Uses for Television
- Entertainment
- Find News
- Listen To Radio (Digital TV only)
- Play Games (Again Digital TV only)
- Teletext/Ceefax
Evaluation of the Television
The television is very prominent in many people’s lives, including mine. It is extremely useful, and gives a lot of entertainment value. Teletext is a quick and easy way of accessing information, and the digital services provide better and more in depth viewing. The T.V gives people something to do when they are bored, without it you would not have videos or DVD’s, which provide more entertainment when you want it. Teletext is a cheaper way of accessing the news then any other, so is very useful for me in the home.
DVD/VHS
DVD (Digitally Versatile Disk) and VHS (Video Home System) are the 2 main formats for watching ‘movies’ or recorded programmes. DVD’s however are fast becoming more popular, they are more popular for manufacturers as the manufacturing and distribution costs are much cheaper than that for VHS. VHS is the world's most widely used system for recording and viewing videotapes at home. It is not very common that you will find a record able DVD player, but in almost every home you will find a video recorder. However, DVD’s hold a lot more information than the VHS format. Hence why ‘special edition’ films only come on D.V.D. An example of this is the special edition of L.O.T.R; there are too many extras to place on videocassette, so it comes in DVD form only. DVD’s can also be interactive, while VHS cannot. When you turn on your DVD player and insert a DVD you can choose different functions such as different directors commentary, ‘special features’ etc. However with a Video, you can only have 1 type of soundtrack, and when you put the video in it plays, with no option for ‘special features etc.’
VHS comes in a Videotape otherwise known as a Videocassette, these consist of a black reel of film, which the video player ‘reads’ and plays through the television, the film is placed on 2 spools, this is so it can run round and round. If only one spool was used you would not be able to watch the entire film, which would be rather pointless.
DVD comes in the form of a ‘disk’. These disks are aptly known as ‘DVD’s’ whereas Videocassettes are not known as VHS’S. Example of a DVD-→
A laser in the DVD player reads the information; information can be stored in a single or double layer, one both or one side of the disk.
Evaluation of VHS/DVD for use in the Home:
In the home VHS and DVD provide good entertainment value, they are both provide a wide choice of different forms of entertainment.
VHS
VHS is now a very dated method of home entertainment. The picture and sound quality of VHS’ is not particularly good in comparison to that of a DVD, but is cheaper to purchase.
DVD
A DVD is more expensive than a VHS but provides better sound and picture quality. Although more expensive it is more cost effective and is my preferred format. I believe it also offers more functions so I believe is better value for money.
Evaluation of VHS/DVD for use in School
VHS
In School VHS is the preferred format; this is because it is cheaper and a lot more cost effective. This is due to the fact that video players have been used for years, as have videos, it would be expensive for the school to replace all videos and video players in the school with newer more expensive DVD. Videos are only used occasionally and even though DVDs have bigger capacity and you could probably store the entire syllabus of one subject on a DVD, VHS’ are still in use.
The Internet
Although I did not use the Internet over my weekend in which I recorded all the times that I was involved in I.C.T, it is a very important method of communication, it is also very useful and informative. The Internet is widely used in school, and at home. In School it is used for research purposes. In my home I use the Internet for communication via the ‘msn instant messaging service’, and I use hotmail to e-mail friends. I also use the Internet for research purposes in homework. There are obviously problems with the Internet. For example all the information you receive off the net is secondary information, and my not be entirely accurate. The information again is not 1st hand and may not be exactly what you require, taking you longer to find it. Unlike in a library where a book is located in an exact position and will contain what you want it too. However with the Internet there is a lot more information and different places to find it, giving you a broader range. This is very useful, as if you are looking for opinions you are bound to find more than 1 point of view on the Internet. There are search engines that make finding the information a lot easier and more efficient. These are extremely useful, e.g. if you are trying to find information on the Irish potato famine, all you need to do is log on to and type in “Irish potato famine” in the search box, then the engine is guaranteed to find you some information about it, also you can find images and groups using this search engine. The Internet is very useful form of communication; you can send electronic mail also known as ‘e-mail’ over the Internet. This is a very efficient and useful means of communication. The advantage of e-mail is the fact that you can send pictures and large amount of data to a person, which you could not transmit over the phone line. E.G. if you had a database you wanted to send, if you were to describe this over the phone line it would be a long painstaking process if it was sent via the net it would take a matter of seconds. However it does have its disadvantages. If you were to send e-mail there is no guarantee that it would get to the ‘recipient’ the next day. As there account may not be regularly accessed.
The Internet is also a source of entertainment; there are lots of games websites and sites for the latest news, whether it is for football news, or national news.
The Internet- Evaluation
The Internet is very useful as a research source; it helps me greatly in and out of school, and provides all the information that you could need. As a source of news and entertainment it is also very useful as there is a wide choice of different games sites, or other entertainment sites. There are a wide variety of news sites with every newspaper having its own and other sites such as www.newsnow.co.uk.
Without the Internet I believe that work at school and at home would prove a lot harder. I think it is also provides good entertainment and provides a valuable source of news. E.G. If you are in a foreign county all the news on their Internet servers will be for their country in their language. An example of this is the web page ending e.g. for English speaking pages .com or .co.uk is used. For Chinese the ending is .ch is used.
Mobile Phones
Mobile phones have a very large affect on the way we lead our every day lives. Without them contact would be made a lot harder. They have become so commonplace in most of our lives now that no one realises how much they do affect us.
Mobile phones have a variety of uses, they have many functions some of these include: -
- Text Messaging
- Phone calls
- Picture messaging
- WAP – (Wireless application protocol)
- Video Messaging
I will write a small amount about each one and evaluate their uses.
Text Messaging
This is the most common way of communication using a mobile phone. I use this very commonly while in the home and in the school, when I need to make contact with friends and do not have the resources to call them, or the time to do so. Without text messaging then contact would have to be made through voice conversation, which in some cases you would not be able to do, e.g. down a busy street, at a football match or sitting on public transport, when you would not be able to hear the person you are talking to, and they would not be able to hear you.
Phone Calls
This is another common use for mobile phones, it enables for the first time people to contact each other from anywhere in the UK, where there is a signal. It is very useful if you need to contact someone in the car for example, you can keep your hands on the steering wheel and talk through what is known as a hands-free kit.
Picture Messaging
Many modern phones have the ability to take record and send digital photos. Some phones have a camera built into them while others may have the capability to attach a digital camera onto it. This is a very useful method of sending and receiving photographs in a short space of time. Photos are stored digitally on the phone on a special chip. Certain phones have larger storage capability, and better or worse picture quality, the picture quality varies with the number of pixels used to take and display the picture. This is very useful as the most advance picture phones can store many pictures, phones are smaller than the average digital camera, and digital cameras cannot send pictures to one another.
WAP (Wireless-Application-Protocol)
WAP is a means of accessing digital information over the phone. Most modern phones have this function; however most do not have actual ‘internet’ access. Most just have information selections such as ‘sport’ or ‘news’. Many WAP phones access digital information, but do not access any Internet sites. This is a very helpful personal use of a phone. If you are in a car, stuck in a traffic jam, and for example you hear a song on the radio which takes your fancy you can then access WAP and order the single which you have just heard before you forget the name of the track.
Video Messaging
Recently a new network was set-up known as ‘3’ this is the first network to specifically specialise in videophone technology.
Video messaging is the new way to communicate with pictures rather than just words. Each phone camera is fitted with a camera, which takes images of whatever your phone is focused on a sends them to another phone, this picture outputs on their screen.
This does not have an impact upon my life, but it is very useful for those who need to contact friends, or conference with other businesspeople when they do not have access to a computer.
Music Players (MP3, CD)
Music Players nowadays come in 2 main types, CD players and MP3 players, tape players are still around but are becoming less and less commonly used.
CD players are an extraordinarily precise piece of equipment, finding and reading the data found on the small bumps of a CD. You can see an example of a CD player mechanism on the right hand side---→
The main components are--→
- A drive motor spins the disc. This drive motor is precisely controlled to rotate between 200 and 500 rpm depending on which track is being read.
- A laser and a lens system focus in on and read the bumps.
- A tracking mechanism moves the laser assembly so that the laser's beam can follow the spiral track. The tracking system has to be able to move the laser at micron resolutions.
In school CD’s are now becoming used for listening exercises, also known as audio learning. These are commonly used in subjects such as Modern Foreign Languages; they help pupils prepare for tests. They are also used in Maths for mental arithmetic exercises. These CDs help me learn more effectively and increase my understanding of the subjects they are used in.
At home I have a CD player. It is very basic with no special functions, such as bass volume, treble volume etc. It has the basic buttons, play, stop, rewind etc. It does have a random play button, which randomly selects a track on the CD inserted, and plays it. This meets my needs effectively. It has 2 speakers that give out a clear strong sound, and play what I want playing without muffling. I do not need functions such as bass or treble to perfect the noise.
MP3 Players
MP3 Players are now often used in today’s society. I do not have one myself but I can see the many advantages they would have. They can store large amounts of information, but are compact. Music is downloaded onto MP3 players; they have a lead, which plugs into the back of your computer. Tracks are then transmitted from the PC onto the MP3 player; they are then store on the MP3 player and played when the user requests so. These are very useful as they provide a cheaper and more accessible method for listening to portable music.
Evaluation of CD’s and MP3 Players.
CD Players are now relatively cheap in comparison to MP3 Players. However CD players require you to buy all the CDs you require to play on them, while MP3 players store the music you want playing for you, after you have transferred it from you PC to the MP3 Player. Making the MP3 Player more cost effective. However I still use a CD player and this meets my needs effectively, as you can play CDs over loud speakers, while MP3’s are played mainly through headphones. I conclude that they both have their advantages and disadvantages. I believe that for home usage CDs are better, but if you are out and about MP3s are the preferable format.
Personal Computers
These have a massive impact upon almost everyone in commercialised countries around the world. Many businesses use them, schools use them and they are used a lot in the home for individual use. Without personal computers life would be unimaginably different now they have become so prominent in peoples everyday lives. The programs on personal computers are extremely useful to everyone who needs them, without these programs life would be a lot harder. The main packages used are word processing and spreadsheet packages.
Word processing packages are the ones that I use most commonly, with these I can save edit and change text, and print of a document more than once .If I did not have a computer to write out a piece of coursework, which needed writing twice I would have to write this piece out twice which is very time-consuming; with a computer I can type this piece out once, then click print twice. Also if I make an error in my writing, be it spelling, grammar or any other mistake I can edit the text. Another useful function of a word processing package is the fact that it will highlight grammatical and spelling errors for you so your work will become more accurate. This function is very useful but it does not spot homophone or apostrophe errors. Other useful functions included in the latest editions of Microsoft word are the synonym function. If you write click a word and go down to synonym, it will give you a selection of words with a similar or the same meaning. Word processors also provide a function for a border, different layouts, colours, tables and other many useful functions. If my work was entirely hand-written I would have to cross any errors out and write a correction above. This would make the work less presentable and not as formal. This can also come into use for business letters, which when written on computers, are more presentable and look a lot neater and more official.
In school I use computers to type up work but also to research off the Internet. Without this it would become a lot harder to complete certain work in school. Also in subjects such as Electronics software programs are commonly used which help me design my circuits and programmable chips. Without these programmes it would be a lot harder to create a circuit, and would be impossible to programme the chips. To create a circuit without I.C.T you would have to carve the circuit design into the board with a knife or carving implement, which would be extremely time consuming and would not be as reliable as the computerised method. In the home I have many uses for my personal computer. I use it for word processing, game playing, copying CDs, and playing music.
Without the personal computer I would only be able to play games on such things as gameboys and playstations. Without the availability of word processors all
writing would take a long time and be more time consuming. I would not be able to copy CDs, and music would have to be played via a stereo or hi-fi.
Computers can store a lot of information depending on the size of the hard-drive. This is very useful as you can store a massive document on your computer and come back to it, edit add to or take from it, at different times. Without this you would have to do all your work at the same time, and would make the computer not as useful. The ability to store information is vital for many people. Without this facility then work would have to be filed, and could be lost. With storage work will not be lost unless it is corrupted or attacked by outside sources, one way of preventing this comes with removable storage. Items of removable storage include, CD’s, Floppy disks, zip disks and DVDs. Each hold a certain amount of information and are used for different purposes.
Another advantage of the PC is that practically any program can be loaded onto it. They are not restricted to the same programs. This means that a PC can be bought for a finance company for example, without any pre-loaded programs, from this they can purchase programs such as Sage and load this onto the computer and they will function well.
Evaluation of the Personal Computer
The personal computer or ‘PC’ is probably the most useful form of ICT. It has the widest range of uses, and includes many functions. They are very durable and can last for many years. In school they are very useful for completing necessary coursework or work in general. The Internet is very useful for work, as are the packages that come with the computer. Word is a very useful and the majority of my work is done on this program. Excel is also very useful when it comes to maths coursework, as it makes calculations for you and you can produce graphs produce on the tables in excel. Also you can copy and paste graphs from one Microsoft program from another this means that if you are typing a document you can import a graph or picture from another program which relates to the text. With Personal computers many other programs can be used, games can be played and many other items of software can be contained on the machine. Games are becoming increasingly popular, but unfortunately Personal Computers are requiring a lot more updating, due to the increasing improved games, and software programs. The more powerful your computer is the faster it will be able to run specific programs. The uses of the computer are wide and varied, they include
- Word Processing
- Spreadsheets
- Games
- Other Software
- Copying CDs
- Listening to the radio
- Internet
The computer has many uses, and all of these are widely used, the computer is fast becoming a vital part in everyday life.
Kitchen Appliances
Although many people do not realise it many kitchen appliances use some form of I.C.T in their working.
Microwave- Uses ICT for the timer, and for different functions such as defrost, heat etc. Modern microwaves often have functions for different foods now, and many microwaves will calculate the weight of the product inside it now so it makes it easier for you to cook or defrost it.
Oven- Uses ICT in a very similar way that the microwave does, ICT activates the fan, and sets the temperature. Ovens have different heat methods also; these are also controlled by ICT
Hob- these come in different types, you can have electrical or gas hobs. These both use ICT for controlling the temperature, and advantage of the electrical hob is that it presents less safety risk; this is due to ICT heating up just the surface, not leaving a flame which to set something alight.
Evaluation of Kitchen Appliances
Without the use of ICT cooking would be restricted to a stove over an open fire. Food would not be cooked as well or as safely. Without ICT used in cooking the chances of food-related disease would be greatly increased. Therefore I believe that with the use of ICT food is better and safer.
Final evaluation of ICT for home and school uses:
Without ICT in the home or at school, life would be made a lot harder. It has now become essential in everyone’s lives, if ICT was eradicated from life, then the world would be in total chaos. ICT has become invaluable in modern day life. Without ICT in the home, the only heat would come from a coal fire, with it electric. Without ICT my life in school and at home would be unimaginably different.