Manovich - What New Media is'nt

Manovich identifies New Media as "the use of a computer for distribution and exhibition, rather than with production" (Manovich, pg. 43, 2002)

In this chapter of the book, we are looking at the separate historical trajectories of New Media in the form of Computing and Media technologies. We know that in historical terms, Computers where used to perform mass calculations on numerical data more efficiently. Then we see the rise of Media Technologies, where them being used to store images, sounds and text, using a different material form such as a photographic plate or film stock. (Manovich, pg. 44, 2002)

The principal of New Media I think is most important is Transcoding. The basic material principals of New Media - numeric coding and modular organisation then moved to deeper ones - automation and variability. (Manovich pg.63, 2002)

This principal surrounds computerization, which turns media into computer data. New media in general can be thought of consisting of two general layers; the 'cultural' layer and the 'computer' layer. So the cultural layer can consist of short story and plot and the computer layer can consist of process and packet, a computer language and data structure. (Manovich, pg.63, 2002)

I think this is important because as we get older, computer software and hardware is evolving and rapidly upgrading, therefore computers are being used for new tasks and carrying out new functions. Manovich says that the two computer layers influence each other(pg.64) and that they are compositing each other.

"In new media lingo, to 'transcode' something is to translate it into another format"(Manovich,pg.64,2002). This means that transcoding something and changing it to another format would gain comparability with another programme or application. So it could be used to convert video formats(Quicktime to MPEG) but it can also be used to convert HTML files to fit onto mobile devices, for the use of e-mailing applications.

Image URL (http://www.longtailvideo.com/support/bits-on-the-run/24279/understanding-our-transcoding/)

References - http://andreknoerig.de/portfolio/03/bin/resources/manovich-langofnewmedia.pdf
Manovich, Language of New Media, 2002.