Lesson 1: What is Digital Media?

Sources: dictionary.com, "An Introduction to Digital Media"

Discussion

• What is digital media?
• What is the opposite of digital media?

Definition

• Analog - continuous, linear information (wristwatch, VHS, old telephone landlines)
  
• Analog [From Latin analogus, from Greek analogos, proportionate : ana-, according to; see ana- + logos, proportion; see leg- in Indo-European roots.]
• Digital - discontinuous, manipulable, dense, compressible information (digital clock, CD, computers, XBOX, PSP, etc.)
  
• Digital [Middle English, from Latin digitus, finger, toe; see deik- in Indo-European roots.] digit
  1398, from L. digitus "finger or toe," related to dicere "tell, say, point out" (see diction). Numerical sense is because numerals under ten were counted on fingers. Digital (1656) is first recorded 1945 in reference to computers, 1960 of recording or broadcasting.
• Language of Computers: Binary Code using only two symbols, 0,1
  
• Bit: Binary digit, either 0 or 1
  
• Byte: eight bits in a certain sequence (00011000 or 00010100)
• Different sequences code different information
  
• Bytes of information
  
• Kilobytes (kB) 1,000 bytes
• Megabytes (MB) 1,000 kilobytes
  
• Gigabytes (GB) 1,000 megabytes
  
• Terabytes (TB) 1,000 gigabytes
• Simple language allow computers to process information quick
  
• "Going digital" means speaking the exclusive language of computers
  

Examples of digital media...

Purpose of Class

• To examine different types of digital media - digital photography, video, music and animation - used for different purposes: education, entertainment, information
• To create meaningful projects encompassing the above

- Distribute course syllabus and other relevant forms (release forms, equipment agreements, internet access, etc.)
-Get into what the word "media" means.