History of
Multimedia
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
3000 B.C.E.

Chinese entertainers use firelight to
project silhouettes of puppets onto a
screen. Fundamentally, movies and
video representations throughout all
future technologies rely on this same
principle: casting light onto a flat surface
to communicate visually.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
62 C.E.

Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy proves the
phenomena of rapidly moving still
pictures appearing as one moving
image. This idea had originally been
conceived by the Roman poet Lucretius
in 65 B.C.E.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1450

Johann Gutenberg
invents movable type,
allowing mass
production of
documents.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1834

Charles Babbage
designs the first
automatic digital
computer, the
Analytical Machine.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1837

Samuel Morse debuts
the telegraph,
connecting
Philadelphia and
Washington D.C. and
revolutionizing longdistance
communication.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1858

North America and
Europe are temporarily
linked by transatlantic
telegraph cable, but
the connection is not
permanent until 1866.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1876

Alexander Graham
Bell invents the
telephone.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1877

Thomas Ava Edison
invents the
phonograph. Two
years later he invents
the light bulb.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1889

Fusajiro Yamauchi begins
manufacturing "Hanafuda"
playing cards in Kyoto,
Japan. Over the next four
generations, the Yamauchi
family business will evolve
from playing cards into
electronic games, becoming
the modern Nintendo
Company Ltd.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1900

Nickelodeons become
popular in the United States.
One of the first opens in
Pittsburgh.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1901

Guglielmo Marconi perfects
a wireless radio system that
transmits Morse code over
the Atlantic Ocean.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1903


German scientist Arthur
Korn invents the fax
machine.
The Great Train Robbery
becomes the first feature
film.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1912

David Sarnoff, a Marconi
wireless operator in New
York, receives the SOS from
the sinking H.M.S. Titanic.
(Sarnoff later goes on to
create RCA and its spinoff,
NBC.)
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1920

KDKA-AM radio signs on
the air in Pittsburgh to
becomes the world's first
commercial radio station.
That same year, CFCF in
Montreal became the first
Canadian radio station.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1926

J.L. Baird
demonstrates the first
practical television
system based on
designs created in
1884 by German
scientist Paul Nipkow.
Baird debuts the first
color TV two years
later.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1927

Philo Farnsworth
transmits the first
electronic TV picture.
Bell Telephone
Laboratories tests
wireless TV
broadcasts.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1947

AT&T proposes idea of cellular phones
to the Federal Communications
Commission. The FCC responds by
limiting frequencies for only 23 possible
phone conversations, so AT&T drops
research for decades.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1950

Computer technology is used in flight
simulators, arguable the first application
of computer interactivity.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1953

In order to raise funds, Stanford University
in California starts leasing nearby land to
high-tech companies. Varian Associates
puts up the first building in Palo Alto's new
Stanford Industrial Park, part of the area
soon to become known as "Silicon Valley."
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1958

Willy Higinbotham
builds a computergenerated tennislike game which
almost becomes the
first video game, but
the idea fails to gain
popular support.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1966

Ralph Baer's
Odyssey, produced
by Magnavox,
becomes the first
commercial
computer game.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1972

Nolan Bushnell founds
Atari and introduces
Pong, the first modern
commercial video game.
(In 1976, Bushnell sells
Atari for $28 million. A
year later he opens the
first Chuck E. Cheese's
restaurant, which he also
later sells.)
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1976

Steve Wozniak and Steve
Jobs found Apple
Computers and introduce
the Apple II, the first PC
to use color graphics.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1978

Video laser disc
introduced. The system
was not well-promoted,
and after about 10 years
disappeared from the
market.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1980



Sony Walkman introduced,
changing music into a more
exclusive/singular experience.
Namco's Pac-Man hits coinoperated arcades worldwide.
Ted Turner's Cable News
Network (CNN) begins
broadcasting.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1982


Disney releases the movie
Tron, featuring
groundbreaking computergenerated images
throughout most of the
movie.
Atari develops the data
glove.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1983

Compact Discs debut as
a popular format for
music albums, computer
data storage, and
multimedia.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1984


Apple Computers buys airtime
during Super Bowl XVII to preview
its next new personal computer, the
Macintosh.
The first Mac released later in
January features a 3.5-inch floppy
drive, 128k of RAM, a built-in 9-inch
b&w screen and speakers - no
internal hard drive. A 512k Mac is
released in September.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1985



The Commodore Amiga debuts as
the first true multimedia computer.
Ninendo Entertainment System
(NES) comes to the United
States.
Max Headroom: 20 Minutes Into
The Future movie airs on British
TV. (An American TV series on
ABC debuts the following year.)
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1987



CompuServe introduces the GIF
image file format.
Apple debuts Hypercard, Bill
Atkinson's hypertext-linking
multimedia program.
Adobe Illustrator released.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1988

Macromind (later renamed Macromedia)
releases Director.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1990


Adobe Photoshop is released.
The development of Photoshop
started in 1987 by the brothers
Thomas Knoll and John Knoll.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1991

Adobe Premiere is released.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1992

Apple releases QuickTime.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1993


The videogame Doom motivates many home PC
users to upgrade in order to play the game.
Broderbund releases the CD-ROM game Myst
which goes on to sell more than 6.3 million
copies.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1994


Netscape Navigator 1.0 is released to the public.
The Web edges out Telnet as the second most
popular service on the Internet.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1995



RealAudio introduces streaming
audio to the Web; streaming video
soon follows.
Disney and Pixar make Toy Story, the
first feature-length movie totally
comprised by computer graphics.
(The 77-minute film takes four years
to make and 800,000 machine hours
to render.)
Sony Playstation game system
introduced.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1996


Affordable digital cameras become
widely available.
DVD video is introduced.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1997

Macromedia buys FutureWave
Software and begins producing the
company's FutureSplash Animator
program under a new name,
Macromedia Flash.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1998


Apple iMac released, creating a
fashion for all types of small
electronics. Phones, paper shredders,
clothing irons and more gadgets
become available sporting blue-tinted
translucent plastic covers.
Adobe ImageReady released.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
1999


Northwestern University
freshman Shawn Fanning
develops the original Napster
application for sharing MP3
files. Napster Inc. is founded
in May.
The Matrix revives the model
of science-fiction virtual
reality with innovative special
effects.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
2000


Ananova.com launches a
lightweight British news site using
"the world's first virtual
newscaster," a talking animation
of a green-haired woman.
U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall
Patel issues an injunction against
Napster Inc., halting the peer-topeer trading of MP3 music files.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
2001


The WiFi (wireless fidelity)
movement soon goes
mainstream among consumers.
Kazaa restructures its business
operations to become a joint
venture by companies
operating from different
countries, making effective
prosecution almost impossible.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
2002


George Lucas' Star Wars: Attack
of the Clones becomes the first
major movie entirely shot with
digital cameras.
Sales of DVD players surpass
VCR sales for the first time. Also
a first, revenues from videogame
sales surpass movie box office
revenues.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
2003

Apple releases an upgrade to its
iTunes software allowing users to
purchase individual songs for 99
cents each. The service
generates more than $1 million in
revenue its first week.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
2004

Apple introduces the iPod Mini, a
smaller version of its MP3 player.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
2006

HD-DVD format
is introduced as
the successor to
DVD technology.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
2007

Although HD
DVD has early
successes, the
competition with
the Blu-ray format
becomes intense.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
2008


On 4 January 2008 citing consumer
confusion and indifference as a reason for
lackluster high-definition software sales,
Warner Bros. announced it would stop
supporting HD DVD by June 2008, and the
company would release HD titles only on
Blu-ray Disc. On Feb 18, Toshiba
announces that HD DVD player will no
longer be manufactured.
The final HD DVD release worldwide was
Death Proof in Germany on December 18,
2008.
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University
End of lesson
1. History of Multimedia - Copyright © Denis Hamelin - Ryerson University