Information and Communication Technology · Classes 9-10 · Chapter 1

Entertainment and ICT.

Once, a film meant a trip to the cinema hall and a concert meant a trip to the concert ground. Now films, songs and games all arrive in your room. How did that happen? The answer is a short sequence: radio, TV, computer, internet.

1. From outside the house to inside it

ICT has opened a new era in entertainment, in two ways. First, the way people consume entertainment has changed fundamentally. Second, the media of entertainment themselves have changed in quality.

Once people went out for entertainment: to the cinema hall, the playground, the concert. Now there is no need to leave the house. Radio came first, then television, then the computer. The latest addition is the internet, joined to the computer. So almost all entertainment can be enjoyed within four walls.

Set the sequence in order yourself. A hint: sound first, then picture.

2. From a counting machine to an entertainment machine

The first computers had one main job: to compute, that is, to calculate. Only big organisations and the government could own one.

Once computers became cheap to reach and powerful, they were used for writing and sums, and for entertainment too. Ordinary people now probably use computers mostly for entertainment. Songs, films and photos can all be made on them.

Because music can be given a digital form, songs can be played on a computer. The English version of the book names this MP3. Videos and films can be watched the same way. A huge volume of data fits on a CD ROM or DVD, so watching a film from a DVD at home is now ordinary.

3. Straight from the internet

After fibre optic cable came into use, fast internet became easy to get. So for songs or films we no longer depend on audio CDs or DVDs. We can enjoy them directly on the internet.

Radio and TV channels can now be heard and watched on the internet too. Often the programme is recorded, so you do not wait for a set time.

4. Computer games

A brand new entertainment born of ICT is the computer game. A huge games industry has grown up worldwide. As a medium of entertainment it is immensely successful.

The main reason for the success is that games give every age, from small children to adults, fun to their own taste. You can play with others, with the computer, or even with a remote player over a network. But the intensity of the enjoyment can grow into an addiction. So people everywhere are told to be careful.

Now sort the chips. The book gives one warning, and two of the statements are not in the book at all.

5. Animation and digital actors

Making animation or cartoons was once hard. Thanks to ICT and powerful computers it is now much easier.

In graphics-based films, digital actors are born without any real actor. Using powerful computers to make imaginary dinosaurs or creatures from other worlds is now common. ICT is not only creating new entertainment, it is carrying it to ordinary people. And this is only the beginning.

See all the changes in one place. Drag the handle with one question in mind: which technology brought fast internet? The answer is in section 3 above.

6. Check yourself

Three questions. Remember the warning about addiction.

The second is about games.

For the last one, think about the sequence of media or the reason behind a change.

The whole note on eight cards.

This chapter's board questions, with answers and reasons →

Source: Information and Communication Technology, Classes 9-10 (NCTB), Chapter 1 “Information and Communication Technology and Our Bangladesh”, the “Entertainment and ICT” part.