LECTURE 1

INTRODUCTION TO MULTIMEDIA

1
 Objective

 Definitions of multimedia

 What is multimedia?

 Multimedia Types

 Applications for Multimedia

 Developing Multimedia Project

2
 What Is Multimedia ?

Multi Multimedia Media

Multi
 refer to many or multiple

Media
 Vehicle or agent to convey for something
 Example: air for sound, writing for words
 Computer is a medium for ideas and information
- Express and communicate these ideas
- Store and manipulate information in many different forms
3
 What Is Multimedia ?
Multimedia
 Presentation of a computer application (usually interactive)
 Incorporating media elements such as text, graphics, video,
animation and sound on a computer.

Multimedia Systems
 encompass the computer and software systems that are used in
multimedia environments
 Interactive control

Distributed multimedia systems

 operate over some form of network infrastructure

4
 The big picture
Multimedia Distributed
Systems Multimedia
Multimedia
Systems

Media asset
Image Video
management

Authoring Network
Text
Frameworks
Audio Speech Tools

Streaming video
Web pages Virtual worlds
Streaming audio Client-server

5
 Multimedia Computer System
Characteristics

 Ability to convert any information in analog form e.g voice, music,

video to digital form.

 It can control the Multimedia System and can be programmed by

the programmer

 Interactive

 Random access (MM data)

6
4 Characteristics Multimedia Product

 Information present on a computer. Without this feature Polymedia

or Mixed Media

 Links. Without this feature Book

 Navigation tools (icon, button, hot spot)

 Interactive presentation. Without this feature TV

7
 A brief history of multimedia
 1970’s
- Pong, Atari Apple, IBM and the PC revolution

 1980’s
- GUI’s and the mouse and other technologies

 1990’s Multimedia Explosion

- WWW
- CD-I
- Interactive books

 Future directions
- Technology convergence, education and entertainment, other
appliances
8
A brief history of multimedia

World Wide Web Future

Digital Audio and 1990 32 bit

Video

CD-ROM, Local and Wide

Graphical Operating 1980 Area Networking
Systems 16 bit processors
Desktop Computer

1970-an 8 bit processor

9
 Modern multimedia PCs
 3D graphics cards with 64 MB of graphics memory

 64 note sound cards with wavetable synthesis

 256 MB of main memory

 60+ GB hard disk space

 50+ speed CD readers

 56 Kb/s modem or ISDN connection

10
 Multimedia Types
 The main multimedia data types we will meet on this course are:
- Images, video, audio, text, and animation

 We will also discuss how we capture this data...

- capture = get it into the computer
 ...and render this data
- render = display or play the information

 We will also find out about the hardware devices that are used to
capture and render the data

11
 Multimedia Applications
 Multimedia applications can be linear or interactive

 Linear multimedia plays from some start position to some end

position with little or no intervention
- Just like this lecture

 Interactive multimedia allows the viewer to jump around the material

by interacting with it

12
Multimedia Industry Structure

Content Level 1
(Media)

Applications
Level 2
(Software)

Platforms
Level 3
(Hardware)

Networking
Level 4

13
 Multimedia Industry Structure
Level 1
- Consists of MM content providers, for example the news industry,
the television industry and the entertainment industry.

Level 2
- Consists of multimedia application developers.
- Applications include distance learning, desktop videoconferencing,
multimedia kiosks, entertainment and imaging.

Level 3
- Consists of MM platform builders.
- These builders include Silicon Graphics, Sun, Intel, Apple, and
other hardware vendors.

14
 Multimedia Industry Structure
Level 4
- The network infrastructure.
- There are two very different networking environments that will use

MM applications:
- business networks and
- the emerging public networks.

15
Multimedia Applications Types

Corporate Functions MM Applications

- Corporate Broadcasting
- Executive Info. Systems
Communications - Multimedia Conferencing
- Employee Info. Systems

Training - Corporate Training

- Sales Training
- Just-in-Time Training
- Distant Training

16
Multimedia Applications Types

Corporate Functions MM Applications

- Design of TV Commercials
- Interactive Advertising
Marketing - Product Information Kiosks
- Promotional Presentations
- Customer Services
- Virtual Reality Simulations

- Product Catalogs
Sales - Portable MM Presentations
- Merchandising Kiosks

17
Multimedia Applications Types

Corporate Functions
Corporate Functions MMApplications
MM Applications

- Reference Systems
Product Development - Simulations
- Product Visualizations
- Design Advisors

- Diagnostics
Manufacturing - Equipment Maintenance
- Testing Procedures

18
Multimedia Applications Types

Corporate Functions
Corporate Functions MMApplications
MM Applications

- Multimedia File-Sharing
- Multimedia Databases
Administration - Document Imaging
- Productivity Systems
- Decision Support Systems

- Home Networking
Home - Home Shopping
- Home Banking

19
Multimedia Applications Types

Corporate Functions
Corporate Functions MMApplications
MM Applications

- Digital TV and Video on

Demand (VoD)
- Videophones
Interactive Entertainment - Video conferencing
- Online interactive transaction
services. e.g. booking shows
or flights
- Video games

20
Why Apply Multimedia Technology
 Ease of use
 Intuitive Interface
 Immersive Experience
 Self-Paced Interaction and Better Retention
 Better Understanding of the Content
 Cost Effectiveness
 More Fun = Greater Efficiency

21
 Multimedia Development

Input Output
Process

Capture from Apply effect filters and Present

device transforms
Save to a file
Read from a file Compress or
decompress Send across the
Receive over the network
network Convert between
formats

22
 Summary
 Today we have learned about the various aspects of multimedia:
- multimedia data
- multimedia applications
- multimedia development

 Multimedia places more demands on the developer and hardware

 Multimedia aims to enhance the user’s experience

23
 Next lecture...

We will look at how Text and Fonts can be used in multimedia

applications.

The topic for …

Chapter 2: Basic Multimedia Technology
Chapter 3: Multimedia products
Chapter 4: Applications and Multimedia Role in MSC Project
Chapter 5: Hardware Components for Multimedia System
…. The lectures is not given. Please read ….

24