The Map as the New Media Metaphor

Moving images used to be hostages to screens, both large (cinema) and small (television). But, the advent of broadband and the Internet has rendered visuals independent of specific hardware and, therefore, portable. o https://atlaspro-iptv.online/ One can watch video on a bewildering array of devices, wired and wireless, and then e-mail the images, embed them in blogs, upload and download them, store them online (“cloud computing”) or offline, and, in general, use them as raw material in mashups or other creative endeavours.

 

With the aid of set-top boxes such as TiVo’s, consumers are no longer dependent on schedules imposed by media companies (broadcasters and cable operators). Time shifting devices – starting with the humble VCR (Video Cassette Recorder) – have altered the equation: one can tape and watch programming later or simply download it from online repositories of content such as YouTube or Hulu when convenient and desirable.

Inevitably, these technological transitions have altered the media experience by fragmenting the market for content. Every viewer now abides by his or her own idiosyncratic program schedule and narrowcasts to “friends” on massive social networks. Everyone is both a market for media and a distribution channel with the added value of his or her commentary, self-generated content, and hyperlinked references.