Entertainment

Entertainment has developed and been boosted phenomenally over the years because of the Information Age. Even before the huge corporations like Apple, Sony and Microsoft inventing break through products and high tech devices, there still had to be a start to the entertainment years and years ago. Most people take these services that are provided for us for granted and see them as something that every common household would normally have, but that was not always the case. There are a varying degree of entertainment devices and services that range from music and games to films and television. I will look into these four aspects of entertainment and see how they have developed and what they have provided for the 21^st century.

Music:

Music is a feature of life that can have a different impact on different people, depending on the style. There are many genres and subgenres that are being created and made more popular all the time. As genres and music have grown over the years, so has the way in which we listen to it. Before the use of small and compact C.D’s there were large discs with spiralled grooves in them, known as vinyl records, which would be played on a gramophone. These were the primary source of music for most people in the late 20^th century. The gramophone would have a large needle arm that would run along the vinyl record and project a sound. The very first form of a gramophone was made by Thomas Edison in 1877. As well as the gramophone there was also the juke box. The juke box was a device made around 1890 and carried through into the 20^th century. Just like the gramophone the juke box would play vinyl records, but was able to store a large quantity of discs. When people today think of devices that play music, they think of the Ipod. The Ipod is a product that was made by Apple and has had a huge impact on the way in which we listen to music. Many different products have been made, a few different examples being the Ipod shuffle, Ipod touch and Ipod classic. Apple was also the founder of Itunes, a software in which users can store all their desired albums and music, whilst being able to play the music and place them into groups for easier listening pleasure.

Advantages of Music:

-Because of the sheer amount of choice and genres there is something that will appeal for everyone.

-Music can be part of peoples jobs, whether that be a member of a rock band or orchestra.

Disadvantages of Music:

­­-Some lyrics to some songs can promote drugs, sex, violence etc.

-Some people are able to purchase music for free and, usually, illegally.

Games:

During the 20^th century, around, the most common form of gamming was relatively space orientated; with games such as Space Invaders which sparked more and more space shooters. These sort of games were known as arcade games which were played on arcade machines, and commonly found in locations like shopping centres, restaurants etc. The invention of Space Invaders was dated to 1978, and can be seen as the start of the golden age for the arcade gaming industry. Space Invaders was the most popular arcade game to date, with the only other real competitor being Pong. In 1980 the arrival of Pac Man sparked a new era of gaming, which could appeal to both genders. These three arcade games, Space Invaders, Pong and Pac Man are often credited for being the landmark in game history. The death of arcade games came to be in 1989, when Nintendo released the first handheld console known as the Game Boy. Since then gaming consoles have been more popular ever since, but arcade machines are still used today in some old school local restaurants and other public areas. However, the modern day console is much different to what it was before. The Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii are among a few that have made a name for themselves in the recent years, with a new feature being added to them very often. The main reason for people buying these consoles is the experience of playing with friends and other people around the world. Some examples of games that are most commonly played by these platforms online are Call of Duty, usually on Xbox and PS3, Halo, only on Xbox, and Mario Kart, only on Wii.

Advantages of Games:

-They are a good time waster.

-Playing with your friends is a very fun experience.

Disadvantages of Games:

-You can become easily addicted to playing games.

-The actual consoles and accessories are usually very expensive.

Films and Cinema:

Films and the overall quality of watching them have changed drastically over the years. The very earliest form of a film is that of plays and theatrical dance, which can date back hundreds of years to before the Shakespearean era and into the Roman period. The first proper films were only in black and white and known as “silent films” since there was no proper way devised to project any sort of film track. Commonly a live band or live spokesman would make a commentary of the film as there was no distinct way of reading the film in one certain way. The use of proper colour in filming did not come into play until roughly the early 20^th century; but by 1954 half of the films made were being made in colour. People were not able to watch movies at home since there was no way to project it at home. As years went by new ways of projecting and watching films were invented. One such invention that has only recently been put out of fashion was the VCR player; abbreviated from video-cassette player. A VCR would have a tape wrapped round it and the VCR player would uncoil the tape, allowing the film to be projected. Nowadays though there are DVD’s and, even more recent, the Blue Ray discs. A Blue Ray disc has more detail to the picture than regular DVD’s but can only be played on a certain type of Blue Ray player.

Advantages of Film and Cinema:

-Watching films is a good time waster in the evenings or just generally anytime of the day.

-A lot of people enjoy going to the cinema to watch new films with their friends and family.

Disadvantages of Film and Cinema:

-Going to the cinema can sometimes be quite expensive.

-When buying DVD’s you need to make sure they are not copy righted.

Television:

The television, more commonly known as tv, is one of histories most widely renowned inventions. However, it was not made by one single person. Over the years contribution and ideas were passed down by people working together to make the tv what it is today. Here are a few significant dates revolving around the invention of the tv: 1831 was the date at which Joseph Henry’s and Michael Faraday’s work with electromagnetism jumpstarted the era of electronic communication; in 1880 inventors Alexander Bell and Thomas Edison theorize about telephones devices that transmit image as well as sound; 1907 Campbell Swinton and Boris Rosing suggested using cathode ray tubes to transmit images, independent from each other they both developed electronic scanning methods or reproducing images; 1924/25 American Charles Jenkins and John Barid from Scotland each demonstrated the mechanical transmissions of images over wire circuits. In today’s world it is practically unheard of for people to own a black and white tv, as almost all household tv’s are now in colour and high definition. Not only has the colour changed on tv’s but the amount of channels too. Whereas before there was only at maximum about 3-5, you can buy Freeview boxes that allow up to hundreds of channels. The amount of tv’s sold has changed drastically too, as there would only be one tv per house, and now you would expect to find at least 2 or 3tv’s in a single household.

Advantages of Television:

-The news keeps you informed on current world affairs.

-Since there are so many genres of programmes it is easy to find something that suits you.

Disadvantages of Television:

-Watching for excessive periods of time can cause migraines and damage your eyes.

-People can become addicted to watching the tv.

My Experience:

My experience of entertainment in the information age has seen all of the features that I had mentioned here. I have got an ipod of my own which has alot of music currently stored on it. I have a number of gaming consoles at home, some being an Xbox and Wii, with some being handheld like the Nintendo DS. We have a large collection of DVD's, most being regular standard DVDs with several blue ray discs, and yet we still have a huge collection of VHS tapes for a VCR player, even though we are no longer in possession of one. And even though we do have some tv's in our house, I only really watch tv on the weekends in the mornings and evenings but rarely in the afternoon.