Digital distribution is where everything is digital, media can be delivered without the use of physical media usually over the internet or through online delivery services. Also digital distribution can be add-ons for other content like downloadable games. Digital distribution took off in the 2000s so it is still very new.
A few examples of digital distribution are:
Xbox live zune marketplace for films, song and games. All of these can be downloaded through zune using Microsoft points or just money on pay pal. With zune you can rent or buy films instantly or download full games or just add ons for the games that you already have, you can also download demos for new games that will be coming out soon this is also a way of advertising for game companies. Songs can be downloaded from zune which can then be added to your music library on you Xbox 360 console. There are games that are only available for download like minecraft Xbox 360 version.
PSN for the PlayStation 3 is also a way of digital media, you can also download films games and add ons just like the zune marketplace on Xbox live, you can download add ons like zombie maps for call of duty or just full games off the PlayStation network. You can get some free downloads which are mostly demos so you can see if you like a game before you but it.
ITunes is another type of digital distribution, everything about ITunes is downloadable from films to music, games and music videos, you have to pay for some games all songs and all films and television programmes using ITunes vouchers. You can get some free versions of games on iTunes but you still make in app purchases to buy better things to improve at the game, in app purchases are when you pay for things even after you have the app.
Lovefilm is another website that uses digital distribution, lovefilm is for streaming films and television programmes when you pay a monthly fee. Lovefilm has a lot of new films and programmes on it, they also rent out games for the PlayStation and Xbox but this is not digital distribution this is done by post. You can also get lovefilm on your iPod, iPhone, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 with all films streamable to these devices.
Netflix is another service just like lovefilm where you can stream films and television programmes straight to a device that has this feature.
Content that is digitally distributed may be streamed or downloaded online, streaming is downloading and the using the content when it is needed but downloading to a hard drive will allow easy access in the future if you want to watch it again. Services like Netflix and lovefilm must offer a consistently high performance and availability or people would not use these services.
Digital distribution makes everything quicker and easier if it works properly, some games publishers will not use digital distribution because they think that it will lose them profit because some people that would usually buy the game might not understand how to do it digitally so this will stop them from buying it. Digital distribution cuts sales games and CDs, the sale of CDs where nearly cut in half when digital distribution first started.
Another reason for the decrease in sales of CDs is piracy; it was made very easy to get music for free instead of going out and buying them so a lot of people chose to illegally download it which contributed to the drop in sales of CDs. Also for television digital distribution was bad because all the main television channels have been put on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 which most people have got now, these stops a lot of people watching television.
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