For my first media element, I decided I wanted to convey the message of my statement ‘old media is obsolete’ by doing a series of drawings showing the timeline of VHS being the standard for media playback devices to DVD’s globally taking over the role. I wanted to hand draw it at first but I felt photoshop had all the tools I needed so I decided use it, I felt three drawings in a series would adequately get my message across so I started with drawing faces on the items to show them being happy or sad based on the timeline. Then I added in the year and things people said about the item at the time, using the pencil tool I managed to make it look more handwritten but drawing with a mouse is still annoying, the second drawing is showing a couple of people looking at the new DVD platform thus making the VHS sad, and the last drawing shows the DVD completely taken over and the VHS being dead and obsolete.
Technology has progressed so much within the last 20 to 30 years, and at the rate its going, it wasn’t a surprise that older technologies like the VHS were going to be replaced by a better, cheaper, more convenient and more efficient form of storing media and playing it back. This came in the form of the DVD, a small optical disc capable of storing more data and higher quality media playback, couple this with the price of DVD players going down and people were quickly adapting. With the VHS era coming to a close, video rental businesses like blockbuster suffered massive losses due to not being able to adapt to these newer technologies. As DVD’s took over, even newer technologies emerge to try and replace it, one that makes videos and movies accessible far beyond the capabilities of physical products like the VHS or DVD. This came in the form of streaming, the invention of the internet created a platform of infinite potential for sharing media and multiple companies such as Netflix and Spotify have taken advantage of this by selling it as a monthly paid service, although DVD’s have not completely been discontinued, newer technologies like streaming will surely render them obsolete in the future as it becomes even more streamlined and convenient to consumers.
Because of the current digital age that we live in, having a personal computer seems commonplace however it wasn’t until the late 1980s to early 1990s that computer parts were advanced enough to output video and audio. Thus, needing physical objects like the VHS to play media, however with newer and newer cutting edge technology being discovered, older technologies should be reserved for nostalgia purposes as better options are now widely available.
Bibliography
- “Technological Transition: From The Humble Video To Digital Downloads | The Artifice”. The-artifice.com. N.p., 2017. [ONLINE] Available at :https://the-artifice.com/technological-transition-video-to-digital-downloads/
- “DVD | Technology”. Encyclopedia Britannica. N.p., 2017. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/DVD
- Plus, PC. “How Internet Video Streaming Works”. TechRadar. N.p., 2017. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/how-internet-video-streaming-works-1095211