LECTURE 1
INTRODUCTION TO MULTIMEDIA
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Objective
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Definitions of multimedia
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What is multimedia?
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Multimedia Types
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Applications for Multimedia
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Developing Multimedia Project
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What Is Multimedia ?
Multi

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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
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What Is Multimedia ?
Multimedia
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Presentation of a computer application (usually interactive)
Incorporating media elements such as text, graphics, video,
animation and sound on a computer.
Multimedia Systems
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encompass the computer and software systems that are used in
multimedia environments
Interactive control
Distributed multimedia systems
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operate over some form of network infrastructure
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The big picture
Multimedia
Video
Image
Multimedia
Systems
Media asset
management
Authoring
Text
Distributed
Multimedia
Systems
Network
Frameworks
Audio
Speech
Tools
Streaming video
Virtual worlds
Web pages
Client-server
Streaming audio
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Multimedia Computer System
Characteristics
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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
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Interactive
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Random access (MM data)
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4 Characteristics Multimedia Product
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Information present on a computer. Without this feature Polymedia
or Mixed Media
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Links. Without this feature Book
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Navigation tools (icon, button, hot spot)
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Interactive presentation. Without this feature TV
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A brief history of multimedia
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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
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A brief history of multimedia
World Wide Web
Digital Audio and
Video
Graphical Operating
Systems
1970-an
Future
1990
32 bit
CD-ROM, Local and Wide
Area Networking
16 bit processors
Desktop Computer
1980
8 bit processor
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Modern multimedia PCs
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3D graphics cards with 64 MB of graphics memory
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64 note sound cards with wavetable synthesis
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256 MB of main memory
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60+ GB hard disk space
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50+ speed CD readers
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56 Kb/s modem or ISDN connection
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Multimedia Types
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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
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Multimedia Applications
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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
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Multimedia Industry Structure
Content
(Media)
Level 1
Applications
(Software)
Level 2
Platforms
(Hardware)
Level 3
Networking
Level 4
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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.
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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.
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Multimedia Applications Types
Corporate Functions
Communications
Training
MM Applications
- Corporate Broadcasting
- Executive Info. Systems
- Multimedia Conferencing
- Employee Info. Systems
- Corporate Training
- Sales Training
- Just-in-Time Training
- Distant Training
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Multimedia Applications Types
Corporate Functions
Marketing
Sales
MM Applications
- Design of TV Commercials
- Interactive Advertising
- Product Information Kiosks
- Promotional Presentations
- Customer Services
- Virtual Reality Simulations
- Product Catalogs
- Portable MM Presentations
- Merchandising Kiosks
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Multimedia Applications Types
Corporate Functions
Corporate
Functions
MMApplications
Applications
MM
Product Development
- Reference Systems
- Simulations
- Product Visualizations
- Design Advisors
Manufacturing
- Diagnostics
- Equipment Maintenance
- Testing Procedures
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Multimedia Applications Types
Corporate Functions
Corporate
Functions
Administration
Home
MMApplications
Applications
MM
- Multimedia File-Sharing
- Multimedia Databases
- Document Imaging
- Productivity Systems
- Decision Support Systems
- Home Networking
- Home Shopping
- Home Banking
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Multimedia Applications Types
Corporate Functions
Corporate
Functions
Interactive Entertainment
MMApplications
Applications
MM
- Digital TV and Video on
Demand (VoD)
- Videophones
- Video conferencing
- Online interactive transaction
services. e.g. booking shows
or flights
- Video games
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Why Apply Multimedia Technology
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Ease of use
Intuitive Interface
Immersive Experience
Self-Paced Interaction and Better Retention
Better Understanding of the Content
Cost Effectiveness
More Fun = Greater Efficiency
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Multimedia Development
Input
Output
Process
Capture from
device
Apply effect filters and
transforms
Read from a file
Compress or
decompress
Receive over the
network
Present
Save to a file
Send across the
network
Convert between
formats
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Summary
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Today we have learned about the various aspects of multimedia:
- multimedia data
- multimedia applications
- multimedia development
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Multimedia places more demands on the developer and hardware
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Multimedia aims to enhance the user’s experience
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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 ….
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