How do the following factors affect file size: MEMORY SIZE, PROCESSING SPEED, COLOUR PALETTE, COMPRESSION, SAMPLING RATE, FRAMES PER SECOND?
Memory size: refers to the amount of space that is available in a digital storage medium. The size of any file is affected by memory size as it cannot exceed the size of available memory.
Processing speed: Processing speed is the amount of calculations a processors can perform every second. Typically, the higher the processing speed, the more powerful a processor is, the more calculations it can do every second and the more larger and complex files it can handle.
Colour Palette: Colour palette is the finitie amount of colour available that can be used to show a digital object on screen. Computers usually can display millions of different unique colours and they can be selected from a colour palette. Colour palettes are typically used in software such as Adobe Photoshop etc.
Compression: Compression is the process of reducing the size of a file. It is achieved by encoding the file in an efficient way, allowing it to be smaller. There’s two types of compression: lossless and lossy. In lossless compression, no data is lost as no data is removed, only rearranged in way to make the file smaller. In lossy compression, some data is lost as the computer removes bits of data which it finds unnecessary. This has a slight effect on quality, but it is generally not discernible.
Sampling rate: Sampling is the conversion of analog audio to digital audio. Sampling rate is the number of times a sample of data is taken from the analog sound wave and converted into digital form. The higher the sampling rate, the higher the quality of resulting audio.
Frames per second: Digital video is a series of images moving at high speed, which creates the effect of motion. The higher the number of frames, the smoother the video appears. Most videos in present times are in 24fps, however video in 60fps is becoming widely available as it appears much smoother than 24fps.
How does these factors affect digital media?
All of the above factors affect digital media one way or another. They affect digital media in terms of file size, file quality etc.
Memory size: Memory size affects how large a file can be.The amount of memory available dictates how large a file can be since it cannot exceed the available space. However, modern storage devices have large amounts of storage space and it usually isn’t a problem. However, if a user does have a file that exceeds the available storage space in their storage medium, they have to decrease their file size by reducing quality ; split the file and store in multiple places ; or purchase a higher capacity storage medium in order to accommodate the file. Memory size also affects the quality of a digital media product as the higher the quality is, the larger the file size is.
Memory size: Memory size affects how large a file can be.The amount of memory available dictates how large a file can be since it cannot exceed the available space. However, modern storage devices have large amounts of storage space and it usually isn’t a problem. However, if a user does have a file that exceeds the available storage space in their storage medium, they have to decrease their file size by reducing quality ; split the file and store in multiple places ; or purchase a higher capacity storage medium in order to accommodate the file. Memory size also affects the quality of a digital media product as the higher the quality is, the larger the file size is.
Processing speed: The higher the processing speed, the more powerful the processor. A fast, powerful processor allows graphics and videos to be played fluidly. It also allows the creation of audio, video, graphics, animation faster as it is able to complete the job in less time compared to a less powerful processor.
Colour Palette: The larger the range of colours there are, the more colours can be used and there more the more high quality a graphic or video can be. The use of more colours allows a graphic or video to show more detail and be more vivid and eye-catching to look at.
Compression: As compression makes a file smaller, it affects quality and file size. If lossy compression is used, some of the data deemed unnecessary is removed and this affects overall quality. Since some data is removed, the quality is reduced as well.
Compression in general also affects file size. Lossy or lossless, both affect file size because the data in the file is rearranged in a fashion that makes it more efficient and therefore the file size decreases.
Sampling rate: The higher the sampling rate, the higher the quality and file size. A higher quality audio file is more pleasant to hear compared to a low quality one. Since a higher quality file means more samples are required, this affects the file size by making it larger. The higher the sampling rate is, the larger the file size.
Frames per second: The number of fps affects the quality and file size of a video. Higher fps rates (60fps for e.g.) provide a smooth viewing experience compared to commonly used rates such as 24fps, where fast motion appears to be stuttering. High fps rates also translate to higher video quality as everything appears smoother and is pleasant to view. However, the more frames there are in a video, the larger the file size has to be in order to accommodate the frames. This is the reason 60fps is not as common as 24fps, as it increases file size significantly.