1. Multimedia – An Overview
Unit A

2. Objectives Multimedia defined Multimedia on the Web Multimedia growth
Educational applications

3. Objectives Entertainment applications Business applications
Multimedia playback systems
Multimedia development systems

4. Multimedia Defined
A computer-based, interactive experience that incorporates text, graphics, sound, animation, video and virtual reality.

5. Multimedia Elements Graphics Drawings and Photos Animation
2-D and 3-D, Video
Animation
Sound

6. Interactivity of Multimedia
Allows user to interact with application
Content presentation is nonlinear
User determines
What content is delivered
When it is delivered
How it is delivered
Input can be keyboard, mouse, voice and touch screens

7. Computer Playback System
Internet connection with browser also important

8. Specific products; usually on CDs
Multimedia
Applications:
All uses of
multimedia
Titles:
Specific products; usually on CDs

9. Multimedia on the Web
Internet
Browsers
World Wide Web

10. Multimedia Growth Highest growth rate is online Telecommunications
Multimedia courseware
Training and teleconferencing
Internet
Home pages for products
Video demonstrations
Product purchases

11. Webcasting - Includes audio and video in real time
Live updates on scoreboard
Program needed to receive webcast can be downloaded
Live broadcast

12. Animations Rotating text and 3-D settings Software HTML
Macromedia Flash
Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML)

13. HTML HyperText Markup Language Basic Web documents Hyperlinks
HTML tags: <i>Hello</i>

14. Multimedia Web Pages Java programming language
Animations
Database searches
Applets
Need for file compression
Video/audio files very large
Modem speeds can be slow

15. Growth of Multimedia
Growth in % of homes with computers in US
Growth in % of homes using internet in US
Prices dropped from $2000 to $500 from 1997 to 2001

16. Growth of Multimedia Audio and video delivered on web (RealPlayer)
CD-ROM titles decreased
1992 = $100
Today < $20
Computer company marketing techniques
Next “killer application”
Adding value to an existing product (the computer)

17. Multimedia Barriers Different types of computer systems
Vary in speed, capacity and display capabilities
Lack of standardization
Lack of a way to deliver huge amounts of information to the desktop

18. Using Multimedia for Education
Learning by experimentation
Learning by association
Learning by sound
Learning by visual stimulation

19. Multimedia Allows Students To
“Jump” via hyperlinks
Proceed at their own pace
Focus on particular areas
Be in charge of learning experience
Have instant feedback

20. Online Course Benefits
Students can:
access it anytime from anywhere
see animations with audio and video
have virtual labs to conduct experiments

21. Edutainment CDs

22. Reference Titles and Multimedia
Encyclopedias
Census data
Yellow Pages
Dictionaries

23. Entertainment Applications
Pioneers in multimedia were game developers
Emphasis has shifted from:
Pure action  Action + story-telling
Games  Entertainment
Physical  Mental

24. Games on the Web

25. Virtual Worlds
A new field in entertainment on the Web where individuals can log on and interact with others in a virtual environment that includes chat sessions.

26. Online Entertainment Categories
Sports (Beckett Interactive Football League)
Mystery (Avalon)
Adventure (Webstrike)
Fun (Playsite backgammon, etc.)

27. Recreation Applications
Give user a vicarious experience
“play” a famous golf course
“fly” over 3-D cityscapes
Could include hobbies and sports titles

28. Microsoft Flight Simulator
Award winning; most popular; oldest
U.S. Navy has used it to train pilots
Requires a fairly powerful computer configuration for latest version
Has spawned web sites, user groups, newsletters, and add-on products

29. Multimedia Category Crossovers

30. Business Applications
Multimedia used for communication:
Marketing
Training
Presentations

31. Marketing on the Web Go global on the Net Shop online
Demonstrate product lines
Allow users to customize products online
Publish magazines online

32. Corporate Training Multibillion-dollar industry
Focus on specific skill sets
Can be on CD or the Web
Often use an Intranet
Can train for certification tests

33. Business Presentations

34. Computer Playback Systems
Development
System
Playback
System

35. Hardware Issues Minimum configuration vs. recommended configuration
Processor can determine speed
Memory types:
Temporary: Random Access Memory (RAM)
Permanent: hard drive

36. Hardware Issues: Displays
Monitor standards:
Screen resolution
Number of colors

37. Hardware Issues: Displays
Resolution differences
640 x 480
1024 x 768

38. Hardware Issues: Displays
Video Graphics Card
Video Graphics Array (VGA)
Super VGA (SVGA)
Card determines:
Resolution
Memory capacity
Number of colors displayed

39. Hardware Issues: Sound
Need:
Audio card (Sound Blaster)
Speakers
Sound quality depends on number of bits used
Standard is 16-bit sound

40. Hardware Issues: Digital Disks
Compact Disc Read-Only Memory
Digital Versatile or Video Disk
Drive determines
What type of disk can be played
Speed of locating data on disk (seek time)
Speed of transferring disk information to computer
CD-ROM
DVD

41. Multimedia Development Systems
Speakers
Video camera
Flatbed scanner
Microphone
High capacity removable disk storage
Disk array for video capture and storage
CD-ROM recorder

42. Development Platforms
Macintosh
Superior handling of graphics
Cross-platform capabilities
Used extensively in multimedia development
Windows
Software allows
Development on particular platform
Playback on both platforms

43. Development Configurations
Pentium III 750 processor or Power Mac 500
256 MB of RAM desired
20 GB of hard disk space
Video capture card (internal) and video source (camera, VCR, TV)
19” monitor

44. Digital Cameras Menu Options: Images stored on 16MB CompactFlash™ card
Preview
Play back
Delete
View in slide-show
Images stored on 16MB CompactFlash™ card

45. Issue: What is the appropriate use of multimedia?
Does development time outweigh cost of alternatives?
How should we use text and video?
Who is your audience?
Is use of bells and whistles appropriate?
What are our objectives?

46. Issue: MPC Standards - Are they needed?
1991
Multimedia PC Marketing Council formed
1990
MPC Level 1 specifications created
1993
MPC Level 2 specifications created
1995
MPC Level 3 specifications created
1996 to present
????????

47. Multimedia – An Overview
End