Since its emergence in the late 1980s virtual reality has been heralded as the next frontier of digital media. People became enamored by the idea of existing and interacting in a completely virtual world that can even recreate the sensory experiences. Prominent members of the media contributed to the fetishization of VR through film, art, literature, and other forms of media. But along with this attention came many critics claiming that VR would lead to the corruption of societal values and as well as adverse psychological effects. However, when it came time for VR to emerge into the consumer markets it never received the hype nor the backlash that was predicted. It was simply that the technology did not match the idealized version of VR that the public had imagined. There were many practical concerns like lag, cost, poor resolution, and motion sickness that held VR back from entering the consumer market. Over thirty years later, VR has once again entered the public consciousness due to the highly publicized acquisition of Occulus by Facebook. Despite the vast improvements of VR since the early forms, VR has been garnering a lot of similar criticisms as it had during the late eighties. "One of the largest disadvantages of virtual reality is that the technology required for an immersive or natural experience has remained elusive. Haptic systems that provide physical feedback or allow a fully articulated presence within an environment are clumsy and can cause problems during use. The type of hardware that even simple head-mounted displays use can break the sense of immersion as adjustments to the device need to be made and components such as wires and headphones turn into obstacles to natural movement." (Eugene). It is clear that the conversation and reception of VR, both positive and negative, has come full circle. It is important to investigate this phenomenon of the tension between the idealized form the the virtual created by the public and the realities of the technology. Will the technology once again not live up to this utopian version of "VR", similar to the eighties, thus causing another disappearance of VR?
Manovich, Lev. The Language of New Media. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2002. Print.
McPherson, Tara. “Reload: Liveness, Mobility, and the Web,” in New Media, Old Media: A History and Theory Reader, ed. Wendy Hui Chun and Thomas W. Keenan. London. 2005
Riva, Giuseppe. "Virtual Reality as Communication Tool: A Socio-cognitive Analysis."Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments 8.4 (1999): 462-68. Print <http://www.cybertherapy.info/pages/comm_in_vr.pdf>
Schroeder, R. (1996). Possible worlds: The social dynamic of virtual reality technology. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
2. Initial Question: How has flow adapted to new platforms of media consumption?
3. Research problem: Raymond Williams describes flow as a programming strategy used by television networks aimed at attracting and retaining viewers for as long as possible. There are dozens of different ways to optimize flow that have been utilized since the 70s; however, with shifts in how we consume TV and media, flow strategies must change as well.
4. Justification for research: Along with this shift in consumption, attitudes about media have changed as well. Today’s consumers have not only become less responsive to traditional flow strategies but have found new ways to disrupt it. It is important to investigate how media companies are adapting and creating new methods of flow across various platforms in response to these changing consumer behaviours and attitudes.
5. Preliminary research:
a. In 2014, the American daily average time spent watching TV is 4 hours and 32 minutes. This is an 18 minute decrease in from the 4 hours and 50 minute average in 2012. (Neilson, 2014)
b. “November 14, 2014 - Leichtman Research Group, Inc. (LRG) found that the thirteen largest pay-TV providers in the US -- representing about 95% of the market -- lost about 150,000 net video subscribers in 3Q 2014, compared to a loss of about 25,000 video subscribers in 3Q 2013, and more net losses than in any previous third quarter.” (Leichtman Research Group, 2014)
c. While traditional TV viewership is on the decline, streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu are up from 35% in 2013 to 40% in 2014. (Neilson, 2014)
These trends (a,b,c) reflect a shift in consumer attitudes regarding traditional television. Programming flow is intended to attract viewers and keep them watching for as long as possible. Consumers are watching less TV and even abandoning cable all together, thus implying that the currently flow strategy is not as effective as it once was.
d. “Timeshifting content (using a DVR or video-on-demand technology) continues to resonate with consumers, and while still a small part of overall usage across platforms and devices, daily time spent using a multimedia device continues to climb.” (Neilson, 2014)
The phrase “timeshifting content” denotes a shift in agency as well as a difference in the temporality between various forms of television viewing platforms
e. “Whatever the reason, the larger point regards the subtle but important shift in the concept of flow away from programming strategies and instead to viewer determined experience (Webster).”
f. “The technology involved draws first on the metadata accompanying each program, then processes it through several different filters (known as jurors) which test the program according to various taste criteria, at which point an ‘umpire’ decides which combination of the jurors’ reports is relevant for the viewer, and makes program suggestions accordingly. Both the ‘jurors’ and the ‘umpire’ are adoptive, learning from the viewer’s response to predictions, factoring in such elements as time of day and day of the week, and self-correcting with each session” (Urricio)
In this quote Urricio is describing Double Agent, a device developed by the same company as TiVo. Even though this device never gained any traction, this same idea can be easily applied to Netflixs’ “Suggested Titles” selection.
It is important to note that this use of meta-data to select programming marks a shift in agency.
g. Netflix has caused a dramatic shift in how we view television by actively encouraging binge watching through both their distribution strategies and their interface design. The only thing that hasn’t adapted to our new viewing practices is the way they create and format the actual video content. Television shows, even those produced by Netflix, still adopt the episodic TV formatting of a series. They include roughly 12-13 episodes, each beginning with a restatement of the previous episode, and even the length of each episode reflects TV slot times. (Weinman)
“But to think that the future is, basically, a cable TV series released all at once is to forget that the form and shape of these cable series is based on the idea that the episodes are meant to be released a week apart from each other. To really re-think TV for new media, if such a thing is necessary (and I’m not saying it has to be), we may have to get beyond the idea that a story must be stretched out to fit a 13-episode season. That’s Old Media thinking. (Weinman)”
6. Further questions: How does programming flow affect the temporality of traditional television versus time shifted television?
“One of the primary characteristics of television is its liveness, the ways in which the medium constructs a sense of presence and immediacy. McPherson adapts this idea for web environments by calling it “liveness with a difference,” highlighting how the web “structures a sense of causality in relation to liveness, [making it one where] we navigate and move through, often structuring a feeling that our own desire drives the moment” (462). She underlines the “volitional mobility” afforded by the Internet, the ways in which user experiences destabilize the orthodoxy of linearity and narrative that attend the consumption of other moving image media. That said, my experience streaming television feels more like “liveness with a lag.” Not only do I have to wait for clips to load before I can watch anything, but I am almost always watching dated content. (Griffin)”
In this compelling passage by Griffin, she compares the immediacy of television to the delay of streaming television. This is a strong example of a difference in temporality across media viewing platforms that would be interesting to further explore.
1. Topic: Virtual Escapism
2. Initial Question: How does VR change the way we interact with our digital environment and our perceived “real world”?
3. Research problem: Virtual reality technology drastically shifts how we consume media because its immersive nature where the viewer is no longer restricted by their line of sight. This 360 immersion is intended to make our senses impervious to information from the world around us, thus limiting the distinction between virtual and real life. What are some of the ways this distinction is maintained as well as degraded?
4. Justification for research: Virtual reality technology is expected to be on the consumer market within the next year and could quickly become as commonplace as a cellphone, video game console, or even the television set. It is important to investigate the weakening of the sense of reality caused by the advancement of VR technology in order to give insight into how we interact within in this virtual world as well as in the perceived “real world”.
5. Preliminary research:
Blurring of the virtual and real
a. As virtual reality technology becomes more advanced, the distinction between the virtual and real world will become increasingly blurred. This gives VR the potential to either connect people or isolate them through these virtual worlds. (Kim)
b. “By the 2030s, virtual reality will be totally realistic and compelling and we will spend most of our time in virtual environments… We will all become virtual humans. (Kurzweil, 2003)
c. “In theory such escapism is nothing new – as critics of increased TV, Internet and smartphone usage will tell you – but at VR technology continues to blossom, the worlds they generate will become increasingly realistic, creating a greater potential for overuse. (Kim)”
d. "The notion of a communications technology normally implies that two or more people are involved and that the emphasis is placed on the messages that pass between them... it follows that the terms 'communication' and 'medium' should only be used in the context of multi-user VR" (Schroeder 1996 p. 146)
Maintenance of the distinction between virtual and real
e. "The paradox of VR, is that it requires the viewer to move in order to see an image and at the same time physically ties her to a machine." (Manovich)
f. "In contrast to cinema, where the mobile camera moves independently of the immobile spectator, now the spectator actually has to move in physical space in order to experience movement in virtual space." (Manovich)
g. "One of the largest disadvantages of virtual reality is that the technology required for an immersive or natural experience has remained elusive. Haptic systems that provide physical feedback or allow a fully articulated presence within an environment are clumsy and can cause problems during use. The type of hardware that even simple head-mounted displays use can break the sense of immersion as adjustments to the device need to be made and components such as wires and headphones turn into obstacles to natural movement." (Eugene)
6. Further questions:
a. Since multiple people cannot use the same VR set simultaneously, how does this highly individualized experience shift the communal culture around watching television and movies?
Manovich, Lev. The Language of New Media. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2002. Print.
McPherson, Tara. “Reload: Liveness, Mobility, and the Web,” in New Media, Old Media: A History and Theory Reader, ed. Wendy Hui Chun and Thomas W. Keenan. London. 2005
Riva, Giuseppe. "Virtual Reality as Communication Tool: A Socio-cognitive Analysis."Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments 8.4 (1999): 462-68. Print <http://www.cybertherapy.info/pages/comm_in_vr.pdf>
Schroeder, R. (1996). Possible worlds: The social dynamic of virtual reality technology. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Uricchio, William. "Television’s Next Generation: Technology /Interface Culture / Flow In, Television After TV: Essays on a Medium in Transition Eds.: Lynn Spigel and Jan Olsson,." Duke University Press (2005): n. pag. Web. 28 Feb. 2015. <http://web.mit.edu/uricchio/Public/pdfs/pdfs/flow%20edited.pdf>.
Webster, James G. "Audience flow past and present: television inheritance effects reconsidered." Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 2006: 323. Literature Resource Center. Web. 28 Feb. 2015.
2. Initial Question: How has flow adapted to new platforms of media consumption?
3. Research problem: Raymond Williams describes flow as a programming strategy used by television networks aimed at attracting and retaining views for as long as possible. There are dozens of different ways to optimize flow that have been utilized since the 70s; however, with shift in how we consume TV and media, flow strategies must change as well.
4. Justification for research: Along with this shift in consumption, attitudes about media have changed as well. Today’s consumers have not only become more aware of traditional flow strategies but also less responsive to them. It is important to investigate how media companies are adapting and creating new methods of flow across various platforms in response to these changing consumer attitudes.
5. Preliminary research: a. “Whatever the reason, the larger point regards the subtle but important shift in the concept of flow away from programming strategies and instead to viewer determined experience (Webster).”
b. The average American adult spends 7 hours a week on the internet and 7 hours a week watching TV. Even though the averages are the same, the internet is the fastest growing as far as weekly usage. (Urricio)
c. “The technology involved draws first on the metadata accompanying each program, then processes it through several different filters (known as jurors) which test the program according to various taste criteria, at which point an ‘umpire’ decides which combination of the jurors’ reports is relevant for the viewer, and makes program suggestions accordingly. Both the ‘jurors’ and the ‘umpire’ are adoptive, learning from the viewer’s response to predictions, factoring in such elements as time of day and day of the week, and self-correcting with each session” (Urricio)
In this quote Urricio is describing Double Agent, a device developed by the same company as TiVo. Even though this device never gained any traction, this same idea can be easily applied to Netflixs’ “Suggested Titles” selection
It is important to note that this use of meta-data to select programming marks a shift in agency. Neither the user nor the media provider is entirely in control of the programming selection.
6. Further questions: With this heightened awareness of “flow” and an increased number of programming options, what are some methods that consumers use to break the intended flow by programmers?
1. Topic: All-in-one device
2. Initial Question: What are some limitations of having devices that are multifunctional?
3. Research problem: With the proliferation of daily devices we use, there is a growing need for an all-in-one device. However, even with many multipurpose devices on the market, consumers continue to supplement for their limitations by using other devices.
4. Justification for research: Both consumers and manufactures fantasize about the all in one device, however each device that boasts extreme multi functionality seems to come with a set of restrictions as well. Researching the limitations of multi functionality can give insight into why we have yet to truly achieve the mythical “one device to rule them all.”
5. Preliminary research: a. "It seems the closer the industry gets to this elusive all-in-one promise, the more they disappoint. It’s a cycle we’ve seen over and over again in technology whether in hardware, enterprise software, or the Web. There’s an inexplicable tension between simplicity/reliability and doing it all. (Lacey)"
b. TV sets are not the only screens that Americans have in their homes, in the last twenty years we have seen computers, video games, tablets, and smartphones become as popular as the TV set once was. According to The NPD group, the average household has 5.7 Internet connected devices. (NPD group)
c. Even though we have been moving towards the convergence of devices, consumers will continue to prefer optimized devices. A dedicated device is able to optimize features that contribute to its main functional purpose. (Gartenberg)
d. “This is the age of multiple devices with overlapping functions. While some devices such as smartphones will continue to grow in importance and ubiquity, one device will not rule them all anytime soon.” (Gartenberg)
6. Further questions: a. With the growth of smartphones tablets and other media devices, will the television move towards obsolescence or find ways to adapt to changing media consumption behaviours and embrace the multi functional nature of other devices on the market?
1. Topic: User mobility
2. Initial Question: How does the mobility of VR change the way we interact with our digital environment?
3. Research problem: Virtual reality technology drastically shifts how we consume media because it is entirely immersive and the viewer is no longer restricted by their line of sight. However this 360 immersion means that your senses are impervious to information from the world around you. What are some of the social implications of this phenomenon?
4. Justification for research: Virtual reality technology is expected to be on the consumer market within the next year and could quickly become as commonplace a cellphone, video game console, or even TV. Looking at this tension between mobility and immobility will not only give insight into how we interact within in this virtual world but also how we also interact within the “real world” when immersed in this digital world.
5. Preliminary research: a. "The paradox of VR, is that it requires the viewer to move in order to see an image and at the same time physically ties her to a machine." (Manovich)
b. "In contrast to cinema, where the mobile camera moves independently of the immobile spectator, now the spectator actually has to move in physical space in order to experience movement in virtual space." (Manovich)
c. "The notion of a communications technology normally implies that two or more people are involved and that the emphasis is placed on the messages that pass between them... it follows that the terms 'communication' and 'medium' should only be used in the context of multi-user VR" (Schroeder 1996 p. 146).
6. Further questions:
a. Since multiple people cannot use the same VR set simultaneously, how does this highly individualized experience shift the communal culture around watching television and movies?
Riva, Giuseppe. "Virtual Reality as Communication Tool: A Socio-cognitive Analysis."Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments 8.4 (1999): 462-68. Print <http://www.cybertherapy.info/pages/comm_in_vr.pdf>
Schroeder, R. (1996). Possible worlds: The social dynamic of virtual reality technology. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Uricchio, William. "Television’s Next Generation: Technology /Interface Culture / Flow In, Television After TV: Essays on a Medium in Transition Eds.: Lynn Spigel and Jan Olsson,." Duke University Press (2005): n. pag. Web. 28 Feb. 2015. <http://web.mit.edu/uricchio/Public/pdfs/pdfs/flow%20edited.pdf>.
Webster, James G. "Audience flow past and present: television inheritance effects reconsidered." Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 2006: 323. Literature Resource Center. Web. 28 Feb. 2015.
Virtual reality cultural study
Since its emergence in the late 1980s virtual reality has been heralded as the next frontier of digital media. People became enamored by the idea of existing and interacting in a completely virtual world that can even recreate the sensory experiences. Prominent members of the media contributed to the fetishization of VR through film, art, literature, and other forms of media. But along with this attention came many critics claiming that VR would lead to the corruption of societal values and as well as adverse psychological effects. However, when it came time for VR to emerge into the consumer markets it never received the hype nor the backlash that was predicted. It was simply that the technology did not match the idealized version of VR that the public had imagined. There were many practical concerns like lag, cost, poor resolution, and motion sickness that held VR back from entering the consumer market. Over thirty years later, VR has once again entered the public consciousness due to the highly publicized acquisition of Occulus by Facebook. Despite the vast improvements of VR since the early forms, VR has been garnering a lot of similar criticisms as it had during the late eighties. "One of the largest disadvantages of virtual reality is that the technology required for an immersive or natural experience has remained elusive. Haptic systems that provide physical feedback or allow a fully articulated presence within an environment are clumsy and can cause problems during use. The type of hardware that even simple head-mounted displays use can break the sense of immersion as adjustments to the device need to be made and components such as wires and headphones turn into obstacles to natural movement." (Eugene). It is clear that the conversation and reception of VR, both positive and negative, has come full circle. It is important to investigate this phenomenon of the tension between the idealized form the the virtual created by the public and the realities of the technology. Will the technology once again not live up to this utopian version of "VR", similar to the eighties, thus causing another disappearance of VR?
Bibliography
Kim, Monica. "The Good and the Bad of Escaping to Virtual Reality." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 18 Feb. 2015. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/the-good-and-the-bad-of-escaping-to-virtual-reality/385134/>.
Kurzweil, Ray. "Foreword to Virtual Humans." KurzweilAI. 20 Oct. 2003. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.kurzweilai.net/foreword-to-virtual-humans>.
"Leichtman Research Group | Press Releases." Leichtman Research Group. 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.leichtmanresearch.com/press/111414release.html>
Manovich, Lev. The Language of New Media. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2002. Print.
McPherson, Tara. “Reload: Liveness, Mobility, and the Web,” in New Media, Old Media: A History and Theory Reader, ed. Wendy Hui Chun and Thomas W. Keenan. London. 2005
Newton, Casey. "The Rise and Fall and Rise of Virtual Reality." The Verge. 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 6 Apr. 2015. <http://www.theverge.com/a/virtual-reality/interview#interview>.
P., Eugene, and Angela B. "What Are the Disadvantages of Virtual Reality?" WiseGeek. Conjecture, 11 Mar. 2015. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-disadvantages-of-virtual-reality.htm#>.
Riva, Giuseppe. "Virtual Reality as Communication Tool: A Socio-cognitive Analysis."Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments 8.4 (1999): 462-68. Print <http://www.cybertherapy.info/pages/comm_in_vr.pdf>
Schroeder, R. (1996). Possible worlds: The social dynamic of virtual reality technology. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Robertson, Adi. "Virtual Reality Panic." The Verge. Vox Media, 20 June 2014. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. <http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/20/5827424/a-kind-of-electronic-lsd>.
Lab Report 3 – Sophia
1. Topic: Flow
2. Initial Question: How has flow adapted to new platforms of media consumption?
3. Research problem: Raymond Williams describes flow as a programming strategy used by television networks aimed at attracting and retaining viewers for as long as possible. There are dozens of different ways to optimize flow that have been utilized since the 70s; however, with shifts in how we consume TV and media, flow strategies must change as well.
4. Justification for research: Along with this shift in consumption, attitudes about media have changed as well. Today’s consumers have not only become less responsive to traditional flow strategies but have found new ways to disrupt it. It is important to investigate how media companies are adapting and creating new methods of flow across various platforms in response to these changing consumer behaviours and attitudes.
5. Preliminary research:
a. In 2014, the American daily average time spent watching TV is 4 hours and 32 minutes. This is an 18 minute decrease in from the 4 hours and 50 minute average in 2012. (Neilson, 2014)
b. “November 14, 2014 - Leichtman Research Group, Inc. (LRG) found that the thirteen largest pay-TV providers in the US -- representing about 95% of the market -- lost about 150,000 net video subscribers in 3Q 2014, compared to a loss of about 25,000 video subscribers in 3Q 2013, and more net losses than in any previous third quarter.” (Leichtman Research Group, 2014)
c. While traditional TV viewership is on the decline, streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu are up from 35% in 2013 to 40% in 2014. (Neilson, 2014)- These trends (a,b,c) reflect a shift in consumer attitudes regarding traditional television. Programming flow is intended to attract viewers and keep them watching for as long as possible. Consumers are watching less TV and even abandoning cable all together, thus implying that the currently flow strategy is not as effective as it once was.
d. “Timeshifting content (using a DVR or video-on-demand technology) continues to resonate with consumers, and while still a small part of overall usage across platforms and devices, daily time spent using a multimedia device continues to climb.” (Neilson, 2014)- The phrase “timeshifting content” denotes a shift in agency as well as a difference in the temporality between various forms of television viewing platforms
e. “Whatever the reason, the larger point regards the subtle but important shift in the concept of flow away from programming strategies and instead to viewer determined experience (Webster).”f. “The technology involved draws first on the metadata accompanying each program, then processes it through several different filters (known as jurors) which test the program according to various taste criteria, at which point an ‘umpire’ decides which combination of the jurors’ reports is relevant for the viewer, and makes program suggestions accordingly. Both the ‘jurors’ and the ‘umpire’ are adoptive, learning from the viewer’s response to predictions, factoring in such elements as time of day and day of the week, and self-correcting with each session” (Urricio)
- In this quote Urricio is describing Double Agent, a device developed by the same company as TiVo. Even though this device never gained any traction, this same idea can be easily applied to Netflixs’ “Suggested Titles” selection.
- It is important to note that this use of meta-data to select programming marks a shift in agency.
g. Netflix has caused a dramatic shift in how we view television by actively encouraging binge watching through both their distribution strategies and their interface design. The only thing that hasn’t adapted to our new viewing practices is the way they create and format the actual video content. Television shows, even those produced by Netflix, still adopt the episodic TV formatting of a series. They include roughly 12-13 episodes, each beginning with a restatement of the previous episode, and even the length of each episode reflects TV slot times. (Weinman)“But to think that the future is, basically, a cable TV series released all at once is to forget that the form and shape of these cable series is based on the idea that the episodes are meant to be released a week apart from each other. To really re-think TV for new media, if such a thing is necessary (and I’m not saying it has to be), we may have to get beyond the idea that a story must be stretched out to fit a 13-episode season. That’s Old Media thinking. (Weinman)”
6. Further questions: How does programming flow affect the temporality of traditional television versus time shifted television?
“One of the primary characteristics of television is its liveness, the ways in which the medium constructs a sense of presence and immediacy. McPherson adapts this idea for web environments by calling it “liveness with a difference,” highlighting how the web “structures a sense of causality in relation to liveness, [making it one where] we navigate and move through, often structuring a feeling that our own desire drives the moment” (462). She underlines the “volitional mobility” afforded by the Internet, the ways in which user experiences destabilize the orthodoxy of linearity and narrative that attend the consumption of other moving image media. That said, my experience streaming television feels more like “liveness with a lag.” Not only do I have to wait for clips to load before I can watch anything, but I am almost always watching dated content. (Griffin)”
1. Topic: Virtual Escapism
2. Initial Question: How does VR change the way we interact with our digital environment and our perceived “real world”?
3. Research problem: Virtual reality technology drastically shifts how we consume media because its immersive nature where the viewer is no longer restricted by their line of sight. This 360 immersion is intended to make our senses impervious to information from the world around us, thus limiting the distinction between virtual and real life. What are some of the ways this distinction is maintained as well as degraded?
4. Justification for research: Virtual reality technology is expected to be on the consumer market within the next year and could quickly become as commonplace as a cellphone, video game console, or even the television set. It is important to investigate the weakening of the sense of reality caused by the advancement of VR technology in order to give insight into how we interact within in this virtual world as well as in the perceived “real world”.
5. Preliminary research:
Blurring of the virtual and real
a. As virtual reality technology becomes more advanced, the distinction between the virtual and real world will become increasingly blurred. This gives VR the potential to either connect people or isolate them through these virtual worlds. (Kim)
b. “By the 2030s, virtual reality will be totally realistic and compelling and we will spend most of our time in virtual environments… We will all become virtual humans. (Kurzweil, 2003)
c. “In theory such escapism is nothing new – as critics of increased TV, Internet and smartphone usage will tell you – but at VR technology continues to blossom, the worlds they generate will become increasingly realistic, creating a greater potential for overuse. (Kim)”
d. "The notion of a communications technology normally implies that two or more people are involved and that the emphasis is placed on the messages that pass between them... it follows that the terms 'communication' and 'medium' should only be used in the context of multi-user VR" (Schroeder 1996 p. 146)
Maintenance of the distinction between virtual and real
e. "The paradox of VR, is that it requires the viewer to move in order to see an image and at the same time physically ties her to a machine." (Manovich)
f. "In contrast to cinema, where the mobile camera moves independently of the immobile spectator, now the spectator actually has to move in physical space in order to experience movement in virtual space." (Manovich)
g. "One of the largest disadvantages of virtual reality is that the technology required for an immersive or natural experience has remained elusive. Haptic systems that provide physical feedback or allow a fully articulated presence within an environment are clumsy and can cause problems during use. The type of hardware that even simple head-mounted displays use can break the sense of immersion as adjustments to the device need to be made and components such as wires and headphones turn into obstacles to natural movement." (Eugene)
6. Further questions:
a. Since multiple people cannot use the same VR set simultaneously, how does this highly individualized experience shift the communal culture around watching television and movies?
Bibliography
Griffin, Hollis. "Liveness with a Lag: Temporality & Streaming Television [Part 1]." Antenna. 9 Aug. 2012. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://blog.commarts.wisc.edu/2012/08/09/liveness-with-a-lag-temporality-streaming-television-part-1/>.
Kim, Monica. "The Good and the Bad of Escaping to Virtual Reality." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 18 Feb. 2015. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/the-good-and-the-bad-of-escaping-to-virtual-reality/385134/>.
Kurzweil, Ray. "Foreword to Virtual Humans." KurzweilAI. 20 Oct. 2003. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.kurzweilai.net/foreword-to-virtual-humans>.
Lacey, Sarah. "Is the All-in-One Device Dream Doomed?" Tech Crunch. 13 Apr. 2009. Web. 22 Feb. 2015. <http://techcrunch.com/2009/04/13/are-super-smart-phones-still-too-dumbis-the-all-in-one-device-dream-doomed/>.
"Leichtman Research Group | Press Releases." Leichtman Research Group. 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.leichtmanresearch.com/press/111414release.html>.Manovich, Lev. The Language of New Media. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2002. Print.
McPherson, Tara. “Reload: Liveness, Mobility, and the Web,” in New Media, Old Media: A History and Theory Reader, ed. Wendy Hui Chun and Thomas W. Keenan. London. 2005
P., Eugene, and Angela B. "What Are the Disadvantages of Virtual Reality?" WiseGeek. Conjecture, 11 Mar. 2015. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-disadvantages-of-virtual-reality.htm#>.
"CROSS-PLATFORM REPORT Q3 2011." Nielson. Nielson, 10 Feb. 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2015. <http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/reports/2012/cross-platform-report-q3-2011.html>.
"CONTENT IS KING, BUT VIEWING HABITS VARY BY DEMOGRAPHIC." Nielson. The Neilson Company, 3 Dec. 2014. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2014/content-is-king-but-viewing-habits-vary-by-demographic.html>
Riva, Giuseppe. "Virtual Reality as Communication Tool: A Socio-cognitive Analysis."Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments 8.4 (1999): 462-68. Print <http://www.cybertherapy.info/pages/comm_in_vr.pdf>
Schroeder, R. (1996). Possible worlds: The social dynamic of virtual reality technology. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Uricchio, William. "Television’s Next Generation: Technology /Interface Culture / Flow In, Television After TV: Essays on a Medium in Transition Eds.: Lynn Spigel and Jan Olsson,." Duke University Press (2005): n. pag. Web. 28 Feb. 2015. <http://web.mit.edu/uricchio/Public/pdfs/pdfs/flow%20edited.pdf>.
Webster, James G. "Audience flow past and present: television inheritance effects reconsidered." Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 2006: 323. Literature Resource Center. Web. 28 Feb. 2015.
Weinman, Jamie. "House of Cards, Netflix, Long Movies and Short TV Series - Macleans.ca."Macleans. Rogers, 4 Feb. 2013. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.macleans.ca/authors/jaime-weinman/house-of-cards-netflix-long-movies-and-short-tv-series/>.
Lab Report 2 – Sophia
1. Topic: Flow
2. Initial Question: How has flow adapted to new platforms of media consumption?
3. Research problem: Raymond Williams describes flow as a programming strategy used by television networks aimed at attracting and retaining views for as long as possible. There are dozens of different ways to optimize flow that have been utilized since the 70s; however, with shift in how we consume TV and media, flow strategies must change as well.
4. Justification for research: Along with this shift in consumption, attitudes about media have changed as well. Today’s consumers have not only become more aware of traditional flow strategies but also less responsive to them. It is important to investigate how media companies are adapting and creating new methods of flow across various platforms in response to these changing consumer attitudes.
5. Preliminary research:
a. “Whatever the reason, the larger point regards the subtle but important shift in the concept of flow away from programming strategies and instead to viewer determined experience (Webster).”
b. The average American adult spends 7 hours a week on the internet and 7 hours a week watching TV. Even though the averages are the same, the internet is the fastest growing as far as weekly usage. (Urricio)
c. “The technology involved draws first on the metadata accompanying each program, then processes it through several different filters (known as jurors) which test the program according to various taste criteria, at which point an ‘umpire’ decides which combination of the jurors’ reports is relevant for the viewer, and makes program suggestions accordingly. Both the ‘jurors’ and the ‘umpire’ are adoptive, learning from the viewer’s response to predictions, factoring in such elements as time of day and day of the week, and self-correcting with each session” (Urricio)
6. Further questions: With this heightened awareness of “flow” and an increased number of programming options, what are some methods that consumers use to break the intended flow by programmers?
1. Topic: All-in-one device
2. Initial Question: What are some limitations of having devices that are multifunctional?
3. Research problem: With the proliferation of daily devices we use, there is a growing need for an all-in-one device. However, even with many multipurpose devices on the market, consumers continue to supplement for their limitations by using other devices.
4. Justification for research: Both consumers and manufactures fantasize about the all in one device, however each device that boasts extreme multi functionality seems to come with a set of restrictions as well. Researching the limitations of multi functionality can give insight into why we have yet to truly achieve the mythical “one device to rule them all.”
5. Preliminary research:
a. "It seems the closer the industry gets to this elusive all-in-one promise, the more they disappoint. It’s a cycle we’ve seen over and over again in technology whether in hardware, enterprise software, or the Web. There’s an inexplicable tension between simplicity/reliability and doing it all. (Lacey)"
b. TV sets are not the only screens that Americans have in their homes, in the last twenty years we have seen computers, video games, tablets, and smartphones become as popular as the TV set once was. According to The NPD group, the average household has 5.7 Internet connected devices. (NPD group)
c. Even though we have been moving towards the convergence of devices, consumers will continue to prefer optimized devices. A dedicated device is able to optimize features that contribute to its main functional purpose. (Gartenberg)
d. “This is the age of multiple devices with overlapping functions. While some devices such as smartphones will continue to grow in importance and ubiquity, one device will not rule them all anytime soon.” (Gartenberg)
6. Further questions:
a. With the growth of smartphones tablets and other media devices, will the television move towards obsolescence or find ways to adapt to changing media consumption behaviours and embrace the multi functional nature of other devices on the market?
1. Topic: User mobility
2. Initial Question: How does the mobility of VR change the way we interact with our digital environment?
3. Research problem: Virtual reality technology drastically shifts how we consume media because it is entirely immersive and the viewer is no longer restricted by their line of sight. However this 360 immersion means that your senses are impervious to information from the world around you. What are some of the social implications of this phenomenon?
4. Justification for research: Virtual reality technology is expected to be on the consumer market within the next year and could quickly become as commonplace a cellphone, video game console, or even TV. Looking at this tension between mobility and immobility will not only give insight into how we interact within in this virtual world but also how we also interact within the “real world” when immersed in this digital world.
5. Preliminary research:
a. "The paradox of VR, is that it requires the viewer to move in order to see an image and at the same time physically ties her to a machine." (Manovich)
b. "In contrast to cinema, where the mobile camera moves independently of the immobile spectator, now the spectator actually has to move in physical space in order to experience movement in virtual space." (Manovich)
c. "The notion of a communications technology normally implies that two or more people are involved and that the emphasis is placed on the messages that pass between them... it follows that the terms 'communication' and 'medium' should only be used in the context of multi-user VR" (Schroeder 1996 p. 146).
6. Further questions:
a. Since multiple people cannot use the same VR set simultaneously, how does this highly individualized experience shift the communal culture around watching television and movies?
Bibliography
Lacey, Sarah. "Is the All-in-One Device Dream Doomed?" Tech Crunch. 13 Apr. 2009. Web. 22 Feb. 2015. <http://techcrunch.com/2009/04/13/are-super-smart-phones-still-too-dumbis-the-all-in-one-device-dream-doomed/>.
Gartenberg, Michael. "Entelligence: One Device to Rule Them All -- or Not." Engadget. 22 Aug. 2010. Web. 11 Mar. 2015. <http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/22/entelligence-one-device-to-rule-them-all-or-not/>.
Manovich, Lev. The Language of New Media. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2002. Print.
"CROSS-PLATFORM REPORT Q3 2011." Nielson. Nielson, 10 Feb. 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2015. <http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/reports/2012/cross-platform-report-q3-2011.html>.
"Internet Connected Devices Surpass Half a Billion in U.S. Homes, According to The NPD Group." Internet Connected Devices Surpass Half a Billion in U.S. Homes, According to The NPD Group. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. <https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/press-releases/internet-connected-devices-surpass-half-a-billion-in-u-s-homes-according-to-the-npd-group/>.
Riva, Giuseppe. "Virtual Reality as Communication Tool: A Socio-cognitive Analysis."Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments 8.4 (1999): 462-68. Print <http://www.cybertherapy.info/pages/comm_in_vr.pdf>
Schroeder, R. (1996). Possible worlds: The social dynamic of virtual reality technology. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Uricchio, William. "Television’s Next Generation: Technology /Interface Culture / Flow In, Television After TV: Essays on a Medium in Transition Eds.: Lynn Spigel and Jan Olsson,." Duke University Press (2005): n. pag. Web. 28 Feb. 2015. <http://web.mit.edu/uricchio/Public/pdfs/pdfs/flow%20edited.pdf>.
Webster, James G. "Audience flow past and present: television inheritance effects reconsidered." Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 2006: 323. Literature Resource Center. Web. 28 Feb. 2015.