Media integration

Methods used for inputinput: the term denoting either an entrance or changes which are inserted into a system and which activate/modify a process to and outputoutput: the term denoting either an exit or changes which exit a system and which activate/modify a process from ICT systems vary a lot. In your revision you need to be familiar with examples of input and output formats.

Input and output formats are the different kinds of mediamedia: a collective name for images, video and audio that are used to either gather up and collect datadata: information without context, eg a list of students with numbers beside their names is data, when it's made clear that those numbers represent their placing in a 100 metre race, the data becomes information and instructions or to display, present or issue the outputs of processing.

Up until recently most media formats required dedicated devices - for example, digital cameras to take digitaldigital: data measured at discrete intervals, eg a digital watch typically moves from displaying one second to the next without displaying the values in-between photographs, scanners to digitise images for use on a computer, or DVDDigital Versatile Disc (DVD): used to store data, eg a movie players for video playback - so you needed the correct device in order to work with each media format.

There is now a growing tendency for multi-purpose ICT devices or conversion. The driving force is the communication power of the InternetInternet: a global network connecting millions of computers, and the increasing availability of small high-powered electronic technology. This means that you can now get an all-in-one box that can do the same thing as several different ones did before it. Here are some examples:

• combined printers, scanners and photocopiers
• televisions with built-in Internet connectionsInternet connection: a computer's or another internet-enabled device's connection to the Internet and web browsersweb browser: an application used to browse the Internet or view web pages
• mobile phones that can take photos, record video, access the Internet and play back music

Find out more about the power of the Internet in the Networks and communications section.