RTV 151 Course Outline Fall 2009

Course Format: This course consists of (a) lectures related to the assigned reading, including material related to the subject introduced by the instructor from other sources, (b) discussions and interactions between students and instructor, (c) in-class presentations by students over assigned reading, and (d) screenings, from which students take notes.

COURSE SCHEDULE (subject to changes & updates; check course web site online weekly)

Last updated 12/9/09

NOTE -- check back weekly for updates

Week 1   (8/31 - 9/2)       Introduction to Communication Technologies
              
Intro and course overview.  Syllabus discussion and course requirements.  Enrollment in RTV Practicum required.
Communication technology development; historical and modern means of human communication. Basic technology overview.  Umbrella Perspective on Technology, Technology Timeline.  
READ FOR WEDNESDAY:  Grant and Meadows, Chap. 1
READ FOR WEDNESDAY 9/9 --
Grant and Meadows, Chap. 2


Week 2 (9/7 - 9)             Historical Perspective on Communication Technology

Labor Day Holiday Monday
READ FOR WEDNESDAY:  Grant and Meadows, Chaps. 2

Remember to be prepared for a possible quiz over assigned reading (see syllabus).

Some main ideas for Chapter 1:  Importance and significance of communication technologies, The most valuable media company as of mid 2008, banner ads, broadband Internet vs. dial-up, how Google revolutionized Internet media, the 'Umbrella Perspective' on Communication Technology (5 factors about adoption and use of communication technologies) -- related to this, note Diffusion of Innovations discussed in class

Some main ideas for Chapter 2:  Communication technology timeline from 1650 to present, specific facts about various communication technologies:  print media, periodicals, books, telephone, motion pictures, audio recording, radio, television, cable TV, DBS (DirecTV and DISH), MMDS ('wireless cable'), SMATV ('private cable'), IPTV (FiOS and U-verse), Home video (VHS/Beta, DVD, DVR), personal computers, Internet, video games
Other terms:  VoIP, 8-track tape, CB radio, 8mm film, quadrophonic sound, circulation, penetration, churn, etc. (more may be added).


Week 3 (9/14-16)    Understanding Communication Technologies & The Structure of Communication Industries
Video / Screening on Monday:  Transistorized (be prepared to take notes and have a Quiz over the video).
READ FOR THIS WEEK: Grant and Meadows, Chaps. 3 & 4

Some main ideas for Chap. 3: private goods vs. public goods, Everett Rogers and Diffusion of Innovations, stages of diffusion of an innovation, what is 'critical mass'?  social presence thyeory and information richness theory as part of social processing, four areas of richness, Impacts and effects--uses and gratifications, dependency theory, social cognitive theory (Albert Bandura), also noted in class--quantitative vs. qualitative theories and research and hegemony, theory of the long tail--hits at the head vs. niches at the tail, relative constancy

Some main ideas for Chap. 4: dynamic flux nature of communication tchnologies, the AT&T story, regulated monopoly, hardware and software, production and distribution, disintermediation, HDTV, HD Radio (hybrid digital), the changing nature of the media industries, 'how to monetize the business'--advertising supported media, pay per use, the mobile revolution, consumer use; relative constancy


Week 4 (9/21-23)         Communication Policy and Technology
READ FOR THIS WEEK:  Grant and Meadows, Chap. 5

These are some of the sample test questions discussed in class.  The test covers chapters 1-5 and class content (notes and videos).




Week 5 (9/28-30)           READING FOR WEDNESDAY:  Chap. 6

Test 1 on Monday at 9:30 (see previous week notes as initial test review)

Wednesday:  Screening: Triumph of the Nerds, Part 2  -- look for content like this:  What major computer company is credited with changing the home computer from hobby to big business?  What was the term used by ‘Big Blue’ for taking components off the shelf and assembling them into a PC, rather than building one from scratch?   Every PC requires at least what two essential bits of software?  What was the ‘killer app’ for the IBM PC?    What is 'reverse engineering'?

Some Chap. 6 main points:  DTV vs. HDTV, SDTV, 8VSB vs. COFDM, NTSC vs. ATSC, persistence of vision, pixels, scan lines, frame rate (60i, 30p, 24p), fields vs. frames, interlaced or progressive scan, aspect ratio, scalability, 6 MHz of spectrum per channel, 
background/development of HDTV, multicasting, Dolby AC-3 audio standard, FCC involvement, terrestrial broadcasting transition from analog to digital, converter boxes, 'cliff effect' (not in reading),  700 MHz range auction, displays--CRT, projection, LCD, LED, plasma, DLP, OLED, HD programming, upconvert/ downconvert, Japan and digital TV--terrestrial and satellite, DVB-T / Europe / COFDM, ATSC DTV / US / 8VSB, DTT, penetration rate, Factors to Watch

Week 6 (10/5-7)       READING FOR MONDAY:  Chaps. 7 & 8

Monday:  Screening:  Triumph of the Nerds, Part 3

Some Chap. 7 main points:   DBS, PPV, VOD, NVOD, SVOD, cable vs. IPTV, headend/trunk line/feeder line/drop line, DTH vs. TVRO, C-band vs. Ku-band,  ITU, WARC, MPEG-1 / compression standards, Primestar / USSB / DirecTV, DISH,  hybrid cable systems, digital cable, multiplexes, local into local, must carry / retransmission consent, a la carte programming, cable franchises, MSOs, largest MSOs, broadband / 3G & 4G cellphone / Wi-Max / DTV impact

Some Chap. 8 main points:   streaming, FiOS and U-verse, IPTV, IP address, streaming platforms, podcasting, Internet TV connections vs. IPTV (hulu.com, veoh.com, modernfeed/clicker.com, Apple TV, Sling Player), UGC

Chap. 7 class notes - MVPD -- Cable, DBS, Pay TV, IPTV (chap. 8),  SMATV, MMDS, TVRO
Pay TV, PPV, VOD, NVOD, SVOD, Cable TV Started late 1940s, Growth began in 1970s (HBO)
Tree and branch architecture -- Headend, Reception from terrestrial, specific satellites, microwave and backfeed lines , conversion, channel assignment, Trunk Line, Feeder lines, Drop lines, Backfeed lines, amplifiers, Local geographic areas - but MSOs, Some Cable TV issues: A la carte, Must carry-retransmission consent,  Class A LPTV must carry, Franchising / IPTV -- statewide -- FCC, Digital cable, Telephony (VoIP), High speed internet (slow down issue)
Coax / hybrid / all fiber, Multicasting DTV channels
DBS issues: Location of satellites (see dishpointer.com).  Location of uplink facilities--DirecTV: Castle Rock, CO
DISH:  Cheyenne, WY.   Local into local,  HD roll-out -- MPEG-4 AVC,  Satellites--Launching / multiple dishes
HD locals, Alternative services
IPTV issues:  Service locations--FiOS vs. U-verse  IPTV vs. cable vs. DBS vs. --- Internet broadband
2-way benefits vs. other MVPDs,  Bundles -- benefits?

Chap. 8 - Streaming Media --  How different from ITV (ch.9)  / IPTV?  Live streaming (watching a TV show); vs. progressive download.  Limited number of users / vs. broadcasting.  Webcams are not considered streaming
Live radio stations and live ‘TV stations’ -- Copyright issues (who owns what?)-- Original site or extra distribution outlet?
Established streaming platforms: ,  Microsoft / Windows Media Player,  RealPlayer  / RealProducer as encoder
Apple QuickTime,  Apple iTunes.   Also... Macromedia/Flash -- technically a plug-in
Podcasting, etc.  RSS - really simple syndication ; not live streaming.  EV-DO -- Verizon’s Evolution Data Only Network -- ‘V-cast’ wireless mobile video service.  FiOS TV -- Verizon’s fiber optic to the home service that offers broadband Internet, IPTV and phone service.  AT&T’s U-verse IPTV service Other terms and ideas…Streaming architecture -- handles and synchronizes digital files: QuickTime, Flash…Codec -- compression/decompression: a compression algorithm.  Slivercasting -- cable channels, now …  ISMA / interoperability -- Internet Streaming Media Alliance
Other interactive TV issues:  Internet TV connections vs. IPT.  hulu.com, veoh.com, modernfeed/clicker.com,
Apple TV.  Sling Player.  UGC.  Social issues.  Who is using what type media?  Teen and younger use of and access to
Predators?  Subversion of parental roles? (webcams, online videos, social impact).  Loss of public service journalism
Mobile media, new narrative conventions.  University and business training -- podcasts, streams, online training and education.  Legal issues.  MPEG-21 --multimedia application open framework.  WRAL / CBS stream example
DRM / also called TC.  Technical standards / control of home environment  Trusted Computing? Or Treacherous computing?  What did the VCR allow? / not allow? (Betamax case).  Privacy.  MySpace / YouTube
IP address ---> next ---> (www.edonkey.com example)


Week 7 (10/12-14)      READING FOR MONDAY:  Chap. 9

Monday:  Screening:  History of the Internet--Networking the Nerds

The company started as ‘Architext’ became --  .  What do they say was the first money-maker on the Internet?    What online bookstore founded by Jeff Bezos do they note as the first successful Internet-only business?  Apple co-founder Steve Jobs says, with the Web, the computer became a device not for computation but for ----- .  The Internet revolution is different from all other revolutions because it is abolishing ----- .  What Russian event led to the Internet?   Who was the M.I.T. psychologist who proposed the concept of ‘the Intergalactic  Network in the early 1960s?  At what government agency was the Internet really ‘born’?  Besides Harvard and M.I.T. in the Boston area, -------, named for the three people who started it, and which invented packet switching, is often called ‘the third university on the Charles.'  A ----- is one chunk of numbered information representing a part of an original message sent across the Internet, reconstructed into the original message when it reaches its destination. The Internet (then known as the Arpanet) came to life at the host computer on what university campus?  Wireless data transfer was first demonstrated at what university?
------ , invented by Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn, ‘are probably the five most important letters of the information revolution.’
-----  refers to ‘the rules of control of how computers talk to each other.’

Some Chap. 9 terms and ideas:  What s ITV?  Is it the same as IPTV?  What is a 'lean back' vs. 'lean forward' service?  What is packet switching?  Critical Components of ITV, UGC, VOD vs. NVOD), DVR TiVo, Interactive TV Failures, What can make ITV work? Broadband, IPTV.  Open architecture (HAVi -- home audio / video interoperability and ‘ hot pluggable’) vs. proprietary, File sharing and copyright -- who owns the intellectual property?  

Other terms:  first run syndication, off-network syndication, NATPE (www.natpe.org), latency, convergence
See latest podcast on www.geekbrief.tv  (plan to attend Cali Lewis visit at 2 pm on an upcoming Tuesday or Thursday)
See online information about SlingBox, SlingPlayer, Apple TV and 'TV of Tomorrow'                                                                                                  


Week 8:  (10/19-21)     READING FOR MONDAY:  Chap. 10 --> (ready for a Quiz Monday or Wednesday?)

Monday:  Screening:  History of the Internet--Surviving the Suits.  Look for information like:  Who developed ‘ethernet’ and with it the ability to link personal computers, while at XEROX PARC, then went on to start 3COM?  What was the name of XEROX PARC’s innovative personal computer?  ------ University was the starting point for three major computer companies, including Sun Microsystems and Cisco. What new business paradigm did John McAfee start when he introduced his anti-virus software?  What does one of Silicon Valley’s most renowned VC’s, Steve Doerr, say are the
four risks in every project?

Some Chap. 10 terms and ideas:  AM and FM broadcasting,  DAB, IBOC,  SDARS--Sirius XM, RDS, HD Radio, iBiquity, Guglielmo Marconi, Edwin Armstrong, KDKA, Radio Conferences 1922-25, public vs. private, origination of networks, LPFM, SoundExchange and 'Internet Radio,' other DAB elsewhere / World DAB Forum, DAB+, DMB, Interactive DMB, XM Sirius merger, mobile media, podcasts/podcasting, four ways to 'construct a radio format,'  the three U.S. music (performance) licensing organizations, analog vs. digital review

Some Test 2 review sample questions posted below.  Be ready in the 10/21 class to ask questions related to Test 2.
What major computer company is credited with changing the home computer from hobby to big business?  What was the term used by ‘Big Blue’ for taking components off the shelf and assembling them into a PC, rather than building one from scratch? The QDOS operating system created by Tim Patterson made lots of money for other people when it became what? The first computer GUI was developed where? What was the ‘killer app’ for the IBM PC?  The term for the process used to clone a computer or copy a software program, where one engineer figures out, after something has been created, how it works, then another ‘virgin’ engineer takes these specifications and makes a copy.    What Russian event led to the Internet?  Who was the M.I.T. psychologist who proposed the concept of ‘the Intergalactic Network in the early 1960s? At what government agency was the Internet really ‘born’?  Besides Harvard and M.I.T. in the Boston area, ----- , named for the three people who started it, and which invented packet switching, is often called ‘the third university on the Charles.’  The Internet (then known as the Arpanet) came to life at the host computer on what university campus?  invented by Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn and critical to the information revolution, was the first protocol to allow host computers to connect to each other, changing the ARPANET and other (at the time) incompatible networks into the Internet.  A(n) --------- is one chunk of numbered information representing a part of an original message sent across the Internet, reconstructed into the original message when it reaches its destination. refers to ‘the rules of control of how computers talk to each other.’  What is the term used when discussing a means of revenue through ITV...like the concept of e-commerce on the Internet, but through TV. Commonly called -------, but also part of RSS – really simple syndication; not live streaming, but a pre-recorded audio or video file that may be a talk show, newscast, or some form of entertainment ‘program.’  Verizon’s -------- Network is where they ‘V-cast’ programming through a wireless mobile video service. What is Verizon’s fiber optic to the home service that offers broadband Internet, IPTV and phone service? In streaming, ------  handle and synchronize digital files, as represented by software like QuickTime, Flash and Windows Media Player. A(n) -------- is a compression algorithm; it compresses an audio or video file so it is small enough to be streamed through a network connection and played back on a computer. Who is credited with creating the technical process of FM radio broadcasting, first available in the 1930s?  What is the term used to describe the means of constructing a radio station’s music format where an announcer ‘voice tracks’ all the places where songs are introduced, the weather forecast, etc.--and thus where a computer running software puts the entire 24/7 format on the air?  The company that owns the rights to the HD Radio technology and process and sells its equipment and licensing to local market radio stations.  What is the maximum number of terrestrial, AM and FM radio stations one individual or company could own in the DFW market?  How is the U.S. DAB service different than the Eureka 147 available in other countries?  Established radio broadcasting service in the United States emerged in what decade (early / mid / late?)?  Established TV broadcasting in the United States emerged in what decade (early / mid / late?)  Interlaced scanning , 30 frames per second, 525 scan lines, 4:3 aspect ratio are technical specifications for what?  If a digital TV offers 480P and 1080I abilities, the ‘P’ stands for --- and the “I” stands for ----- .   .  When broadcasting in HDTV, local market stations take up this entire bandwidth, but when broadcasting an SDTV signal as their main program service, they can offer up to a total of five SDTV signals in their bandwidth—an approach called ------ .  What is the bandwidth of a TV stations' channel? (p. 81)  What is 'scalability'?  What type of TV stations have been at the forefront in multicasting DTV channels?  The American DTV modulation standard.  In an effort to reduce the chances for piracy of the signal a(n) ------ is inserted in  the DTV signal that would instruct a digital device as to whether a broadcast or cablecast program could be copied, and how many times. When a local market cable system is required by FCC policy to either negotiate with local market TV stations to pay them to carry their signal or, if they carry it for free and thus are required to carry it, the term --------- describes this arrangement. One of the components of a cable system, the ---- is the facility used by cable service providers to receive signals from satellite transmissions and over-the-air stations before distribution to customers.  Coaxial cables are still used for the final link to subscribers’ homes in modern cable systems, but increasingly ----- lines have replaced metal wires, allowing distribution of more channels, and use of fewer amplifiers.  Rather than having to buy tiers of channels, like the basic tier, expanded basic, digital tier, etc.—one of the current tugs-of-war between cable providers and legislators/regulators is to offers consumers the chance to buy whichever individual channels they want, called ------ pricing.  True streaming vs. progressive download (chap. 8), The first cable premium channel was ---- , in 1972.  In the DBS world, Primestar and USSB were purchased by -------.  The upgrade to ------ allowed cable systems to start offering new services, like HD programming, DVR services and telephony.  FCC Chairman Kevin Martin pushed for ------- programming in cable, where customers would choose what channels they wanted instead of having to buy programming in tiers. Who  successfully bid on 168 700-MHZ licenses in a ‘spectrum auction in 2008 and announced plans to work with Alcatel-Lucent to offer digital video broadcasting services to handheld devices.  PPV has done ‘surprisingly well lately in what type of programming? The four ‘established platforms for streaming media listed in the chapter.' What do they say in the chapter is not really a streaming player, but actually a browser plug-in, but that does play media streams?  A relative of video streaming is ------- which refers to producing various types of online audio and video on demand programs.
 
Some acronyms, know what these stand for:  IPTV, DVR, UGC, ITV, LPFM, IBOC, RDS, DARS, DAB, RSS, DTV, SDTV,  ERP, STL, BMI, ASCAP, LCD, DLP, VOD, NVOD, SVOD, PPV, TVRO (what does this refer to?),

KNOW THESE ITEMS FIRST -- but keep in mind the test covers all of this section, so you should study all terms and ideas from these chapters, videos, and class notes -- and especially see outline content above since Test 1.



Week 9:  (10/26-28)   READING FOR WEDNESDAY:  Chap. 11 Personal Computers (Ready for a Quiz Wed.?)

Monday:   Test 2--Chapters 6-10 and class content (videos and lectures)

Wednesday:  Screening:  History of the Internet--Wiring the World--look for some items like:  What is the name of the 'European Laboratory for Particle Research'  in Geneva, Switzerland where the explosive growth of the Internet began? The World Wide Web was created by English programmer -----------.   HTTP stands for -----;    URL stands for -------   (Universal Resource Locator--even though one guy on the screening said 'uniform') Who had envisioned the idea of a World Wide Web -- Global Network -- that he called Xanadu, 20 years before the WWW was created? Who 'discovered 'hypertext? What software drastically changed the Internet, opening it up to everyone, who created it, and what was it called?   What 'application' did they say drove the market for the Internet?  Who was the founder of Amazon.com?  The example from India  demonstrated  -------- was becoming the  required 'world' language thanks to the Internet.   
What computer language created by James Gosling made the Internet easier to use for everyone anywhere with any kind of computer, running the same on any computer, regardless of its operating system?  (etc.)

When should you start studying for Test 3?  Now.  Use the course outline each week to keep up with reading.

Some reading terms and ideas:  digital divide, digital natives, why is this class focused as it is?--as noted on p. 157: "nearly every other technology in this book is tied to a computer".  Charles Babbage, "difference engine," overall computer historical events (many of which were in previously-viewed in-class videos), OS, computer language, GUI, hardware and software, CPU, transitor, chips, RAM, motherboards and daughterboards, various storage memory devices, flash memory, AMD vs. Intel, multi-core chips, Moore's Law (remember who Gordon Moore is?), Boot Camp, "solid state" drives / NAND-based drives, One Laptop Per Child / $100 laptop, Windows 7, OpenOffice, Google DeskTop, etc.



Week 10:  (11/2-4)        READING FOR MONDAY:  Chap. 12 Video Games  (Ready for a Quiz Monday?)

Monday class notes:  You should know about various media organizations discussed in class:  TAB, NATPE, IRTS etc.

Chap 12 terms and ideas: "-------" is a catch-all term to describe games with a visual (and usually audio) stimulus, played through a digitally-mediated system.  The four parts of a video game system are (a) some form of display, (b) ----, (c) -----, and (d) ------ .   Some of the new video game controllers in ----- feedback, that allows users to 'feel' aspects of the game.  MMORPGs stands for -------.  Most industry observers describe the current generation of home gaming as the ----- generation since the releast of the first-generation -------- .  The first dedicated home gaming console was the ------, which was built on ------ rather thana microprocessor.  The first home game system built on a microprocessor was ------- .   --------- became the first major game studio that designed their games exclusively for other comanies' consoles.  The commercial success of ----- in the mid-1980s gave game publishers a color system for their games.  (etc. -- look for more information in the chapter like these samples)

When should you start studying for Test 3?  Now.  Use the course outline each week to keep up with reading.

Wednesday:  Screening:  Video Game Revolution (partial) 

Look for some items like:   Who was the first ‘rock star’ of video games, helping invent the nuclear bomb, and the first video game?   The first video game available on the early version of the Internet, created by Steve Russell at MIT.  The Magnavox ------ , developed by Ralph Baer, was the first home video game system.  One of the founders of the company says their name ------  comes from Japanese and means ‘watch out, you’re gonna get whacked.’     (the text gives a slightly different wording of the phrase).  The name of the first video game created by this new company, designed by engineer Al Alcorn.  What future computer industry leader, who brought along his ‘computer buddy’ was hired by this company in their early days of growth, and designed the game ‘Breakout’?   What video game, the first with a ‘story line,’ became Nintendo’s first successful venture into the U.S. video game market?  Started by former disgruntled Atari engineers, ------- was the first  independent video game publisher. What movie-based video game, based on its incredible failure, was essentially the death of Atari?  (etc.)


Week 11:  (11/9-11)        READING FOR MONDAY:  Chaps. 13 & 14 (Ready for a Quiz any class day?)

Chap. 13 sample questions:   Augmented reality is also called -----.   While some believe the concept of VR began in the 1920s, others believe that Morton Heilig’s ----- in the mid-1950s was the starting point.  The heart of any VR or AR system is the ------.  The three basic components of a VR system are ------ .   A(n) --------  display enables a user to experience artificially created tactile sensations in response to movement in a VR environment. Whom does the text say coined the term ‘virtual reality’?  HMD stands for ------ and HMPD stands for -----.   Is the Wii a VR system?  Is Second Life a VR experience? CAVEs are ------- .   How does VR/AR have to do with communication technology?  (etc.)

Chap. 14 sample questions:  What are the different types of reception?  What company developed the first videotape for the broadcast industry, in 1956? Which came first, the the VCR or videotape recording technology?  The videodisc player marketed by RCA that used analog recordings on vinyl discs like records, but with much smaller grooves than those used for audio, was called ----- .  What is the surviving high definition video disc system on the market today, that is assumed to eventually replaced standard DVDs?  How is TV technology changing from NTSC to ATSC.  HMDI stands for ------. IEEE-1394 connectors are more commonly called ------- .What does a PCMCIA card do?  Does the author of this chapter believe HD-DVD has a future? What impact is broadband having on home video?  (etc.)

Lecture Notes about video:   (much of this is NOT in the reading -- take good notes in class)
Camera differences, incl. tubes and CCDs.  Switchers and all inputs for TV studio and field production.  The lens: focal length determines how wide or narrow the view-- fixed focal length vs. zoom lens fixed focal length better--film shooting focal length: long lens: telephoto lens focus, depth of field; front focus: zoom all the way in & adjust focus; f-stop setting: how much light enters the lens--larger number = smaller opening--doubling or cutting in half each stop; rack focus, pulling focus;  CCU and other camera issues: control room adjustments, tally light, filters (degrees Kelvin, later with lighting), white balance, AGC Camera mounts: head and base, pedestal vs. tripod (also crane, steady-cam, etc.) Camera movements: pan, tilt, truck, dolly, arc, boom, zoom, follow, crane, tracking, SteadyCam, robotic movements; POV, objective/subjective/presentational, Shot composition: WS, ELS, LS, MS, CU, MLS, MCU, ECU, etc., chest, waist, knee, OTS, establishing shot, 2-shot, etc.; head room, look space, lead room; high angle, low angle, eye level, canted angle; symmetrical vs. asymmetrical; rule of thirds -- these and below in red will not be on Test 3

scan lines, pixels, persistence of vision, NTSC vs. HDTV (ATSC) NTSC--Resolution: 640 pixels per scan line, 525 scan lines (640 x 480) 4:3 aspect ratio for NTSC, 30 frames per second, interlaced fields, 60 fields per second, persistence of vision ATSC--Digital with several different formats: some interlaced, some progressive, various frame rates & aspect ratios: 16:9 aspect ratio for some. DTV: 480I, 720P, or 1080I, DTV vs. HDTV Video color: 3-CCD (Or CMOS) camera: one each for red, green , and blue 1-CCD: 1 handles all; Play back: CRT, LCD or Plasma, three attributes of color: Hue, Saturation, & Brightness, White: presence of all colors; black, absence of color. Three primary colors (RGB), Three complemetary colors (CMY). Commmon video connections: F-type, s-video, BNC, RCA, firewire, HDMI 

Sample questions:   (a)  To move a camera and its mount left or right: -------  (b)  A microchip inside a camera that transduces visual energy of light into electrical energy: ------     (c)    -----  is defined as the distance from the optical center of the lens to the focal plane,    (d)   The person that adjusts the iris on a camera to compensate for changing light levels as the camera follows action:  -------,    (e)   A scanning method in which half of a frame is scanned at a time, creating a field:  -----  (f) Space between the top of a subject’s head and the upper edge of the frame,   (g)  The video camera operator has to ------- the camera each time the lighting conditions change, allowing the camera to more accurately recreate all colors,  (h)  The ratio of the height of a television screen to its width,  (i)    T or F:  The higher the f-stop number, the smaller the lens opening on a camera,  (j)  The term used to describe the IEE-1394 connector--a common digital connector used to connect a digital stream from one component to another,  (k)  The color information of a video signal:  ------ , To change from picture to picture where the pictures fade across each other:  -----,    (l)  An undesirable effect when putting together two back to back visuals--where a person or object changes unnaturally in the successive shots: -----  ,  (m) The name for the professional connector that is used for connecting the analog video signal:  ----- ,    (n)  What are the three attributes that make up a video signal?   The zoom lens focus that is obtained by zooming in tightly on a subject and then focusing, (o)  A principle for composing shots where the screen is divided by three equally separated lines horizontally and vertically:  ------,  (p)  The presence of all colors in a video signal:  ------   (q)  What are the three picture resolution options in DTV, represented by the number of scan lines for each?  (r)   If a TV picture is said to be 1080p, what does the ‘p’ stand for?  If 1080i what does the 'i' stand for?


Week 12:  (11/16-18)        READING FOR MONDAY:  Chaps. 15 & 16  (Ready for a Quiz?)

Videos in class:  "The Google Boys"  (and maybe "Cybermind") (WE MAY NOT HAVE TIME FOR THESE)
Look for items like these:  Who created Google?  What was wrong with search engines before Google? How were those other search engines doing searches?  In comparison, how did Google’s search process work?  The video says ______ - related advertising is now growing faster than all other forms of marketing.  What search engine did Microsoft launch in 2004?  What happened to it? Instead of actually starting their own company, what did the Google founders really want to do?  Why did they end up starting Google?    ------ mining is ‘finding patterns’ or ‘the use of automated data analysis techniques to uncover previously undetected relationships among data items.’  What were the ‘cyber explorers’ Google launched to search the web called?  From what university was Google first launched?   Google’s ‘robot explorer’ that explores the Internet is called ------ .  What is this robot explorer’s goal?  As an example of a web page this robot explorer’s visits a lot, like a news page,  the video notes it hits CBS News.com ---------- times a day. Google’s advertising – as a list of sponsored links – was called -------- This type of advertising is referred to as ‘pay per ------ ‘  (etc.)

Wednesday video:  Digital Cameras

Digital Audio / Audio overview -- much of this is NOT in the reading -- take good notes in class

Overview of Sound and Audio.   Sound waves, acoustics, decibels, amplitude, frequency, radio waves, amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, hertz, kilohertz (kHz), megahertz (MHz), gigahertz (GHz), sound frequency spectrum, bass/midrange/treble, about 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz (Bass 20-320 Hz ; Midrange 320-5,120 Hz; Treble 5,120 - 20,000 Hz), binaural hearing, direct & indirect sound waves, early reflections, echo, reverberation, sounds hitting a surface – mostly absorbed / reflected or partially, ‘lively’ room vs.  ‘dead’ or ‘dry’.  diffraction (the bending of waves around an object in its path), diffusion (the process of spreading or dispersing radiated energy so that it is less direct or coherent), resonance (when one object vibrating at the same natural frequency of a second object forces that second object into vibrational motion).  Mics and miking:  three professional mic types based on transducer, three main directional patterns, mic mounts--fishpole boom, giraffe, perambulator boom, handheld, studio mount, headset mic, flat response vs. colored response, lavaliere/lapel mic, shotgun mic, parabolic mic, RCA/phono, mini plug, 1/4 inch/phone, XLR--jack and plug/female and male, term dynamic, power to a mic/ phantom power, directional patterns and ports / phase cancellation, plosives, sibilance, proximity effect, bass roll off, stereo recording, three types of distant miking vs. close miking

board/mixer/console, delegation switch, key, VU meters, in the red/in the mud, what is a good level on a VU meter?, analog VU meters vs. LED or plasma, Zero dB = 100 % modulation, -12 dB as 100% modulation in digital recording, PPM, program/audio/cue, monitor, muting system, 4 functions of the console (and define each), pot, slide faders, headphones/foldback, submixer, pre-amp, line level vs. mic level, patch bay/patch panel, hard wired, normal, breaking normal, full normal/half normal, stereo recording vs. multi-track, trim, pan pot, console vs. software for stereo or multi-track recording--Adobe Audition example, riding levels, virtual console.

Sample sound and audio questions:  The objective study of the physical behavior of received sound: _________, (b) kHz stands for ----, MHz stands for ----, GHz stands for ---- and THz stands for ------; (more info here).   Loudness in an acoustical space is measured as -------, which is a measure of acoustic power--NOTE, this is dB-spl (in class we referred to electical loudness vs. acoustical loudness; dB-spl is the level of acoustical loudness)  Sometimes defined as a slight echo that interferes with the intelligibility of speech,' in class, we also noted that it is 'later reflections of sound waves in an acoustical space.   The -------- mic, also called a dynamic microphone, is considered the most rugged professional microphone.  Unlike moving coil and riboon mics, ------ mics require a source of power, either from an AC electrical power supply or from batteries. The three basic directional categories of microphones are ----.   A mic that picks up all frequencies equally well is said to have a ---- response.     ----- refers to the strength, volume or loudness of sound, and is measured in -----.  The process of re-recording and inserting dialogue into a movie scene or TV show, where mics could not be close enough to the actors to pick up good quality sound.  The kind of scene we described in class had the audio person holding a mic just above the camera shot during a field shoot is using a a ------- boom.  What type of audio boom is used for soap operas and variety programs, that are motorized and an operator sits on the equipment?   ------ is 'how many times per second analog information is converted to the 0s and 1s of digital technology.  The common, professional analog audio connector--this one has three conductors, allowing a balanced connection.   When a connector is referred to as male it is the '--------' part; when it is referred to as female, it is the ----- part.  What do you use to 'break normal'?  In digital audio recording, the process of encoding different portions of the original sound wave by digital words of a given number of bits is called -----.  What are the digital audio codecs?   (etc.)

Digital imaging:  The first photograph ever taken is credit to --------.  SLR stands for and DSLR stands for ------ . An important lens innovation is the -------camera, developed by Stanford grad student Ren Ng—the camera allows the user to make a decision on the focal point of an image after the shot has been taken.  Slow processing time, also referred to as ----- is one of the major drawbacks in digital photography.  An offshoot of the developments in digital photography is ------ , which is the ‘convergence of devices, infrastructure and services/media, and is part image science and part information technology.   (etc.)



Week 13:  (11/23)   (TEST 3 review start with this but then also use the outline above)

Monday:    Test 3--Chaps. 11-16 and class content (videos and lectures)


Week 14 (11/30 - 12/2)      READING FOR MONDAY:  Chaps. 17, 18 & 19

Monday:  Screening:  The iPod Revolution --- Look for information like:   What device, Apple’s foray into the PDA market and a John Scully product, was one of the first things Steve Jobs dropped when he returned to Apple?
What new Apple product in 1998 was the first new Steve Jobs-inspired product and began the Apple turnaround, and that Steve said ‘they look so good you kind of want to lick ‘em? The real catalyst for the iPod came from what and who?       
 iTunes came from what already-existing ‘jukebox software’ program, created by some former Apple people?
Who had an already existing MP3 player that Apple bought the rights to and turned into the iPod.
What major problem emerged about three months before the iPod was supposed to be introduced?
What ‘accidental’ part of the iPod became a major marketing success, since they were different and caught people’s attention, and which Apple then incorporated into its advertising?

Download: History of the Internet -- 'People Power': UGC, social networking, citizen journalism, Web 2.0, 'dot.com bust' in 2000, Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion, Mark Zuckerburg / Facebook, News Corp. bought MySpace, RIAA lawsuit against Napster, Viacom lawsuit against YouTube, Tim Berners-Lee, Legacy Media vs New Media
Internet timeline here
Chap. 17 sample questions:  VoIP stands for -------.  In the early 1980s, what company provided about 75% of the U.S. local and long distance service?   A milestone was reached in 2007 when the total number of -----
outnumbered the total of ------- .   The firsst telephone was introduced by ----- in 1876.  What company placed the first communication satellite in orbit?  Why did the DOJ sue AT&T and what is the MFJ?  Regional Bell Operating Companies like Southwestern Bell and BellSouth were called ------- after the breakup of AT&T.  What 'Baby Bell' bought AT&T in recent years and also bought othe Baby Bells to create thye 'new AT&T'?   Cellular technology was developed by ---- in what year?  PSTN stands for ----.  MTSO stands for ------ .  GSM stands for ----- .  A cellular network consists of what three parts?  How have 1G, 2G and 3G systems been different?  What is the 3G cell phone system technical standard? (p. 249).  What is the difference in a circuit-switched network vs. a packet-switched network?  An 'Internet-enabled multimedia device' used as a cell phone, like the iPhone, is called a ----- phone.  The actual name of the Open Handset Alliance phone discussed on page 254 when it came out this year is -------- (not in the book; noted in class).  On page 254, the text notes that 'technically a 3G wireless phone is a(n) ------- .   What is the name of Verizon's EVDO-based broadband access service?  (continue looking for similar terms and concepts in the rest of the chapter)

Chap. 18 sample questions:   A list of numbers unique to a computer connected to the Internet, like 129.1.2.169, is called the computer's ------ address.  As part of the Pentagon's effort to respond to a percived Russian threat, the ------- was created, and preceded the Internet.  LAN stands for ----- and WAN stands for -----.    The ARPANET combined with LANs and WANs became the ------- in 1983.  The ability for these various networks to 'talk' to each other was solved by the -------- protocol (what our books says 'was a key innovation in the development of the ARPANET) developed by Bob Kahn and Vint Cerf.  DNS stands for ------ and is regulated by --------.   
Text-based DNS translates human language into the computer’s ‘phone number’
TLD stands for and refers to ----- while ccTLD stands for and refers to ----, and these are determined by what organization?    In the URL http://faculty.tamu-commerce.edu/tdemars/RTV151.html -- what is the 'organizational identifier?  Domain names administered by what organization? What is the Internet, vs. what kinds of program are running on the Internet?  What are the four 'text-based applications listed in the text that were introduced before the WWW?  What does WYSIWYG stand for?   What are RSS feeds?  What is a podcast?  What is a blog?  (continue looking for similar terms and concepts in the rest of the chapter)

Chap. 19 sample questions:   Cell phone, smart phones, GPS units and portable video games all fall into what are called ------ devices.  RFID stands for --------.  The -------- is a term that refers to the 'haves' and the 'have-nots', or those who have certain new computer technologies and those who do not.  ---- is the most recently rolled out mobile computing /  major system development.  What are the distrinctions in 1G, 2G, 2.5G, and 3G?  When does the text say 4G is expected to be rolled out?  ------, as we noted in class was named for a king of Denmark in the late 900s, is often used to interconnect devices at ranges of 33 foeet or less.  ------ is similar to the technology noted previously in that it is used for short-range wireless signal communication, but this is more used for devices like thermostats, smoke detectors, and remote set-top box control.  The term -------- is used to define an IEEE-defined standard for the 802.11 formats that create 'hot spots / WLANs, and which mostly use the 2.4 GHZ operating range.   Similar to the previously noted technology ----- is based on IEEE 802.16 and is a 'city-wide' service covering 25 to 30 miles.  The company name we mntioned in class that is rolling out this kind of service (noted in the previous question) in various cities in Texas is --------- . (more to be added)


Week 15:  (12/7-9)            READING FOR MONDAY:  Chaps. 21 & 23

Here is a text version of information from classes on 12/ 7 & 9

What is Wi-Max?   Review terms like 'penetration' and 'churn.'

Chap. 21 sample questions:  What is the speed requirement for a service to be considered 'broadband'?  What is the actual broadband speed range people get these days?  What is the current broadband 'penetration level'?  What is VoIP?  What is IPTV?  What are --DSL, --FTTN, --FTTH?  What is BPL?  What is the ITU?  The ITU suggests a minimum speed of ----- Kb/s should be attained to consider a service broadband, but the FCC defines a service as broadband if it achieves a bidirectional speed of at least ---- Kb/s.   WLAN stands for ----- .    FWB stands for ---- .  FWB services use the old ------ service frequency range.   The technology for providing the Internet access through cable modems is the open standard ----- .   In the term aDSL, the 'a' refers to ---------, a type of service similar to cable modems, that has a greater downstream than upstream capacity.  Typically a DSL subscriber must live within 15,000 feet of the -----, although ------ can provide DSL service from up to 25 miles away.  VDSL stands for ---- and can provide transmission capability of ---- Mb/s .  What is the name of AT&T's service?  What is the name of Verizon's?  What are the three cellular phone 3G wireless broadband options?  The IEEE 802.16 standard is commonly referred to as ------- .   What are the two leading U.S. satellite broadband providers?  While both DSL and cable modems depend on fiber optic lines as the backbone of their networks, typically the last mile of the transmission depends on --- for cable modem service and ---- for DSL.  BPL stands for --- .  The concept that services like Google and the VoIP phone service Vonage should be required to pay for  access through the 'pipes' of  broadband providers is based on  an issue called -----, in which Internet purists insist the Internet should remain open and unfettered.  (continue looking for similar terms and concepts in the rest of the chapter)


Chap. 23 sample questions:  We are at the threshold of what communication revolution?  The heart of the mobile revolution is ----- .  Telephones, that used to be associated with places are now associated with ------- .  How are libraries changing because of the current communication revolution?  How are othr areas of society being affected by the current communication revolution?  How do the communication theories we covered early in the semester relate to the current communication revolution?  (continue looking for similar terms and concepts in the rest of the chapter)

Also review overall concepts of what we built on this semester--what technologies are involved in the "communication revolution" going on now, and how?



Week 16:                  Final Exam / Test 4 at scheduled Final Exam time -- Mon 12/14 at 10:30 a.m.
                                  Chapters 17-19 and 21 & 23, videos in this section, and materials covered in class




*  end of course outline  *