognized the increased popularity of home video rentals and launched its own line in that area called HBO Home Video. The line was launched in 1984 with Thorn EMI Entertainment and was originally called EMI/HBO Home Video. HBO has been lauded numerous industry awards over the year, including cable TV’s highest honor, the Golden Ace. In addition to its regular programming, HBO also runs Cinemax and owned 50% of the Comedy Central station. HBO is operated in many countries all over the world in a variety of different languages. The network has had such achievements as creating the first made-for-TV pay-per-watch movie (the movie was The Terry Fox Story). In 1986, HBO was the first to begin using full-time scrambling in order to fight piracy.

Today, HBO still provides the newer movies that made the network famous, but it’s now known just as much for its original programming like The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire. HBO also produces many critically acclaimed movies and mini-series each year that earn the network numerous Emmy awards.

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A Brief History of Food Network

February 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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Much like music broadcasting channels are dedicated to music, Food Network is all about food: cooking food, food origins, recipes, how food is made, and food-based reality competitions. The company didn’t appear out of thin air. So how did Food Network get started, and how did it become what it is today?

The Origins of Food Network

April 19, 1993 marks the founding date of the TV Food Network. After a few years, the channel shortened its name to Food Network, but the company’s legal name remains Television Food Network, G.P. Reese Schonfeld, a television heavy-hitter who also co-founded CNN, created the network under the guidance of Trygve Myrhen (The Providence Journal President). Reese Schonfeld became the network’s Managing Director.

The Original Lineup

Modern fans of the network will perhaps best recognize Food Network star Emeril Lagasse, who was part of the original lineup with his show Essence of Emeril. Emeril remains a fan favorite television cook today and is known for his signature phrases of “Bam!” and “Kick it up a notch!” Culinary fans will no doubt recognize Jacques Pépen, a legendary French chef and television personality. Other stars in the original Food Network lineup included Debbi Fields, David Rosengarten, Dr. Louis Arrone, Donna Hanover, and Curtis Aikens. Interestingly enough, Robin Leach, host of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, was also seen on Food Network in its original year. Food Network then acquired the rights to the Julia Child library the year after.

Food Network in the Kitchen vs. Food Network Nighttime

Food Network divided its programming into two types: daytime and nighttime. Daytime programming is largely how-to cooking shows, which include favorites like Everyday Italian, Cooking for Real, 30 Minute Meals, and Paula’s Best Dishes. Food Network Nighttime is devoted to food-related programming like Chopped, Iron Chef America, and Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Food Network Nighttime has also launched a string of cooking or food-related reality competitions like The Next Food Network Star, The Next Iron Chef, Worst Cooks in America, and The Great Food Truck Race.

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DVR Technology: Benefits and Considerations

December 17, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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The DVR or Digital Video Recorder is an electronic device that is changing the way that people watch television. In a nutshell, this device is the modern-day equivalent of the traditional VCR, which is capable of recording and playing television shows and movies without requiring the use of tape. Everything is stored in a digital format.

The DVR device takes recording and watching television to an entirely new level. This device makes it possible for you to pause the television, rewind, watch in slow motion, fast forward and instantly replay live television broadcasts. Whether you are watching a pay-per-view movie, a live sporting event, the news or just any ordinary television show, these extra options can really come in handy.

The Digital Video Recorder device is proof that television is evolving. People can now record their favorite shows and watch them later, fast forwarding through commercials. They can pause the show they are watching to answer the phone or to stop and eat a meal, then start the recording right back up, fast forwarding through commercials to catch-up to the live television. Some DVR services offer significant buffer capabilities, meaning that you can pause and replay television on the channel that you are watching as many as several hours behind the live television feed.

Above all else, the Digital Video Recorder technology makes it possible for you to take control of the television you watch more than ever before. By buffering the signal from the satellite, you can pause, rewind, fast forward or slow-motion the television show that you are watching, and then you can simply resume the program so that you are watching it without missing a thing. Nobody wants to miss a favorite show due to unforeseen circumstances, and the DVR system makes it possible not to. Record favorite shows when you are not around to watch them, then queue them up and watch them any time that suits you.

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