Introduction and background

The development of digital media is reviewed and definitions are provided. The advantages of digital media over traditional media are set out, and the current challenges are summarized. The convergence of IT, telecommunications, and media is bringing about a revolution in the way information is collected, stored and accessed. There are three principal reasons why this is happening – reducing cost, increasing quality, and increasing bandwidth. Digital media preserves content accuracy (e.g. digital television) in a way other systems do not. High bandwidth transmission from one place to another on the planet is now possible. Information is ubiquitous and globally accessible, and can be held and accessed just as easily on a global network as on a local personal computer or in a local library. Thus anyone generating state of the art content can produce an impact on the global network. Devices are increasingly intelligent and are network-ready. User interfaces are becoming more adaptable and flexible, and can be tailored to particular application domains. Digital intelligence is becoming seamless and invisible, enabling more attention to be paid to the content and the user’s interaction with it. Digital media includes a wide range of applications such as computer games, multimedia production, animation, graphics and video editing, and digital video film making. Media content is now created in digital form and can be repurposed across different media types such as DVD, Internet, or traditional print. This offers scope for different forms of advertising, and providing added value to consumers by providing dynamic links to other relevant information. This provides new value chains and ecosystems. This is turn affects social and cultural contexts, and interacts with them. The user as content creator, publisher, and broadcaster is changing the traditional roles of news media, publishers, and entertainment corporations. This in turn changes social and governmental structures and affects their power, influence, and cultural impact. © The Author(s) 2017.