Sunday, 18 March 2007

CHANNEL4

www.channel4.com
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

The Channel4 website is replacing TV guides, magazine articles and almost TV itself. It is a popular new media technology that’s quickly becoming more popular with the younger generation. The NMT involved is broadband internet. It is a mostly factual website which includes detailed programme information, highlights, and chats with actors and presenters. It is not replacing the channel itself but offers additional information on the various shows, listings, quizzes, podcasts (see no.10), games, music, news, culture and lifestyle tips to name a few. The technology involved is similar to any other website.

The Channel4 website will relate to many audiences due to the variety of programmes it shows and the wide audience it attracts. However, the younger generation will probably use it more often due to the longer amount of time they spend on the internet after growing up as it advanced. The people who log on to the Channel4 website will be able to use all the features mentioned above and will perhaps use the website instead of watching the actual programme – fans can read summaries of a particular episode or short clips that are unavailable anywhere else to further their knowledge of the storyline and their favourite characters.

The Channel4 website uses New Media Technologies well without overcomplicating it for the audience. After all, it is trying to bring in the largest audience and so needs to appeal to all ages, young and old, male and female. The website is well laid out and clear, so that navigation is easy. There is also a search bar so that even if you can’t find what you are looking for you can be sent straight to the page you are looking for very quickly.

The channel4 website is a very good example of interactive features that can be offered. For example, fans of the website ’10 Years Younger’ can log on to the website and be taken to a special ’10 Years Younger’ page, which includes a game called ‘How old am I? Take a guess’.
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
In this game, the public can both submit their own photos and rate the photos of others, and then see the top 6 ‘well matured’ contestants and the top 6 ‘well preserved’ contestants, and find out how they compare on this scale – do they look young or old for their age? Secondly, there are options like ‘Create your own yummy mummy wardrobe’ where you can watch a video for ‘Styling for the fuller figure’, and ‘Top tips on how to maximise your assets’

The channel4 website also offers games, forums, mobile interaction, RRS Feeds and talent spotting:
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
= A section of the website where you can upload your own videos and artwork to be submitted to be shown on the channel.

No comments: