What is a television series? A widespread answer takes it to be a totality of episodes and seasons. Luca Bandirali and Enrico Terrone argue against this characterization. In Concept TV: An Aesthetics of Television Series, they contend that television series are concepts that manifest themselves through episodes and seasons, just as works of conceptual art can manifest themselves through installations or performances. In this sense, a television series is a conceptual narrative, a principle of construction of similar narratives. While the film viewer directly appreciates a narrative made of images and sounds, the TV viewer relies on images and sounds to grasp the conceptual narrative that they express. Here lies the key difference between television and film. Reflecting on this difference paves the way for an aesthetics of television series that makes room for their alleged prolixity, their tendency to repetition, and their lack of narrative closure. Bandirali and Terrone shed light on the specific ways in which television series are evaluated, arguing that some apparent flaws of them are, indeed, aesthetic merits when considered from a conceptual perspective. Hence, to maximize the aesthetic value of television series, one should not assess them in the same framework in which films are assessed but rather in a distinct conceptual framework.

Abstract: The basics of successful television (TV) production are presented for those who have no background in this field. Information is provided on: terminology; broadcasting vs. non-broadcasting; TV production facilities; the 3 principal levels of TV production sophistication relative to equipment, personnel, facilities, and budget; the various video recording formats; color TV; TV pre- and post-production; and the actual "shooting" process. The preparatory requirements associated with TV production costs in terms of physical resources, technical know-how, team management, audience needs, legal aspects, and financial resources are cited. A glossary, a listing of TV equipment manufacturers, and a bibliography on TV production are appended. (wz).

The 40-year history of high definition television technology is traced from initial studies in Japan, through its development in Europe, and then to the United States, where the first all-digital systems were implemented. Details are provided about advances in HDTV technology in Australia and Japan, Europe's introduction of HDTV, Brazil's innovative use of MPEG-4 and China's terrestrial standard. The impact of HDTV on broadcast facility conversion and the influx of computer systems and information technology are described, as well as the contributions of the first entrepreneurial HD videographers and engineers. This thoroughly researched volume highlights several of the landmark high-definition broadcasts from 1988 onward, includes input gathered from more than 50 international participants, and concludes with the rollout of consumer HDTV services throughout the world.

TV Futures: Digital Television Policy in Australia brings together leading writers from both law and media studies to examine the implications of the shift to digital television for the platforms and audiences, copyright law and media regulation. The book combines writers with expertise in media law and copyright law with those skilled in media policy and social and cultural research. Through its scope and topicality, the book substantially develops the literature on digital television to serve readers from across the fields of law, the humanities and social sciences.