Developer's Digital Media Reference

Section IV: Merged Architectures

CHAPTER 14

Introduction

Convergence or Divergence?

The theme of convergence that has suffered from overuse at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention and other industry events refers to the coming together of the television, film, and computer industries through shared digital technologies. The reality is that during the late 1990s digital technologies have, in fact, brought about the opposite effect in regard to distribution. A plethora of new formats and distribution mechanisms – from the World Wide Web to set-top boxes to wireless devices — threatened to overwhelm even the most well-equipped ...