Online Entertainment
Online entertainment has become a world wide phenomenon in the recent years. The entertainment side of the internet is probably the highest within the internet with sites such as Youtube and others becoming increasingly popular. People have begun not just using entertainment on the internet for business or educational purposes, but to enjoy themselves.
Viewing media online
Catch Up services such as 4 on Demand and BBC iPlayer are now becoming a huge as people who cannot always catch it on TV have the chance to do watch it online making it a lot easier for people. Most channels have developed an online website for their programmes to be caught up on. With the numbers up substantially, it is apparent that there is a huge interest in sites that offer you the chance to watch things you’ve missed.
4 on Demand which is a big site was launched in November 2006 and has become bigger and bigger, showing that people are beginning to use the internet for personal entertainment. 4 on Demand have recently had a connection with Youtube, which is one of the main distributors for online entertainment videos, and you’re now able to watch 4 on Demand through Youtube.
Youtube is at the heart of the media world with it reaching over 700 billion playbacks in 2010 alone, meaning with the way its increasing, it is sure to be a lot higher this year. Youtube can offer you a range of things from music videos to something of comical value. You can upload videos too, making your own videos and allowing people to see what you have made, and for upcoming artists it’s a great way to establish yourself as big artists such as Justin Bieber established himself through Youtube as a talent agent saw him through his videos.
Personally I like using these services as they’re entertaining and it means if I miss something or I want to view something funny, I can do it easily.
Advantages;
- You can catch up on the programmes you’ve missed
- You can view a wide range of videos online
- It is entertaining and free, meaning more cost effective
Disadvantages;
- You may experience buffering/lagging due to bad internet connection
- You need an internet connection to view them
- Some things require you have an account
Online Gaming
With technology developing it is no surprise that online gaming has become more and more popular throughout the web. You can go on games throughout the web, with different sites being specifically for gaming. You now have the option of using your games console such as playstation’s or Xboxes to play online with other people. It has developed a lot in the past few years, and many people do get “addicted” to online gaming.
Online gaming includes a range of games, you can play actual classic games such as Tetris or newer games such as Second Life in which you create an avatar and you can live in this second world, games such as this become a huge part of peoples life to the extent of people spending more time online than in the actual world.
Sites that offer these games can make money from it too because in many cases many people are willing to pay for these add-ons even though they’re virtual, many people will give over their details to further their game. This also applies for online gambling, many people become addicted. However in some cases people can make their living through online gambling, or they can just do it for fun. You’re able to play other people online or play against the computer, in both cases you can win or lose money.
Advantages;
- You can have fun online
- You can meet new people online
- In some cases you can make money online
Disadvantages;
- If you buy things, you’re handing over personal details
- You can get “addicted” to some games
- Could download viruses to your computer
I personally have used these games and think that they can be quite fun sometimes, however I would not hand over card details online because many of the websites are not well known. However I have used educational games through my revision for my GCSE’s and found the way they were fun but beneficial too.
iTunes
iTunes is really good because you can download a range of different things from the software which is used through the internet. You can download different things such as apps, films, music, podcasts, etc. In some cases they’re free, but most of the time you have to pay because the artist collects money from it. iTunes is good for offering a wide range of choice which you could download meaning you are not limited. However in recent years, many people have begun copying music from iTunes and distributing it illegally, meaning they do not have permission to be giving out the details.
With people illegally downloading, it means the amount of actual downloads have decreased rapidly making less money. In 1997 78 million singles were downloaded, however last year it was just 8.3 millions in the UK. Many people just find it easier to go online and download instead of paying for it, this however is illegal. If you download illegally, you can faces charges through the civil rights or you may be fined huge amounts of money. It also impacts on the artists as less of their music is actually being sold.
Although overall iTunes it is great because you can download the things you need easily and quickly, even if it comes at a price you know it will work.
Advantages;
- You have a huge range of things you can download
- You know it will work
- You can get films, music and other things before they’re released in the shops
Disadvantages;
- You have to pay a lot for the songs
- You have to have specific software
I use iTunes and download my music from there, although sometimes it is less cost effective it is legal and I can always find what I want, which is a good copy. I can also download videos etc off of iTunes making it fun.
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