Entertainment
Downloads
When downloading for example music or video from the internet, there are certain things that you should think about.
· Avoid peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing sites. The infringe the copyright of people who produced the music and films
· Avoid free sites. All reputable sites will either have a yearly subscription charge or a download cost for each file you download
· Check the download conditions in the small print. Often you can only watch the film on the computer to which it was downloaded and cannot copy it to a DVD. Digital Rights Management (DRM) software prevents you copying a DVD.
· Find out about the reliability of the website using user forums etc.
On demand services (Streaming)
Streaming: The ability of view content (e.g video) on demand whilst it is being sent to the computer
Advantages of streaming
High Definition vs Standard Definition
Videos broadcast / streamed / downloaded in High Definition (HD) have a higher picture quality than standard definition (SD) videos
Users are often given the option to download a video as standard or high definition because some users may not have sufficient bandwidth to download a HD video which use more data than SD videos.
If a user has insufficient bandwidth when they stream a video, the video may buffer (not display properly)
(Remember bandwidth can be effected by a large number of different factors such as the distance to the router and the number of devices that are attached to it)
Online Gaming
Many people now play online games e.g. using the Playstation network or x xbox live
A users gaming experience can be effected by the latency and bandwidth or their internet connection - if the bandwidth is too low or the latency is too high then this may cause the game to "lag" i.e. stop working / not work as well
There are a number of social benefits of playing online computer games
Computer Games - Health Issues
Computer games can be good for your health:
· They promote problem solving so improve cognitive ability
· They can be used to treat pain as they distract the player
Computer games can be bad for your health because:
· They can lead to childhood obesity from lack of exercise
· May lead to violent behaviour as players recreate things they see in the games.
Motion Sensitive Controllers
Many consoles use motion sensitive controllers e.g. Ninendo Wii, X Box Kinect
Motion sensitive controllers may not be suitable for users with a physical disability because they may have restricted movements making it difficult to communicate with the console making it difficult for them to play the game.
Advantages of using motion sensitive controllers are:
Disadvantages of using motion sensitive controllers are:
Downloads
When downloading for example music or video from the internet, there are certain things that you should think about.
· Avoid peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing sites. The infringe the copyright of people who produced the music and films
· Avoid free sites. All reputable sites will either have a yearly subscription charge or a download cost for each file you download
· Check the download conditions in the small print. Often you can only watch the film on the computer to which it was downloaded and cannot copy it to a DVD. Digital Rights Management (DRM) software prevents you copying a DVD.
· Find out about the reliability of the website using user forums etc.
On demand services (Streaming)
Streaming: The ability of view content (e.g video) on demand whilst it is being sent to the computer
Advantages of streaming
- Can watch content e.g. a film instantly
- Often free
- Wider variety of content e.g movies, tv programmes etc.
High Definition vs Standard Definition
Videos broadcast / streamed / downloaded in High Definition (HD) have a higher picture quality than standard definition (SD) videos
Users are often given the option to download a video as standard or high definition because some users may not have sufficient bandwidth to download a HD video which use more data than SD videos.
If a user has insufficient bandwidth when they stream a video, the video may buffer (not display properly)
(Remember bandwidth can be effected by a large number of different factors such as the distance to the router and the number of devices that are attached to it)
Online Gaming
Many people now play online games e.g. using the Playstation network or x xbox live
A users gaming experience can be effected by the latency and bandwidth or their internet connection - if the bandwidth is too low or the latency is too high then this may cause the game to "lag" i.e. stop working / not work as well
There are a number of social benefits of playing online computer games
- Many users prefer to play against a real person rather than a computer
- Improves communication skills and social interaction
- Can work as a group to solve a problem
Computer Games - Health Issues
Computer games can be good for your health:
· They promote problem solving so improve cognitive ability
· They can be used to treat pain as they distract the player
Computer games can be bad for your health because:
· They can lead to childhood obesity from lack of exercise
· May lead to violent behaviour as players recreate things they see in the games.
Motion Sensitive Controllers
Many consoles use motion sensitive controllers e.g. Ninendo Wii, X Box Kinect
Motion sensitive controllers may not be suitable for users with a physical disability because they may have restricted movements making it difficult to communicate with the console making it difficult for them to play the game.
Advantages of using motion sensitive controllers are:
- Can play anywhere in the room
- Less cables to tangle up
- Allows users to play new types of game e.g. bowling
Disadvantages of using motion sensitive controllers are:
- Might run out of batteries
- Need to have adequate space
- More expensive
- Can have a limited range from the console