Introduction To Multimedia System
Introduction To Multimedia System
Introduction To Multimedia System
What is multimedia?
Multimedia can have a many definitions these include:
Multimedia means that computer information can be represented through audio, video, and animation in addition to traditional media (i.e., text, graphics/drawings, images).
General Definition
A good general working definition for this module is: Multimedia is the field concerned with the computer controlled integration of text, graphics, drawings, still and moving images (Video), animation, audio, and any other media where every type of information can be represented, stored, transmitted and processed digitally.
A Multimedia Application is an application which uses a collection of multiple media sources e.g. text, graphics, images, sound/audio, animation and/or video.
Hypertext is a text which contains links to other texts. The term was invented by Ted Nelson around 1965.
HyperText Navigation
Traversal through pages of hypertext is therefore usually non-linear (as indicated below). This has implications in layout and organisation of material and depends a lot on the application at hand.
Hypermedia
HyperMedia is not constrained to be text-based. It can include other media, e.g., graphics, images, and especially the continuous media sound and video.
The World Wide Web (WWW) is the best example of a hypermedia application. Powerpoint Adobe Acrobat Many Others?
Multimedia Applications
Examples of Multimedia Applications include: World Wide Web Multimedia Authoring, e.g. Adobe/Macromedia Director Hypermedia courseware Video-on-demand Interactive TV Computer Games Virtual reality Digital video editing and production systems Multimedia Database systems
Multimedia Systems
A Multimedia System is a system capable of processing multimedia data and applications. A Multimedia System is characterised by the processing, storage, generation, manipulation and rendition of Multimedia information.
A Multimedia system has four basic characteristics: Multimedia systems must be computer controlled. Multimedia systems are integrated. The information they handle must be represented digitally. The interface to the final presentation of media is usually interactive.
Given the above challenges the following feature a desirable (if not a prerequisite) for a Multimedia System: Very High Processing Power needed to deal with large data processing and real time delivery of media. Special hardware commonplace. Multimedia Capable File System needed to deliver real-time media e.g. Video/Audio Streaming. Special Hardware/Software needed e.g RAID technology. Data Representations File Formats that support multimedia should be easy to handle yet allow for compression/decompression in real-time.
Applications
Examples of Multimedia Applications include: World Wide Web Hypermedia courseware Video conferencing Video-on-demand Interactive TV Groupware Home shopping Games Virtual reality Digital video editing and production systems
Multimedia systems/applications have to deal with the Generation of data, Manipulation of data, Storage of data, Presentation of data, and Communication of information/data
Music Sequencing and Notation Sequencing and Editing of music/sounds Digital Audio Editing of actual sampled sounds that makes up an audio Graphics and Image Editing Editing and creating images Image processing and manipulation Video Editing Editing of video (non-linear), used to add special effects Animation Used to construct 3D and 2D graphics, animated. Multimedia Authoring Tools that provide the capability to create a complete multimedia presentation using interactive controls.