Digital media is a kind of electronic media that operates on digital codes and on the binary numeral system using computer networks. It encompasses digital, computerized, or networked information and communication technologies. Most computers are capable of interpreting binary digital data as information and convert into a digital information processing machines. Digital media including, digital audio, digital video and other digital “content” can be created, referred to and distributed via digital information processing machines like computers. Digital data can be easily manipulated and represented for an indefinite period without any loss of quality. The ease of access provided by modern digital technology enables us to access many different media in a timely, convenient fashion.
Many consider digital media as the creative union of digital arts, science, technology and business for human expression, communication, social interaction and education. This kind of media technology is manipulable, networkable, dense, compressible, and impartial. As digital media is very simple to capture, manipulate and work with, many businesses prefer to deploy online commercials, podcasts and videos for YouTube and MySpace, which are “virtual communities” established online and transcend geographical boundaries, providing news and networking for all ages, thus helping in eliminating social restrictions. Some examples of digital media include, cell phones, compact disc, digital video, digital television, e-book, internet, minidisc, video game and the World Wide Web. Digital satellite television is an example of a new media technology that uses digital compression to significantly increase the number of television channels that can be delivered.
Taking your message to the masses has become much easier with the use of digital media. The digital media industry is used in many market segments such as software/video game design, radio, movies, advertising and marketing, which aims to directly reach the consumers through a two-way dialogue with the help of the internet. Many visual and audio expressions combine text with graphics or sound to produce an audiovisual or multimedia work like audio recordings and visual images that can be expressed in movies, photographs, videotapes, paintings, compact discs, diagrams, cassette tapes, or maps, to list a few.
The advertising industry profited the most and have large agencies running multi-million dollar interactive advertising agencies. Another kind of digital media that has gained extreme popularity is digital interactive media, in the form of interactive websites and kiosks. Public relations firms also benefit from digital media through interactive PR practices, interactive advertising and video game production.
