Digital publishing, emerged from advances in internet and computer technologies, is the process of converting analog content such as sound, text, and images into digital data and delivering it to a target audience through various platforms. Digitalization refers to the expression of analog data as numbers that can be processed in a computing environment. With this transformation, traditional media outlets - television, radio, newspapers, and magazines- have been moved to digital environments, and content production and consumption habits have undergone a transformation. Digital publishing has ushered in a new form of publishing in media and communication by enabling the simultaneous, low-cost, and global delivery of content to a large number of people over the internet. This new form of publishing is also known as electronic publishing or e-publishing.

Technical Foundations of Digitalization

The foundation of digital broadcasting is digitization. Digitization is the coding of various types of analog data, such as sound, still images, and moving images, using bits (0s and 1s), the digits of the binary number system. This process converts data into a universal, compressible, and transferable format. Computers are the most fundamental devices that utilize this technique. They operate on the principle that electric current can either flow through millions of semiconductor electronic circuits (open circuit - 1) or not (closed circuit - 0). A semiconductor material becomes an insulator when subjected to a current below a certain voltage level and conducts when subjected to a current above this threshold level. This produces 0s and 1s. The various combinations of millions of semiconductor circuits arranged side by side create information codes.

In the specific context of video, this technology enables the processing and transmission of information codes that define qualities such as color (chrominance) and brightness (luminance) that constitute moving images. Programming techniques allow video information to be encoded and processed through these logic circuits. Thus, digital video is a form of digitized data that can be read, edited, and distributed by computers and other digital devices.

Transition from Traditional Television to Digital Broadcasting

Television broadcasting has undergone a transformation parallel to advances in video and computer technologies. The limited number of channels and one-way communication structure of analog broadcasting have been overcome by digitalization. The origins of digital broadcasting date back to the use of hypertext in the 1960s and the widespread use of email in the 1970s. However, the real breakthrough occurred in the 1990s with the computerization of electronic publishing in formats like PDF, laying the foundations for digital television and radio broadcasting. During this period, the conversion of audio and video to digital codes and the transition to satellite broadcasting initiated the digitalization of television. This process accelerated with the widespread adoption of the internet in the 2000s, leading to the emergence of digital broadcasting platforms.

With the advent of television broadcasting over the internet, new broadcasting types such as Web TV, IPTV (Internet Protocol television), and Over-the-Top (media distribution model whereby television, film, and/or video content is streamed directly to viewers over the Internet.) have emerged. IPTV is a platform that combines communication, computing, and television broadcasting technologies, offering users interactive opportunities. Beyond traditional cable TV services, it offers multi-media services such as internet, telephone, and gaming. OTT, on the other hand, refers to platforms that deliver content directly over the internet, without being tied to any service provider (e.g., Netflix, Amazon Prime Video). Thanks to these technologies, television is no longer just a home device; it has become accessible via computers, tablets, and smartphones, regardless of time or place.

Types of Digital Publishing

Digital publishing is divided into various categories based on the content type. These categories can be seen as reflections of traditional media in digital environments.

Electronic Publishing: This involves the provision of books, magazines, and newspapers in digital formats. E-books are digital copies of printed books or directly produced digitally. They are available to readers in formats such as PDFs and allow them to create electronic libraries. Digital magazines are produced cost-effectively, eliminating the costs of physical printing and distribution, and can include multimedia elements such as audio, animation, and video. Digital journalism, on the other hand, provides readers with instant, fast, and up-to-date news. Readers can comment on news, archive content, and follow audio and video news in addition to text-based news.

Digital Television Broadcasting: Television broadcasts are made possible through satellite and internet-based technologies. These platforms include Web TV, IPTV, and OTT. These platforms allow viewers to access traditional channels, as well as new series, movies, sports, and documentaries, whenever they want, without being tied to a broadcast schedule.

Digital Music and Radio Broadcasting: This type of broadcasting involves distributing, listening to, and storing music over the internet without requiring a physical storage device. This field, which began with the introduction of the MP3 format in 1995, now reaches billions of users through platforms like Spotify, YouTube Music, and Deezer. Users can create personal playlists and take advantage of features like offline listening.