NMTs > Sameer's Blog

2007-04-17T06:10:00.001+01:00

MORE INTERESTING STUFF...

BBC News 24 - LIVE Streaming

BBC Programme Catalogue

http://open.bbc.co.uk/catalogue/infax

This amazing database logs almost one million BBC TV and Radio programmes, searchable by keywords or names. Each programme has a description plus transmission details and other credits. By indexing programmes from as far back as 80 years ago, it's likely that every BBC programme ever made can be found in this database!

Charlie Brooker's Screen Wipe

The Complete Archive: http://quicksilverscreen.com/show/203

My worrying obsession with Charlie Brooker continues, with this clip from the last episode of Series 1 of the programme. Brooker here explores why the mainstream media and the audience alike seems to have a sadistic pleasure in terrifying us half to death...sort of. Conspirasists might say its all to "keep us under the thumb" but its pretty safe to say that everyone enjoys a little bit of gore, whether you're dishing it out or consuming it.

Also in this clip, Brooker looks at Music Channels and quite rightly concludes that it's essentially radio for the pervert (after all, you can't see Beyonce and Shakira humping a wall by staring blankly at your radio, can you?).

Although, talking of conspirasists and 'scaring the crap out of you', Brooker manages to thoroughly depress me in this clip on "modern aspirational television". I should just roll over and die...metaphorically. Television has always glamourised everything, but increasingly it's making us, the viewer, the unglamourous bum aspiring to be an unreachable ideal. What a depressing pile of crap our western TV culure is, eh? But there's no need to reach for the scissors yet - there are guys out there to back us up who are meant to have the audience's interests at heart...as Series 3 Episode 1 handily proves!

Tony Blair félicite Nicolas Sarkozy (en YouTube)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6Cu9187tCY
Even Tony Blair can be "down wit da kidz", you know! Following Sarkozy's election victory in France, Blair has posted a congratulatory message on YouTube! And to top it off, he's done a version entirely in French...très intéressant, non?

6. Film Marketing Website > Click (www.sonypictures.com/movies/click)

2007-04-17T04:34:00.000+01:00

Click, released in 2006, followed the character Michael Newman and his escapades as he is given a remote control which gives him god-like powers. The film’s marketing website embraces the theme of the remote control – used as a constant motif throughout the movie and the DVD menus – to make this site different and outstanding. The aim of the website it to promote the film in the cinema, as well as its subsequent release on DVD, Blu-Ray and UMD. For audiences, websites like these have been designed to be fun and immersive to persuade and entice potential consumers to watch or buy the film. Therefore, they are made exciting and, in spite of the bombardment of marketing material, they mostly serve as entertaining websites to explore. For distributors like Sony Pictures, websites like this become an important cornerstone of their marketing strategy by enticing users into the website to be immersed in a marketing saturated experience which the audience should respond to favourably due to the exciting interactive features. They are seen as merely an addition to alternative methods of promotion like trailers and posters, with online marketing (including videos on sites like YouTube and social-networking profiles on sites like MySpace).

Like most marketing websites for blockbuster films, the Click website is multimedia enriched, using Flash technology to bring a dynamic animated experience for the user. In exploring “Michael Newman’s Universe”, the user is invited to explore his life as broken down by location. By clicking on the various locations, such as ‘Living Room’ or ‘Ammer’s Office’, one is taken to an interactive animated representation of that place. By clicking on certain key areas, such as people or objects, you can access a feature of the website. For instance, in the Living Room the user can click on the children to hear a quote from the film, click on the TV to watch the trailer or click on the computer to download an AIM icon. Moreover, the quote at the foot of the screen – in this case “Daddy! Do you have to work late again?” – helps the user learn more about the film’s plot as well as giving a contextual backdrop to the location they are currently looking at. Some of the links lead to behind the scenes video, including interviews and video diary-style excerpts which you would expect from the DVD.

For helpful navigation of the whole website, the Click remote is kept on screen in keeping with the film’s iconography. It allows the user to return to the Main Menu at any point, adjust the sound or move to the next location using the playback controls. Also on-screen at all times is a link to buy the DVD, Blu-Ray or UMD of the film. Having this at the top-left at all times means people can be instantly linked to an online shop so that as the website convinces them to buy it, they can buy it within seconds.

The website also has an element of personalisation. On the Main Menu, you can ‘Set Your Prefs’ by answering three questions: your age, gender and marital status. These results then change the functions of the 3 buttons on the top-right of the Main Menu to be ‘personalised’ to your profile. (I can’t say I fully understand the point in the buttons, as when you click on them you get a bizarre message from an eccentric-looking scientist guy… – each to their own I guess!). As with all personalisation, this makes the user feel more involved and immersed in the website and therefore more likely to identify with the film’s character and the plot as the preferences open up scenarios from within the film.

At the footer of each page of the site is the standard institutional information one would expect from a film website. This proves to be the distinction between a film information website – with factual information – and a marketing website – which tries to entice the potential audience. The basics on the footer include a trailer, photo gallery, brief synopsis, character biographies and the breakdown of the cast and crew. But there are also very clever marketing features found here which keep the users interacting with the website whilst being brainwashed with ‘Click’ iconography. The ‘Click Arcade’ links to an online game based around ‘controlling your universe’. ‘Custom Poster Art’ allows you to upload your own photo to replace Adam Sandler’s image in the film’s marketing posters. It then allows you to send it to friends, which helps to still promote the film as the film’s information and DVD release date are plastered all over it. The ‘Mailing Registration’, as with the ‘Custom Poster Art’, requires you to register your details including your e-mail address to receive marketing updates about Click. But it also signs you up to updates on all Sony Pictures films which opens your inbox up to a flood of marketing e-mails about new films. Finally, there is a hub for all of the downloads available from the site. As with all marketing websites these days, wallpapers, screensavers and AIM icons are available which promote the film by serving to decorate the user’s computer.

9. Vlog > The Show with Ze Frank

2007-04-11T06:23:00.000+01:00

Ze Frank, a little-known comedian from New York, is the star of his personal vlog simply called ‘The Show’. Every weekday between 17th March 2006 and 17th March 2007, Ze Frank posted a new episode of The Show online and in doing so amassed a huge online following through word of mouth. Using just a video camera and his digital stills camera, Ze Frank edited each episode on his own laptop and posted the finished videos on his website. The very intimate and community-based nature of this vlog makes it quite unusual compared to others found on sites like YouTube. Usually vlogs are not literally ‘video web logs’ in a diary-like form, with the form more often taking irregular musings to a webcam. Ze Frank’s vlog, however, acted as a diary of his life and thoughts as well as giving Ze Frank the opportunity to talk about current affairs and the media. But it was his use of the audience which made it so notable and popular.

The interactive features meant that viewers could comment on The Show’s forum and wiki but the viewers were best put to use with Ze Frank’s ‘projects’ which often required audience participation. For no apparent reason, Ze Frank only referred to his viewers as ‘Sportsracers’, which only acted to make the cult following of the show more unified. Running jokes, such as Ze Frank’s affliction with “duckies” (hence the logo), the closing remark of each episode (“This is Ze Frank thinking so you don’t have to”), Ze Frank’s apparent incapability to blink and the question “Are the new viewers gone yet?” (which only acted to compact the community further).

The most notable ‘project’ is the Earth Sandwich. Ze Frank urged his viewers to put two pieces of bread on the ground simultaneously at points directly opposite each other on the globe. This would create a giant Earth Sandwich. Ze Frank developed a special tool using Google Maps to calculate the “equal but opposite” locations. Hundreds of viewers took part, sparking worldwide media interest and another one of Ze Frank’s own songs, “If the Earth were a Sandwich”. It proved much harder than most originally thought, as the most of the Earth is water. Two brothers were announced by Ze Frank to be first Earth Sandwich pioneers, using Spain and New Zealand - click on the baguette to see!

Vlogs - or 'video web logs' in the strictest sense - have been made available by the sudden abundance of free video-upload sites such as YouTube, Google Video and DailyMotion. Flash technology and broadband speeds have meant it’s easy to upload any video one may wish. YouTube made it even easier for users – particularly vloggers – to upload video using their direct upload feature for webcams. Home-made content like this is known as UGC (User-Generated Content), which covers home made video clips, audio (like podcasts), photographs (perhaps being sent to a news organization) and comments (for instance on blogs or news websites). Institutions are becoming very aware of the sudden influx of such content which has become hugely popular over the last few years. Landmark points in UGC include the July 7th bombings - where people aboard the bombed carriages took video and images using their mobile phone - and the advent of YouTube which has taken the internet by storm. Film distributors and TV production companies are becoming wise to such new media, with Universal NBC, the BBC, Channel 4 and other major organizations making strides into online video.

Take a look at this clip from 'Charlie Brooker's Screen Wipe: Review of 2006' to see exactly how the influx of UGC has been used on the internet to great effect but just embarrassingly once it moves to TV. In the end, there is a place for UGC: the internet. On the good old television, audiences want real quality from real production companies - not some losers dancing around to 'My Humps' in their pyjamas in front of their webcam!!

13. NMT/Audience Activity + 15. Free Choice Topic > Online Music Downloads & DRM

2007-04-10T22:40:00.000+01:00

In the past, all music formats have been universally playable on any device – whether they are records, cassettes or CDs. Consumers are free to use their music when and where they choose. These ‘physical’ formats, however, are slowly being replaced by downloaded music available from an endless number of online music stores. The key difference between physical formats and digital formats is that downloaded music comes with locks and restrictions, meaning consumers can’t necessarily use their music when or where they choose. These locks are known as DRM (Digital Rights Management) and in recent years it has been used by record companies to prevent the spread of music piracy which has become commonplace since the growth of the internet.

Record companies say that music piracy has caused a 22% drop in global CD sales. The effect has been felt most by retailers, with HMV being one example of numerous stores suffering from a drop in sales. Downloading music illegally is very common, thanks to free software like KaZaA and Limewire. These use P2P (Peer-to-Peer) technology to share each user’s music library with the internet. This means a user can download virtually any song they desire in just minutes. But the illegal file-sharing is an infringement of copyright and in the last decade the big 4 record labels have made a unified effort to stamp it out. In 2000, Universal, Sony BMG, Warner and EMI made the giant leap into online music by offering legal paid-for downloads – but with a catch. DRM was added to the music files to restrict how the music was used. For example, you may only be able to transfer the music to one portable media player, one CD and play it only on the computer it was downloaded to. This is still seen by the majority in the record industry as the best way to curb piracy. But consumer groups worldwide have dubbed DRM as “anti-consumer”.

The record industry also tried, but failed, to introduce DRM on physical CDs. Consumers reacted sourly when some labels added DRM to CDs to make them unplayable on computers – thus halting piracy at the source. But the DRM was ineffective, with some CDs working on computers only to cause Windows to crash, or being unusable on some in-car CD players. The backlash caused the record companies to change tack. The software put on Sony BMG’s CDs forced computer users to play the CDs through a special restricted player which automatically installed itself when the CD was put in the computer. However, when it came to light that their player software was a “rootkit” file – a type similar to that used by viruses – individuals filed lawsuits against Sony BMG on the basis that they had installed software on their computers without their consent. Sony BMG agreed to replace any affected CDs with new DRM-free versions, at great expense to the company. All in all, record companies have come to realise that DRM on CDs is simply not workable. Therefore, although it is still illegal under UK law to rip a music CD onto a computer as it infringes copyright, record companies have publicly said they will not pursue any user which does so.

DRM on downloaded music, however, is still widely used. Apple’s iTunes Store has sold over 2 billion music files and represents 88% of the global music download market. As market leaders, they have come under the most scrutiny for their DRM system called FairPlay. Under agreement with the 4 major record labels, Apple sells its music with DRM restricting how many computers and players the music can be used on. Although it can burned to a CD an unlimited number of times, a track can only be played on the computer it was downloaded to and vitally can only be played on one portable media player – which must be an iPod. Apple’s FairPlay has been accused of being anti-competitive and a move purely to further the profitable iPod brand.

Virtually all other online music stores use Mircrosoft’s DRM-saturated WMA files – Windows Media Audio. Microsoft’s answer to music piracy has been their PlaysForSure system. ‘Protected’ WMA files can be bought from compatible online stores and played on compatible personal media players. But the restrictions are equally as aggravating for users. The inoperability of the different DRM systems has made consumer groups urge record and software companies alike to drop DRM entirely. Why restrict how consumers use their music if they buy it online but not if they buy it on a CD? Considering 90% of music sales are still on CDs, DRM on online music simply cannot tackle the problem of music piracy as a whole single-handedly. Microsoft founder Bill Gates agrees with this notion. In 2006, he commented that “DRM is not where it should be” and that “we don’t have the right thing here in terms of simplicity or interoperability”. Consumers are left confused and restricted, and some go as far as to say that the DRM restrictions on music go beyond what the law permits.

Apple boss Steve Jobs has also made his views known on the subject, calling for record companies to open up their music libraries DRM-free. In an open letter to the industry posted on the Apple website earlier this year, Jobs described his idea of a perfect online music market: “In such a world, any player can play music purchased from any store, and any store can sell music which is playable on all players”. He effectively wiped his hands of the DRM controversy, commenting “When Apple approached [the record labels] to license their music to distribute legally over the internet, they were extremely cautious and required Apple to protect their music from being illegally copied” – hence the need for FairPlay. Critics have since said that Jobs is being hypocritical, as thousands of independent record labels have agreed to let their music be sold DRM-free, yet iTunes still embeds DRM on them regardless. Jobs’ ideal “world” does already partly exist, with online stores like eMusic – a retailer in mostly independent music – selling DRM-free MP3 downloads playable on any computer or personal media player. But the 4 major labels have been resistant to offering DRM-free music, making such a “world” unlikely.

However, the “next big step forward in the digital music revolution” will arrive just next month, surprising commentators and analysts alike. EMI has become the first major record label to make all of its music available online completely DRM-free. As of May, EMI will offer “premium” versions of its tracks for an extra 20p. They will have an improved audio quality – twice that of a standard AAC track – and have no DRM restrictions. iTunes will be the first retailer of these files, who have called it “the movement to completely interoperable DRM-free music”. EMI has proved themselves to be industry innovators, changing “not just the rules of the game, but the game itself” – according to Jupiter Research. Other retailers will be able to sell the “premium” tracks later in the year and many may well feel obliged to as “other retailers have to come to the party because they can’t be seen to be offering an inferior product”. Steve Jobs has predicted that other record companies will follow EMI’s lead, predicting that half of iTunes’ estimated 3 million tracks will be available in DRM-free versions by the end of the year. This move therefore is the precursor to all legal music downloads being interoperable with all players. Although iTunes will only be making the “premium” music available in the AAC format – which isn’t playable on all personal media players – other online stores will make the music available in their choice of format, so its is truly interoperable with any player. For consumers it is great news and paves the way for a massive growth in the online music market, giving them total freedom to use their music as they wish – as it was back in the days of records, cassettes and CDs.

8. Blog > Knife Writer

2007-04-09T20:30:00.000+01:00

Knife Writer is the blog which accompanies the web-only TV show ‘thisisaknife’. The show – available only at channel4.com/knife or as a video podcast – is made by the production company World of Wonder who are famous for internet-based TV shows and their websites. The programme is based around interesting websites the Knife team have found and sketches relating to them. The programme has been running in its current form for less than a year but in that time it has embraced many NMTs to interact with its audience and get them to participate. Knife Writer is one such example. In the month-or-so running up to each episode’s completion, the blog is used to post funny videos or websites that the team have found – the best of which are featured on the show. Take the most recent episode – released on 1st March 2007 – as an example.

thisisaknife > 1st March 2007

In the month leading up to this episode, there were 4 posts with videos relating to what eventually made it on the show.
6th February > Soda Shop and Other Lavartories

7th February > The Curse of the Mobile Phone

12th February > Get Your Boot On

28th February > Adam Buxton and on...

Therefore, the blog is a way for fans to get an exclusive look into what to expect soon on the programme. This makes the audience feel wanted and respected. The Knife team clearly respect their audience and often ask for their response to items or websites they’ve found. For instance, they may ask whether or not an item is good enough to be featured on the show and wait for users to comment their response on the blog or their MySpace. Recently, the blog went as far as to ask users to suggest a possible new haircut for the show’s presenter, Donal. Personal videos or stories from the team are also firm features, so the blog also acts as a pseudo-personal blog for the team too.

The blog also acts as a ‘behind the scenes’ insight for fans, often showing what goes on in the World of Wonder offices while the programme is being compiled. Moreover, there has been a concerted effort to inform the audience on the progress of pitching the show to E4, where they are building up to hopefully being broadcast. As such, since the start of the year, the blog has been used as a way of viewers sending in their own ideas for websites, sketches or even their own home-made videos. Consequently, the Knife Writer blog has become the hub for viewers of thisisaknife to get involved with the show.

The blog is structured as one would expect any blog to be presented. There is an archive of the past posts, which goes back to early last year. A search facility, however, makes it easier to look through these old posts if you know a keyword within the blog – the blog doesn’t use Tags. There are also a list of links. These include the thisisaknife homepage, the World of Wonder site, the show’s MySpace page and moreTvicar which provides t-shirts for the show’s presenter Donal. As with all blogs, users can comment on posts by clicking ‘Comment’ at the end of each post.

3. TV Show Website > The Apprentice

2007-04-06T00:12:00.000+01:00

The Apprentice website on bbc.co.uk is amongst the most ‘advanced’ sister-sites for a BBC TV programme. It’s a brilliant example of how vertical integration can promote a brand – in this case the eventual beneficiary being BBC One’s ratings.

The Apprentice logo is dominant at the top of the page. This is, in itself, intriguing as the logo is the official logo originating from the US version of the show and is not used for UK TV programme. Below the logo are the so-called candidates’ photographs; each linking to a personal profile. It is using this photo bar that users can easily identify who is still in the game and who is not by looking for the ‘Fired’ sign over the photo. Unlike other reality TV shows, the focus is not on the contestants as their photos take up a very small area of the page. Conversely, the Big Brother website has its contestants on a constantly-moving conveyer belt, which draws attention to it. The lack of focus on the candidates is not surprising as the premise of the show does not centre on the candidates as characters as much as Big Brother does and instead focuses on the tasks as a storyline.

The profiles themselves show the brand’s balance between reality TV entertainment and a more serious education in business. The profile includes details like the candidates’ qualifications and ‘career’. But below that it includes more personal details like whether they’re a loving father or their background as they grew up. It’s the former which shows the show’s potential to be a successful entertainment show by relating to the ‘characters’ whilst the former shows how the BBC are trying to promote the programme as a serious platform for entrepreneurial excellence. The website therefore acts as a promotional tool for new as well as current viewers of the show. The profiles, details about ‘The Board’ and the ‘About’ section allow users who are new to The Apprentice to both catch-up with the story so far as well as learn about the concept of the game.

The latest ‘news’ from the show is available in text form with accompanying pictures. These are actually just a look into part of the narrative of the previous episode – like a particular confrontation – with additional quotes. However there is one story which offers users the chance to apply for audience tickets to ‘The Apprentice: You’re Fired’ on BBC Two. There is also a newsletter which users can sign up to, to get updates on these ‘news stories’.

The most memorable candidate from the previous series was Jo and as such she has been given a newspaper-style column on the site. The weekly column gives opinion on the action from the house, the boardroom and the tasks themselves. However, this seems like a missed opportunity in terms of NMTs. If this was made into a blog – rather than a passive column – then readers could contribute through comments and make it an active conversational element of the site. Moreover, it could have an RSS listing so people could keep up to date with it at their convenience.

‘The Apprentice Appraisal Game’ is a quiz-based game which helps to further promote the TV show. Using video clips, players have to recount what happened in the clip, what happened in the previous episode and remember details that can only be found if you explore the site in depth – for instance details about the candidates from their profiles. This an effective way of keeping the users’ attention as it is an immersive and active game which requires you to be involved with both the show and the website.

There is a heavy use of video throughout the website. Clips from past shows as well as ‘unseen’ video which is exclusive to the site are available for users. This is what highlights this website as one of the most advanced on bbc.co.uk as it is a good example web 2.0 as it uses Flash-based video. It is made known that it is the main focus of the site from the dominant banner on the homepage dedicated to video content. There are also clips from the BBC Two ‘You’re Fired’ show and video profiles of all of the candidates. It is a very comprehensive archive of video which further helps to advance the TV show.

Finally, the website hosts the show’s own podcast called ‘The Apprenticast’. There are two available from the site. Richard Bacon hosts a weekly podcast discussing the recent episode’s events with guests – much like the Channel 4/Sky One podcast for Lost. The additional video podcast is a brief summarisation of the week’s episode, which acts as a catch-up show rather than having any unique content. However, the BBC has taken the opportunity to use this page to promote the daily and weekly Business podcasts from BBC Radio Five Live. The Five Live logo and a photo of presenter Jeff Randal accompany a brief description of the podcast with links leading to the Five Live website. This again shows the BBC’s attempt to portray the show as one which promotes real business acumen.

5. Radio Show Website > Scott Mills on BBC Radio 1

2007-04-01T17:34:00.000+01:00

Scott Mills’ weekday early-evening show on BBC Radio 1 has been on the air since mid-2004. However, he has worked in various slots for the station since 1998. His show runs from 1600 to 1900 on weekdays and he is joined by co-presenter Mark ‘Chappers’ Chapman – who also reads the sports news on Newsbeat on weekday afternoons. Laura Sayers is officially an ‘Assistant Producer’ originally recruited through the BBC Talent initiative but regularly participates in the show. Since late 2006, the Friday 1800 hour on the station has been handed to Mills for the first time and he runs a ‘Floorfillers’ hour of dance music, replacing Steve Lamacq. The show won the 2006 Interactive Programme Award at the Sony Radio Academy Awards – an accolade which perfectly sums up the show. The website, by using internet-based NMTs, has become the centre of the show in the last 18 months.

Scott Mills’ pages on BBC Radio 1 Online are pretty sparse but include important cross-promotional features and the ability to contact and interact with the show. As such, much of the slang used on the show can be found on the site. Words and phrases such as “actual”, “off of…” and his catchphrase “alright Treacle?” are woven into the site, but only regular listeners to the show would realise their significance. The most important feature of the pages is the promotion of the Listen Again service giving users the ability to listen to an edition of the show up to 7 days after the original broadcast date.

Moreover, the daily podcast using excerpts from the show ‘The Scott Mills Daily’ is promoted, giving links to subscribe via iTunes, the XML link and the ability to listen directly via the website on your computer. The podcast runs from Monday to Friday and vary in length between around 3 to 20 minutes depending on how memorable the show was that day. In 2006, the ‘Laura’s Diary’ feature became a daily staple for listeners and the ‘One Night with Laura’ competition was given regular coverage for almost a month on the podcast and the show. Like most radio-based podcasts, they act as a promotional tool for the radio show itself as people can ‘test out’ the show without committing to listening the whole thing. Moreover, it helps with ‘brand loyalty’ to the show as people will be more likely to return to the show if they can be spoon-fed the best moments at their convenience.

The Scott Mills pages have a regular daily online-only feature which has been running for well over a year. The ‘Rate My Listener’ feature is rarely ever mentioned on the show itself and simply allows people to upload a photo of themselves so that users can rate them out of 5. This is a good use of the internet to allow listeners of the show to interact with the website. Along a similar vain is the connection with the BBC Radio 1 message boards. A topic is suggested at the bottom of Scott Mills’ homepage. The link then leads to the Daytime message board where listeners can chat to each other, connected by their like for the show.

The bulk of the homepage lends itself to ‘articles’ based on the features of the show. For example, the most recent article has been an appeal to listeners who have participated in the show in the past. Scott thinks he has got a lot of bad karma leading to a lot of bad luck. So, in the style of the sitcom ‘My Name is Earl’, Scott has asked for any listeners who have had their lives ruined by Scott by being on the show to fill in a form to apply so that he can make it up to them. Other ‘article’ examples including links to funny websites they have discussed on the show and galleries of the show’s guests or the show’s highlights.

The right-hand column has links to major features of the show. These include ‘Flirt Divert’ and ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ with details of how listeners can be involved with the features. Scott’s ‘Friday Floorfillers’ show is part of the stations Dance music programming and as such it is given a full tracklising on the website for listeners to refer to. Moreover, there is a link to the ‘Feed Your Head’ mental health campaign from 1Xtra from the BBC, which the show was affiliated-with recently. There are also external links to other sites which may be of interest. These include the TheMillsFansite.com – a massive comprehensive website dedicated to the show in fair more detail than the official site could possibly afford. There are also links to Scott’s MySpace page, the official site for Chappers & Dave’s comedy act and the ‘official’ site for Laura’s Diary on the website for magazine ‘TV Hits’.

4. Radio Station Website > BBC Radio 1

2007-03-31T18:20:00.000+01:00

BBC Radio 1 – Sony Gold Award-winner for UK Station of the Year in 2006 – is aimed at the broad 14-36 age range. Its output has two clear weekday stages: Daytime (between 0400 and 1900) and Niche Music (between 1900 and 0400). The Daytime is schedule is made up of 4 regular DJs, each with shows of their own style and content. The ‘Early Breakfast’ show is fronted by different presenters – usually a duo – and therefore had no regular DJ(s). From 1900 onwards the tone of the stations shifts towards a focus on music. This is where the BBC Radio 1 website comes in. The site breaks down this music programming into 4 categories – some DJs and shows fit into more than one:

Dance
Pete Tong, Judge Jules, Annie Mac, Dave Pearce, Essential Mix, Trophy Twins, Eddie Halliwell, In New DJs We Trust, Annie Nightingale, Mary Anne Hobbs, Rob da Bank, Fabio & Grooverider, Zane Lowe

Rock/Indie
Zane Lowe, Colin Murray, Steve Lamacq, Jo Whiley, The Radio 1 Punk Show, The Radio 1 Rock Show, Huw Stephens, Bethan & Huw, Rory McConnell, Vic Galloway

Hip-Hop/RnB
Westwood, 1Xtra Takeover, Fabio & Grooverider, Bobby Friction & Nihal, Goldfinger, Ras Kwame, Gilles Peterson, Trevor Nelson, Zane Lowe

Experimental
Giles Peterson, Mary Anne Hobbs, Rob da Bank, Huw Stephens, Ras Kwame, Annie Nightingale

Each DJ has their own pages on the site and I will look further in depth at Scott Mills’ pages in a separate case study.

The BBC Radio 1 website was re-launched in 2006 by the team at backstage.bbc.co.uk to include new interactive features, personalisation, greater use of RSS and promotion of its various methods of exhibition. The homepage can be broken down into 6 main sections.

The first is the header bar found on all pages of the site. As well as clearly displaying the BBC Radio 1 logo, the current on-air DJ is shown with the broadcast times and links to Listen Live online or view the latest webcam image. For users looking to listen to the station online, it is this header which is their first port of call and for those who are merely browsing the site it is a way of enticing them into listening via the online BBC Radio Player.

The largest section is the main promotion area, which is itself either shown as one wide promotion or split into two blocks, as shown here. The main promotion on the left advertises a particular feature which is relevant to the station as a whole – usually to its daytime programming. This in recent times has promotion for the Chris Moyles ‘Rallyoke’ Tour, ‘Radio 1’s One Big Weekend’ and ‘Radio 1 Presents…’. This is the main focal point for the homepage and for casual browsers of the site it is likely to be the first link they click on. The right-hand panel promotes temporary or minor features. In this instance it is promoting a podcast but has in the past encouraged people to donate for charity or enter competitions. Every weekday, however, at 1900 until 2100 the panel shows a link to the Zane Lowe chatroom which interacts directly with the programme.

Also on the homepage is the majority of the new media features on the site. Flash-based tabs give the main headline for each of the major music genres – each with their own colour code for them to be identifiable. Another line of information gives the Newsbeat Entertainment headlines, the Official UK Singles Chart top 5 and 5 of the tracks on the Radio 1 A-List playlist. The next line of info is the most new media orientated. Named ‘Most Popular’, it gives the top shows on Listen Again for daytime and evening plus the most popular ‘Free Downloads’ (i.e. podcasts and vodcasts). Moreover, there is conveyer-belt of the most recent images which have been sent into the station from its listeners. A thumbnail preview is shown and it links to a larger version within a gallery. Below this is a real-time updating view of what people are texting into the station. Keywords are flashed up as the most popular words people are texting in right now. Features like this make the listeners feel more involved and part of the station as an interactive and involving experience. There is also a preview of the latest webcam image of the current on-air studio. Moreover, there are two buttons which allow users to personalise the look of the homepage. You can change the background to one of 8 backgrounds and one of 5 key colours. This makes the site relevant to each user by giving it your own style, often relevant to your own taste in music.

The left hand column links, like any other BBC webpage, to the major sections of the website.

‘Listen/Podcasts’ takes you to a section detailing all of the ways listeners can consume BBC Radio 1. Acting as basic institutional information, it is important for new listeners to the station but is most useful as a promotional tool for the various new media formats to consumer the station. Available Online is the ability to listen live to the station using RealPlayer or Windows Media Player. Moreover, one can Listen Again on-demand to shows up to 7 days after they were originally broadcast. Both of these services are available thanks to the BBC Radio Player. The Podcast tab tells shows the station’s 6 audio podcasts (but not their video podcasts) and links to their specific pages. The Radio tab breaks down the 4 ways of listening to BBC Radio 1 on a traditional radio. These include an FM radio, a DAB radio, on your mobile (which just uses an FM radio…) and Sirius satellite radio for listeners in the USA. The final tab shows the three digital TV platforms and breaks down vaguely how to listen via Freeview, Satellite and Cable with additional links for information.

The ‘DJs/Shows’ section leads to a categorised list of all of the stations DJs and Shows in alphabetical order. They are categorised by the station’s main 4 music genres and Daytime. Each DJ or show comes with a link to their pages on the site, their broadcast times, a brief description and a link to listen to their last show using the BBC Radio Player’s Listen Again service.

The ‘Schedule’ does as one would expect by showing the listings for the upcoming week, with links to pages of each of the DJs or shows.

The next 5 sections are colour coded for their genre of music. Each genre page has the same composition: RSS headlines for what’s coming up in that genre on the station, a relevant main headline which may lead to a gallery or news story and photo links to all the relevant DJs and shows. Also, the right-hand column acts as a promotional tool which leads users to other areas of the site (for example, a link to Chris Moyles podcast featuring an interview with David Tennant) or to other stations (such as 1Xtra from the BBC), as well as a series of relevant external links.

The final sections outlined in the left column are minor areas which are not regularly updated. Events gives a diary-like account of BBC Radio 1’s major live events – such as Radio 1’s One Big Weekend, Radio 1 Presents… and festivals like Glastonbury.

BBC Radio 1’s public service remit necessitates the need for the station’s own news service called Newsbeat – aimed at 14-34s by making the news more accessible than through other outlets. The focus is on only the most important headlines, entertainment news and listeners’ reaction to news stories ‘having your say’. This involves commenting on stories by filling out a form on the Newsbeat pages or texting the station. There is also a spotlight on wider issues which affect the age group, like the environment, drugs, alcohol and work life.

The BBC Radio One Message Boards are a lively and popular means for listeners to air their views or to talk to like-minded people. The 5 major station genres have their own boards with additional ones for ‘Desi Beats’ (for Asian music), ‘One Life’ (as part of the station’s advice strand), ‘Making Music’ (for upcoming artists) and ‘Chart & Playlist’ for people to comment on the daytime music selection.

The OneLife section is acts as a database full of useful advice on issues affecting young people: personal issues, work, heath, finance, educational choices, housing, travel and our legal rights. It is closely linked to the Sunday Surgery programme on the station on Sunday nights, and features opinion polls and areas to chat to give your views. The sub-site is full of helpful information and acts as a massive agony aunt website for young people.

The OneMusic section is a comprehensive advice section for anyone wanting to break into any genre of the music industry. It gives advice, shows job listings within the industry, has a showcase to show your work and includes even the most niche of interests like VJ-ing.

14. Latest NMT Breakthrough > Blu-Ray

2007-03-29T01:57:00.000+01:00

Blu-Ray is the name given to Sony’s offering in the new optical disc format war, which aims to replace DVDs in the next decade. The format was first developed by Sony in 2002 and has since compiled a large consortium of corporate backers from consumer electronics brands to movie distributors. In spite of Blu-ray being seen as the better of the two competing formats – the other being HD-DVD – it may come down to factors such as price and the dominance of the corporate backers that make or break the format. Whichever format wins, this is likely to be the last such battle over a physical format like an optical disk. As Bill Gates suggested in 2006, the future will be based on hard-drives and the internet to distribute data – like films – as binary code rather than on a physical form.

The competition to Blu-Ray is HD-DVD – pioneered by Toshiba – and is very similar to Sony’s Blu-Ray format. Both come in standard 12cm discs (although 8cm discs are also available) and both use a blue laser in their players rather than the red lasers found in today’s DVD players. This is because blue light has a narrower wavelength, meaning that the lasers can ‘read’ more data in a ‘smaller space’. This is why Blu-ray boasts 25GB of storage (50GB on a dual-layer disc) and HD-DVD offers 15GB of storage (30GB on a dual-layer disc) compared to the 4.7GB on conventional DVDs. The extra space is being used to provide breathtaking High Definition video, 7.1 digital surround sound, interactive features and games by the truck load and connectivity with the internet for an even deeper experience. Both formats have a facility known as ‘managed copy’ which will allow consumers to transfer data (e.g. a film) from the discs to a hard-drive, as an additional copy to use on portable devices or to stream around the home from the computer to the living room.

The two formats are the latest in a long line of ‘format wars’ to take place between technology companies over the years. The most famous of these is the VHS vs. Betamax ‘battle’. In this case, VHS won despite Betamax being the better of the formats in terms of quality because of its affordability, superior marketing and the essential fact that VHS tapes could record 3x more than a Betamax tape. The Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD battle will be based around many of the same premises but with new media technologies in existence there are many new factors which will determine the ‘winner’.

On the face of it, Blu-Ray has the upper hand with its long list of companies supporting the format:

On the opposite site, HD-DVD has fewer backers but they are more prolific in the industry – possibly handing them the advantage:

Most crucially, Microsoft has backed HD-DVD and as the world’s largest software company it will be able to exert a huge influence on the choices consumers make in the next decade. On the other hand, Sony has backing from 7 of the main 8 film distributors, including 5 exclusive deals, so there is the question of whether the format war will be won or lost based on film sales alone.

Take-up of the formats will accelerate over the next few years and therefore consumers will be forced to decide which format their home will be accepting in the next decade. Some players, such as one from LG, can play both formats but this will not end the battle as it is the sales of the discs which will be the decider, not the players. Consumers are likely to invest in the technology which has most content available for it regardless of the superiority of any format as they are both of such high quality anyway. In this sense, it seems inevitable that Blu-Ray will succeed with its strong backing from film distributors, thus giving them a much larger catalogue of titles than HD-DVD can offer. HD-DVD are hoping the consumers will instead be lured by the lower costs of HD-DVD discs and players and that producers will be attracted by the comparative ease by which HD-DVD discs can be mass-produced compared to Blu-Ray.

However, if Sony have played their cards right then it will be its most profitable commodity that secures them the format-war win. The Sony Playstation 3 has an integrated Blu-Ray disc drive as standard. With uptake of the PS3 already at 1.65 million units sold in less than 6 months, there are more Blu-Ray players in homes worldwide by using these ‘trojan horse’ tactics than HD-DVD have been able to achieve. HD-DVD hopes that just under 2million HD-DVD players will be sold in 2007 but there is little evidence to suggest that this will vision will be realised. As an HD-DVD backer, Microsoft does offer an HD-DVD drive for its XBox 360 console, but it is an optional external drive at the extra cost of £149.99. With the release of the Xbox 360 Elite edition, the console can now cope fully with HD content but it is still a long way behind the PS3 HD capabilities. Sony has had to sacrifice potential early sales in its endeavour to ensure Blu-Ray drives in PS3 consoles as problems with mass-producing the lasers delayed the console’s release by over a year, giving the XBox 360 the upper hand in the fight to be entertainment hub of the living room. Overall, Sony’s determination to put a Blu-Ray drive in its latest games console, it is almost certainly going to win the battle. This will also make it easier for consumers as they have unwittingly already bought into one format, relinquishing the need to pay for any expensive hardware.

Links

Blu-Ray Disc Association - The official website for the consortium of Blu-Ray backers

HD-DVD: The Look and Sound of Perfect - The official website for the HD-DVD format

Wikipedia: Blu-Ray - A detailed technical look at the Blu-Ray format and the issues around it

Wikipedia: HD-DVD - A detailed technical look at the HD-DVD format and the issues around it

Wikipeda: Format Wars - Explanations of other format wars to date

CNET.com: FAQs - Detailed analysis of the HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray battle

BBC News: No ceasefire in DVD format battle - January 2007

11. Independant/Fan Website > TV Forum

2007-03-28T20:01:00.000+01:00

TV Forum has been running for 6 years and in its original form was intended to be a place for viewers to discuss TV ‘presentation’ – for example channel branding, on-screen graphics and idents. In recent times, however, the site has expanded to cover discussion on general television and radio issues with a special forum for news programming and a ‘Lounge’ for general informal discussion. The forum has around 4500 members whom are fans of television and wish to discuss it in its various guises. It is run by a man known as ‘Asa’, who works for an unspecified institution within the media industry.

There are 6 message boards on the site. The main focus is on ‘TV Home Forum’ – getting its name from a now defunct website www.tvhome.co.uk. Under the heading of “Presentation related discussion”, various topical subjects are discussed and commented upon. For example, new idents for BBC America and the recent BBC Two rebrand are amongst the most popular topics at the moment. In topics such as these, pictures and/or video of presentation are posted as they become available and critical comments are then made by users.

For example, the BBC Two discussion includes this response from ‘Jenny’:

“The trailers won't really work so well until the actual content starts having the final frames designed specifically to work with the "window". The Graham Norton trailer, where the woman on the left is completely obscured at the end, is a good example of a trail that doesn't work at all well with the new style.”

Whereas ‘the eye’ simply says:

“Looks like crap from the 80’s”

However this message board largely centres on non-presentation related topics. One example of this is the 41-page discussion on the newly merged Virgin Media. There is therefore the inevitable discussion on the Virgin-Sky feud over Sky’s basic channel package as well as the industry issue of whether Virgin can survive as a cable company considering BSkyB’s dominance. For audiences, in particular those who are interested in the industry, TV Forum is seen as a trusted and reliable source for information which enhances their enjoyment of television by knowing the goings-on behind the scenes.

Along a similar vein is the ‘Newsroom’, which features discussion on news programming and its presentation. Each of the major news channels and providers – BBC News 24, Sky News, ITV News, Channel 4 News etc. – have their own topics which grow in size as discussion mounts. Presentation is usually a minor concern and instead it is the coverage of major events which takes the main focus.

Institutions have been very wary of this website in the past. Another message board found on the site is called ‘Requests’, where pictures, audio and video can be requested and then posted for people to use. In one such incidence, following the rebrand of Channel 4 in 2004, the new Channel 4 fonts had been obtained and were being posted on the site. The font package had been designed exclusively for Channel 4 at great expense and when it discovered it was illegally being distributed on the site it threatened the site with legal action. Swiftly the site banned the distribution of any copyrighted content and introduced the disclaimer “This site has no connection with and is not endorsed by any broadcaster” in the wake of fear of further legal approaches. The ‘Request’ forum has therefore been made a member-only feature to stop unwanted file distribution. However, I would argue that websites such as this are beneficial for the TV industry. The discussions on the site spark impassioned debate and thus creates a word-of-mouth enigma around a channel, programme or service. This makes the users more interested in television as a whole and more likely to consume it, so it is very healthy for the industry to have fan websites such as these. The forums on website 'Digital Spy' have similarly passionate users.

However the most popular forum – due to the site’s links with presentation ‘news’ – is the 'Mock Designs' board. A niche hobby amongst design and television enthusiasts is the creation of ‘mock’ designs of existing television presentation. For example, users will make their own idents for BBC channels, create new 3D models for studios or redesign news graphics for a rolling news channel. On this forum, users can post their designs and get critical comments on their abilities. There is also the option to rate the designs out of 5. Moreover, tips and advice on making good mocks in terms of design and being within TV guidelines can be found in two special posts.

TV Forum does not replace an existing medium for which viewers can take part in such discussion. Although other websites do provide similar outlets for people’s TV views – for example the BBC’s own DNA message board network – the site being made, run and contributed to by fans makes it far more popular and creates a closer posting community. Institutions rarely give their own outlet for users to vent opinions - ITV for instance does not offer forums for its audience. There are some isolated examples, however, like Virgin Media's website which has a series of message boards where customers have made very frank and derogatory comments about the company since its merger with NTL Telewest.

7. Online Newspaper > Times Online

2007-03-25T18:50:00.000+01:00

Times Online – the UK’s third most visited news website – re-launched this February with the guiding principle of “news plus views”. The site has made an honourable attempt to bring the best from Times Newspaper’s two broadsheets – The Times and The Sunday Times – in an online form; with developed articles, audio & video and web 2.0 functions.

Although the homepage for any website is the face and means by which is may be judged, a news site is consumed by audiences in a very different way to any other site. Most regular users of news sites such as Times Online will either go from the homepage straight to their desired section, or receive a daily e-mail update which is tailor made to the user so they can have a personalised and unique experience when exploring the site. Therefore, the whole homepage itself is not as vital to Times Online in terms of brand loyalty and functionality and rather it is the header bar – taking up just a fifth of the page – that is most important to the website’s success.

The header bar breaks down into 5 sections, each providing users with simple navigation of the site’s content. Alongside the dominant Times Online logo is a highlighted quote from one of the site’s flagship commentators. This promotes Times Online’s unique feature of reader’s being able to make their views heard on any article or analysis on the website. Moreover, the highlighted quote – by being controversial and attention grabbing – entices users to read further into the site’s pages. Below this is the first line of headings which show Times Online’s 6 main sections: News, Comment, Business, Sport, Life & Style and Arts & Entertainment. Also on this line are the site’s special features: World Cup is highlighted as it is a temporary, but fully functioning, addition to the site for the entirety of the Cricket World Cup. Then to the far right are the website’s 3 underlying features: Our Papers (allowing users to view the front-page or pay for full e-versions of their newspapers in archive form), Audio/Video (to give access to Times Online’s wealth of various digital media) and Classifieds (which acts as a steady money stream for the website). Just below this is the dark grey line which introduces the sub-categories for each of the main 6 sections. This allows for easy navigation from the top of each page. Below that is the “bread-crumb trail” which shows ‘where’ users are within the site and thus helps users to explore areas which will interest them. Finally is the search function, which is vital to any news website with any form of archive.

The main page for each section, including the homepage, structures its headlines in the same way. There is a dominant photograph linked to the main headline. This is then given a short description plus links to related articles, comment or analysis. Below this there are two further articles which form what the editors believe to be the most important articles for that section.

Much like BBC News Online, Times Online allows its users to see what other readers have been reading. At the top of each section-head, three tabs show which articles have been most read or most commented and what the editors deem to be the most curious.

Each and every article on the site is followed by a form allowing users to contribute their views on the subject or what is being said in the commentator’s analysis. This is a very simple but effective form of user-generated content which make the readers feel more involved in the news process. This is integral to what makes Times Online unique and thus by becoming the first major UK newspaper to give the people such a great say, it can be seen as the ‘people’s paper’ and therefore have a unique selling point for the website as a brand. Blogs form a large part of this and the site offers many Times correspondents a platform to make their views heard regularly using Times Online blogs. Moreover, links to print or e-mail the article are found at the foot of the page, but there are also links to Del.icio.us and Newsvine, which are popular user-generated websites which use tags to allow users to post interesting articles for the world to look at too.

Times Online offers a comprehensive video news service which it has dubbed Times Online TV. This is an amalgamation of content from Times Online itself (using a new purpose-built studio from their main offices and special TV-style reports) as well as third-party video from Sky News, Fox News, Reuters and other content providers. This is an impressive step into the online world for a broadsheet newspaper, using NMTs to add value to their written content. Interestingly, it is not well integrated into the rest of the site so you are unlikely to encounter it unless you delve into the site completely. Times Online also offers a small series of podcasts. Following their first successful venture into podcasting this summer during the football World Cup, Times Online offers 12 further podcasts to subscribe to which cover sport, arts and music to name but a few. However, they also have podcasts which have been fully sponsored by a company such as their business podcast, sponsored by MBNA. Times Online even has its own TV programme called Cool in Your Code. It is for readers in the London area and suggests where to go and what to see in your postcode. This is a direct counter-reaction to the free-sheet war in London between The London Paper and London Lite. By having a London-based cultural offering, they are trying to take a slice of the lucrative Londoners’ market.

Of course, the main purpose of having such a range of content available online is to exploit it for advertising revenue. A steady stream of money will come across the site from adverts and sponsorship. The banner adverts at the top and 3x4 adverts on the right hand side of each page are examples of Contextual Advertising. Commentators have noted that “under the bonnet” of the new site is a lot of technology to track users and thus tailor advertising to them – a sophisticated example of online surveillance. These adverts are usually Flash-based, making them visually appealing and often interactive with video, audio or mini-games playing a part. There are also ‘hovering’ adverts which cover the text on the screen. These are distracting but often not aggravating for the audience, as they are interactive so they are interesting rather than irritating. Moreover, with sponsorship of their podcasts (from MBNA), their video content (from IBM) and their TV show Cool in Your Code (from HP) there is a consistent financial backing to allow these services to continue. Also, classified adverts from members of the public are a small by important revenue stream.

The “webby-tone” that Times Newspapers aimed to achieve is certainly evident within the pages of this broadsheet news site. Using web 2.0 features – such as comments, video and RSS – audiences become loyal to the website and are likely to return over and over. Times Online is therefore a vital venture onto the internet for Times Newspapers, so that is seen as leading, rather than lagging behind, in the "digital decade".

Media Talk from Guardian Unlimited: 12/02/2007
Discussion on the Times Online relaunch

UPDATE: (Tuesday 27th March) Times Online annoucned today that it would not be publishing its ABCe figures for the period following its relaunch in February. The ABCe figures (Audit Buerau of Circulations Electronic) which will indicate the web traffic around the controversial launch and beyond would be an indicator of the success of the venture. The site's launch was thwarted with problems from when the site crashed on the Monday morning on which it opened. Although back up and running on the same day, the heavy promotion of the site only for it to fail on its opening day was embarassing for Times Newspapers to say the least. Commentators have said that this was a poor move considering web traffic was bound to be very high on a Monday morning, when workers log back online in their offices after the weekend. The suspicious move for Times Online to withold the figures for its web traffic indicates that the relaunch has not been successful and this could well be connected to the embarassing technical problems on the opening morning. This is also bound to have a detrimental impact on advertising revenues as advertisers will not be inclined to advertise on a site of unknown worth and popularity. The days and weeks to come will be the real test for whether this was a wise move for Times Newspapers as questions are asked as to their motives for keeping their figures secret. Their next ABCe report is due to be published in early May.

12. Converged Portable Technology > Sony Playstation Portable (PSP)

2007-03-23T00:36:00.000+01:00

According to figures from the end of 2006, 24.7 million Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) units have been sold worldwide since its official Japan launch in December 2004. This makes the PSP the most popular handheld games console ever. The PSP is a very advanced piece of converged portable technology. Its main function is a games console, offering graphic power similar to that of Sony’s 6th generation console – the Playstation 2. However, what makes the PSP unique as an example of new media technology, is the ability to play back music and video, access the internet via a wi-fi connection, work as a photo viewer and be expandable through software updates and new hardware add-ons. This device therefore represents an excellent example of converged technology and miniaturisation into a small portable multimedia player. It a technology which appeals widely: gamers, 18-24s, business people and gadeget-lovers of all ages are huge fans of the Sony PSP.

Upon launch in late 2004, the ‘core’ PSP XMB system was pre-loaded onto the console – known as version 1.0. As of March 2007, the software for the PSP has been updated to 3.11 – and as such there have been major developments in what the PSP can offer.

The PSP is now a fully capable music player, playing various file formats including MP3, WMA and AAC files. Each update brings more features, including visualisations, more playback controls, sorting tools and the ability to steam live audio via the internet.

The photo viewer works hand-in-hand with the console’s personalisation effects. Pictures can be viewed with a slideshow and edited using basic tools. Moreover, if you use the Memory Stick PRO Duo from your Sony digital camera, your photos will be sorted automatically for you. The most exciting development for the PSP in recent months is the launch of the PSP camera, which clips onto the top of the console and connects to it via a USB connection. Currently only available in Japan, the PSP camera – known as the Quick Shot – is the first of its kind and supports photos and videos. In the future it is thought Sony will develop a mega-pixel camera with web-cam capabilities.

The video player has full DVD-like controls and can play MP4 files, which can be downloaded from video-sharing site Google Video or the PSP website for free. The quality is dependant on the file size itself and software is widely available to rip DVDs and convert them into PSP-ready movie files to enjoy on the move.

The internet capabilities of the PSP have grown vastly. PSPs can link together to play multiplayer games in ‘Ad-hoc networks’. Moreover, the PSP acts as an internet browser with Flash technology using wi-fi to surf the internet. This allows for RSS feeds to be used for podcasts and news feeds, where you can download or stream audio and video wirelessly to the console.

The vital piece of kit for any PSP console is any expandable memory. Sony has been able to exploit its Memory Stick brand – and it turn generate huge profits – by only making the top-spec Memory Stick – the PRO Duo – compatible with the system. Available in up to 4GB versions, the memory is used to store all personal music, video, photos, internet data and game saves. The expandable memory is a good source of secondary income for Sony and promotes the use of other Sony products. For example, you are more likely to buy a Sony digital camera if you already have the correct memory card. A Memory Stick is vital to get the most out of the PSP with regard to any of its features.

However, the Memory Stick was never intended to be the primary media type. Sony developed the Universal Media Disk (UMD) exclusively for the PSP – and there are currently not plans for it to be branched out into uses elsewhere. Excluding its use as a gaming disc, the format has been a quiet failure; to an even worse extent than Sony’s MiniDisk format. There are two reasons why Sony chose to use a new disk format. Firstly, this would prevent piracy as no UMD burners or blank UMDs have been made commercially available. And secondly, it makes the UMD identifiable with the PSP brand – for example, Amazon now refers to UMD discs as “for Sony PSP” instead of naming the disc format itself. The disc carries 1.8GB of storage and is used by the PSP for three uses. All PSP games are only available on UMD discs, although it is likely that once the Playstation 3 has fully launched that PSP game downloads will be made available alongside PS3-PSP co-games (downloadable demo-versions of games have been available since Summer 2006). Sony has been able to make lucrative deals with all major film distributors to offer movies on UMD discs at the launch of the DVD version of the films. This has not been all that popular, considering that UMDs are more expensive than DVDs and do not offer bonus features (plus, using the right software, DVDs can be ripped to be made playable on a PSP for free). As such, many distributors and retailers have stopped selling or making UMD movies. The least successful UMD venture has been the UMD Music albums. Only Sony BMG Music Entertainment signed up to offer UMD versions of albums with only a select number of artists being available. The venture failed early on due to the high prices and the incapability to transfer the music to a PC – the UMD format made it very difficult to be interactive with the music itself and was therefore very unpopular amongst audiences. Only niche offerings are now available and from a limited number of retailers.

Sony has made a concerted effort to promote its PSP website YourPSP.com worldwide. Each major country has its own relevant regional site and it is also available in a special micro-version on the PSP itself. The site acts as a promotional tool for prospective buyers of the console, but mostly acts as a community-based download centre for all PSP users. The UK site has a special download section which allows users to download music files, photos (often in the form of wallpapers) and video such as short films, music videos and specialist arts programmes. In 2006, certain demo games were made available to download for free to promote new games, but add-ons to existing games have been available from the site’s launch – including new levels, enhancements or new players. The PSP-version of the site, which is the only available version when accessed via a PSP, is stunted in the respect that it does not offer downloads as of yet. It only gives news about what is available in the physical UMD format. However it does support the downloading of the latest software updates and according to Sony, the most popular way of updating the console’s software is via its website using the PSP’s wireless internet technology. The website also, for computers, has a message board with a thriving community of PSP users who discuss games, downloadable content and news about the PSP in general.

The PSP has also formed part of Sony’s attempt to break into the living room. The Playstation brand is integral to Sony’s home entertainment strategy – spearheaded by the Playstation 3. The PSP works with the PS3 with a variety of special PS3-PSP co-games, and wirelessly links with the PS3 using the specialised Ad-hoc function on the PSP system. Therefore, the PSP can act as additional storage or as a wireless streamer of multimedia around the home. Moreover, the PSP has become intrinsically linked to Sony’s LocationFree brand. LocationFree is Sony’s own-brand technology which allows for television (as well as connected devices like DVD players, PVRs, digital tuners etc.) to be streamed across the internet to any enabled LocationFree player. For example, with the correct set-up, your home television, Sky+ box and DVD player can be linked and then accessed from anywhere in the world via the internet. The PSP has LocationFree Player software, making it the world’s first portable device to use such technology. Therefore, business people whilst away on work can watch recorded programmes from their Sky+ box in their hotel room, for example, for free using wireless internet. These two instances show the integration of the PSP in all areas of Sony’s entertainment brands. But more importantly, it shows that Sony, using the PSP and is popularity as a stepping stone, is entering the home with its technology as a ‘Trojan horse’.

UPDATE: This image shows the evaluation of a Sony PR push at a recent gaming exhibition - what an amazing idea!!

2. TV Channel Website > BBC Two

2007-03-20T16:32:00.000+01:00

The BBC Two website is the most advanced of the BBC’s UK channel websites. It uses pioneering video technology within the site and is currently going through a BBC Trust Public Value Test to ensure it is commercially fair for its rivals – it is expected to be given the full go ahead by autumn this year. Once finally fully opened, many BBC Two shows will be available in full to stream for up to 7 days after its transmission date. Moreover, there will be – and currently is – exclusive content such as video diaries and behind the scenes footage for users to watch. As such, this site can only really be used to its full potential by broadband users due to the abundance of video content, images and Flash animation.

Since this February’s “window to the world” rebrand of BBC Two, the website has been revamped to coincide with the new look. The rebrand still includes the world famous ‘2s’, which have become synonymous with the BBC Two brand. As such, the BBC Two website gives fans the chance to make ‘Citizen Idents’ using the ‘2’ template. Makers can then upload their homemade creations and the best are shown on the site. This is an excellent fusion of web 2.0, participation, interactivity and exploitation the BBC Two brand, particularly for cult fans of the ‘2s’. Moreover, a wall-chart of the ‘2s’ past and present is available to download. The ‘Stuff from You’ section of the homepage acts as a pseudo user-generated section, which allows fans to send in relevant content or to link to a blog or photo which may be of interest. The website as a whole has been revamped using the new BBC Two colour palette (dominated by “Deep Aqua”) and replicas of the new on-screen promos with the '2' forming a ‘window’ to the trailer behind it. The boxed-logos of the main four UK channels from the BBC are shown at the foot of each page – as with all their respective websites - increasing cross-promotional activity.

The website is perhaps a little too simplistic and ‘fun’ for its own good. The site is broken down into just 3 categories: Home, Everything and TV Listings, making it quite hard to navigate immediately to something specific.

‘Home’ acts as a highlights or ‘best of’ page, which shows the editors’ pick of the available video. This is presented as a slideshow-style offering with full video and audio for each of the 5 picks. There is also a short text description and details of the transmission date of the programme on the channel.

‘TV Listings’ leads to the schedule for BBC Two for the day; with links leading to the following 7 day’s programmes. Importantly, it follows the same layout as each of the other BBC UK TV channel website’s schedules but each schedule uses the channel’s own unique branding.

'Everything’ shows all of the programmes available in category form. However, this is quite ridiculously limited due to the small number of shows currenly available through the site. Comedy is the only ‘real’ category, with other shows being filed under ‘More from…’. The ‘Citizen Ident’ promotion is also available through here. However, most interestingly is the category ‘Two on YouTube’. This month, the BBC announced its deal with video-sharing website YouTube, allowing ‘short-form’ BBC content to become available on the site on three distinct channels:

1 > From the BBC: Short-form content from UK programmes which only act as “promotional content” for BBC shows. All the content here is exclusive to YouTube – such as video diaries and behind the scenes footage.

2 > From BBC Worldwide: An entertainment-based channel showcasing the best of BBC content – including Top Gear and Spooks. This will be available worldwide and as such, some advertising will be present on these pages. These, the BBC has assured, will be non-intrusive and efforts will be made to ensure UK users will avoid any advertising.

3 > From BBC World (i.e. BBC News): This channel is yet to launch, but when it does it will be available only to non-UK residents. This is because the same content will be available on the BBC News website (under the branding ‘BBC News’) where currently it is not for overseas (where news content is watched on BBC World television). The channel will be commercially funded and will be updated with around 30 clips per day of BBC News output including “up to the minute news and analysis”.

‘Two on YouTube’ fits into the ‘BBC’ and ‘BBC Worldwide’ categories, and whilst the BBC Two website is under review, YouTube is subtly being promoted as an alternative for additional content.

Links

BBC Press Office: BBC Two Re-brand - Press Release

BBC Two Ident Wallchart - Old & New idents are honoured

Citizen Idents - The best of viewers' BBC Two ident mocks

BBC Cult: The '2s' - The now defunct website about the BBC Two idents

BBC News: BBC strikes Google-YouTube Deal - Coverage of the BBC's recent tech deal

Questions for Ms B

2007-03-19T20:39:00.000+01:00

For Case Study 1, do you want us to do the whole website or the homepage? I've done the latter but can expand it to talk about the categories within the BBC website too.
Would you consider this a vlog? If not, can you describe one or give an example?

Sameer

1. Mainstream Broadcaster's Website > BBC: bbc.co.uk

2007-03-18T00:27:00.000+01:00

bbc.co.uk - UK Version
The BBC website is known as a ‘supersite’, which acts as a portal to a huge variety of different sub-site catagories, all branded under the umbrella of bbc.co.uk. Within the UK, bbc.co.uk is the 6th most visited website in the United Kingdom (although, in April 2007, the site's 30.7 million unique users made it the Nielsen No. 3 UK website). The site has been known by three other names since its launch in 1996: BBC Networking Club (www.bbcnc.org.uk), BBC Online and BBCi. The bbc.co.uk homepage is, in itself, a excellent summary of the BBC’s online services as a whole.

Main Promotion
The homepage itself is dominated by it’s the day’s main promotion. Every day at midnight, the promotion changes but on occasion there is more than one promotion for any one day. These usually promote BBC television, radio or online services based around a theme. For example, one of the two promotions today (Saturday 17th March) was for Making Your Mind Up – the BBC’s selection process for the UK’s Eurovision Song Contest act. Under this theme, users are pointed to a variety of BBC services:

Promotion of the programme itself: The tagline for this promotion draws attention to when viewers can watch (“Saturday 7.30pm BBC One”). This will aid in boosting audience share in much the same way a trailer may do and thus highlights the merits of vertical integration.

Audio: Users can hear audio samples – and read profiles – of each of the performers via the ‘Making Your Mind Up’ site. Taking users to the website means they are likely to explore and therefore watch the programme itself on BBC One.

BBC News: Users can link to the BBC’s News Player to watch a report on this year’s runners, from the BBC News 24 show ‘Entertainment 24’. This promotes both the programme itself as well as the wealth of choice from the BBC’s audio and video news online.

Message Board: Under the BBC’s ‘DNA’ initiative, users can make their views known on the Eurovision message board within the Radio 2 website. As with any message board, users must ‘create’ their bbc.co.uk membership. As well as improving security and functionality of all BBC message boards, it also acts as a good tool for brand loyalty and integration into other areas of bbc.co.uk.

Last Year’s Website: There is a link to the ‘Eurovision Song Contest: Athens 2006’ site which users can explore to learn more about the contest, its history and interact with Eurovision-branded ‘Fun Stuff’.

Terry Wogan: As host of the show and icon for UK viewers of Eurovision, Terry Wogan’s show on Radio 2 is promoted. The link goes to the ‘Wake Up with Wogan’ site, which promotes the show, the podcast, Radio 2 as a station and the BBC’s ‘Listen Again’ radio service.

Search
The BBC’s Search facility is available on each page of bbc.co.uk and there is a big focus on search on the BBC homepage. It is featured at the top and enables users to search within bbc.co.uk as well as the internet as a whole – this is possible through a long-lasting deal with Microsoft providing search technology from Windows Live Search. Throughout the day, 3 examples of what ‘Other people are searching for’ show the power of the search and its usefulness for users.

TV & Radio
The TV block of the bbc.co.uk homepage is dominated by the promotion of a single programme on one of the BBC’s four main channels. The programme chosen is therefore promoted as a highlight for the day or a promotion in advance. The section also points users to TV listings from the BBC’s ‘What’s On’ section and to bbc.co.uk/tv – which promotes a highlight from each of the four main shows daily as well as linking to the BBC’s four other UK channels. The Radio block of the homepage merely lists the BBC’s national and digital stations in bullet point form. There are also small links to the ‘Listen Again’ BBC Radio Player service, information on BBC podcasts, radio schedules and to the bbc.co.uk/radio site.

Browse by Category
The homepage shows the main 12 categories across bbc.co.uk, each followed by 3 sub-categories. For example, the large BBC Lifestyle section is sub-divided into ‘Consumer’, ‘Food’ and ‘Gardening’. This is a convenient at-a-glance look at what bbc.co.uk offers and thus is good for the BBC as a pseudo-promotional tool and good for users as it leaves content easy to access.

News & Sport
BBC News and BBC Sport headlines are displayed with a picture to act as a visualisation for each their top stories. BBC News also promotes its vast multi-language news output, meaning non-English speaking users of the site can still consume the content. There is a link to the BBC’s new broadband video and audio services from the BBC News Player as well as RSS icons for use with newsreaders or personalisation sites.

Where I Live
Using your IP address, the bbc.co.uk homepage works out your approximate location and shows the weather for that region. There is also a link to your BBC region’s website, local travel information and even cinema listings.

Institutional Information
As with all major broadcasters’ homepages, there are links to important information about the BBC as an institution available at the footer of the page. The main area for BBC information is via the About the BBC link, but further information can be found via the License Fee, Jobs, Press Office, BBC Trust, Reception advice, Complaints and Contact Us links. There is also access to the bbc.co.uk ‘Terms of Use’ and ‘Privacy Policy’ on each page of the whole site.

Links

bbc.co.uk Homepage Archive - An archive of all the homepage info sorted by date (powered by BBC Backstage)

backstage.bbc.co.uk - The BBC's open source online initiative

BBC Commissioning - Description of bbc.co.uk plus Guidelines & Standards for new sites

BBC Worldwide - The BBC's commercial venture

BBC World - The BBC's international news and information channel

BBC Home - The international version of bbc.co.uk (displayed automatically if outside of the UK)

Reboot:bbc.co.uk - A detailed breakdown of the design of the homepage from the BBC's own perspective. (Thanks to Martin Belam - former Senior Producer for the bbc.co.uk Homepage - for pointing me to this site)

10. Podcasting > Background & Theory

2007-03-15T22:52:00.000+01:00

Podcasts are probably best described as downloadable radio shows. Although they do not have to be, podcasts can be put on a portable media device like an iPod to be played on-the-go. Anyone can make a podcast – it can be a radio show, a speech, a lecture or literally anything that can be recorded. Moreover, it’s free to download a podcast, so uptake has been unsurprisingly swift. As such, you do not get music podcasts except for a few rare exceptions – like ‘Radio 1’s Best of Unsigned’ which acts as a promotional tool for unsigned bands whose music is out of copyright. Although video podcasts (or vodcasts – video-on-demand-casts) are their own very important type of podcasts, they use the same technology in distribution and production.

Podcasting is broadly used to describe any audio file, other than a music track, which is downloaded onto a PC or portable media player or streamed to a PC or wireless-enabled portable media player. However, in the strictest terms, podcasting is the distribution of any audio file via ‘syndication feeds’. This is different because syndication feeds allow the downloading to be automatic so that you receive the podcast as soon as the it is updated, using special software to interpret the feed (such as iTunes). These feeds are often RSS feeds (standing for ‘Really Simple Syndication’).

There are many of podcast-directory websites which feature smaller independent podcasts from around the world. These sites only list the ‘syndication feeds’ for these podcasts which are just lists of code which need to be interpreted. So to be able to download them, ‘aggregator’ software is required (which acts as a podcast receiver). The most popular ‘aggregator’ is Apple’s iTunes software, which allows users to browse, download and subscribe to podcasts and then sync them to their iPod.

The beauty of podcasting is that it available to anyone with a computer and an internet connection (although broadband would certainly help). Therefore there is no strict demographic which benefits from podcasting. But because podcasts are usually listened-to on portable media devices like iPods, the three main audience groups are teenagers, 18-24s and business people. Teenagers and 18-24s are the age groups which most use iPods and music downloads and are very in-touch with new technologies and thus take them up rapidly. Business people also use iPods for leisure but usually whilst in transit, on trains or planes or on the way to or from work.

Although there are obvious similarities with radio shows, they are not seen as a replacement to listening to the radio for audiences. The shows are usually extracts from that day’s or week’s show and thus it is not a suitable replacement for radio as a whole as the podcasts are short and without any music (due to obvious copyright concerns). What they do replace, however, is listening to music on-the-go – although there is unlikely to be any damage to music sales as there as music is still of fundamental importance to all audiences. What podcasting does offer is a chance to listen to a show at your leisure at a time to suit you. Therefore, podcasting is an example of non-linear self-scheduling of media. Moreover, podcasts are often good ways of ‘testing’ a radio programme before you listen for real on the radio – so act as a stepping stone to becoming a loyal listener, particularly to new stations.

As well as thousands of individuals making their own home-made shows, media institutions have been swift to use the new technology. The BBC is a key example of an institution which has made a huge impact on the ‘market’ using its local, national and digital radio stations to fuel the content. The BBC has 78 audio or video podcasts available on iTunes. For example...

Other major contributors include Channel 4 Radio, Guardian Unlimited, Virgin Radio and Xfm. Advertising space can be sold on these podcasts, with Volvo sponsoring all Guardian Unlimited podcasts in 2006 with 30 second adverts mid-way through each podcast. However, podcasting is not generally seen as a commercial venture and instead seen as an alternative medium by which they can reach the audience. Subscribing to shows leads to brand loyalty and thus it is mutually beneficial for these institutions to have podcasts for audiences to consume for free.

Production costs for podcasts are very low, as simple recording equipment is all that is required. For example, Guardian Unlimited made a purpose-build studio in its offices to record the podcasts which is their largest necessary one-off expense. Existing broadcasters such as the BBC, Virgin Radio and Xfm have even lower costs considering the infrastructure already exists and that most of their podcasts are extracts from existing programmes. The largest expense for any podcast provider is ‘hosting’ the files online. Third-party companies offer hosting opportunities (e.g. Positive Internet or JellyCast) but the cost for the podcaster rises as more people download the show (due to bandwidth being stretched).

10. Podcasting > Example: The Ricky Gervais Show

2007-03-14T21:45:00.000+01:00

The Ricky Gervais Show - four seasons comprising of 27 podcasts weekly to date - is credited as the most popular podcast since the advent of the technology. The first series was awarded the Guinness World Record for the most downloaded podcast, evidenced by its permanent fixture at the top of the iTunes Podcast Chart from the moment it was added, to the moment it was removed. In fact, it recieved an average of 261,670 downloads per episode during November 2005 (its first month). Listeners interacted with the show by e-mail (podcast@rickygervais.com) and via Ricky Gervais' website. In series one, listeners were encouraged to contribute stories to the weekly 'Monkey News' feature. In season two, an autograph of Karl Pilkington was up for grabs if you could solve Karl's 'clues' for his 'Rockbusters' game. In series four, Ricky offered signed goodies if listeners could answer vague questions such as "Do you want 'em?". As a whole however, the interactivity between the audience and the show is high with comments on the podcast and questions and funny stories for Karl forming the basis of the majority of episodes.

The Ricky Gervais Show is also the first podcast series ever to be paid-for. The second and third series' - comprising 12 episodes in total - were published as 'Audio Books'. iTunes and Audible.com sold each download for 95p or an entire series for £3.95. The podcast has led to 15 additional video podcasts which are still avaliable for free, a spin-off book 'Ricky Gervais presents...The World of Karl Pilkington' and many unofficial sites selling merchandise like t-shirts, badges and mugs often featuring the bald head of co-host Karl Pilkington. The team returned in late 2006 for 3 free specials, released on Haloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

All 4 series have been presented by Ricky Gervais (Writer/Director/Performer for The Office, Extras, Meet Ricky Gervais), Stephen Merchant (Writer/Director/Performer for The Office, Extras, The Steve Merchant Show, Broomfield High) and Karl Pilkington (Producer on Xfm, 6music; Author of The World of Karl Pilkington).

Links
RickyGervais.com - Official Website
Pilkipedia.co.uk - A fansite related to the podcasts and more
Cafe Press: Karl Pilkington Merchandise
Audible.co.uk - Retailer of Series 2 + 3 of the Podcast

Test Post > Adam & Joe: Big in Japan

2007-03-14T20:46:00.000+01:00

Woo! A little test post to see how this thing works...

Ahh...AKABANEBASHI! Oh dear, what a loser I am, lol

Sameer.
P.S. In case you hadn't realised already Miss, I quite like the 2s...

welcome to your new tech blog

2007-03-13T22:19:00.000+01:00

hi sameer happy blogging! ms b