17-11-2012, 02:42 PM
Introduction to Multimedia
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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.
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
Challenges for Multimedia Systems
Distributed Networks
Temporal relationship between data
– Render different data at same time — continuously.
– Sequencing within the media
playing frames in correct order/time frame in video
– Synchronisation — inter-media scheduling
E.g. Video and Audio — Lip synchronisation is clearly
important for humans to watch playback of video and audio
and even animation and audio.
Ever tried watching an out of (lip) sync film for a long time?
A Brief Look at Multimedia Data:
Input and Format
Text and Static Data
Source: keyboard, speech input, optical character recognition,
data stored on disk.
Stored and input character by character:
– Storage of text is 1 byte per character (text or format character).
– For other forms of data (e.g. Spreadsheet files). May store
format as text (with formatting) others may use binary encoding.
Format: Raw text or formatted text e.g HTML, Rich Text Format
(RTF), Word or a program language source (C, Pascal, etc..
Not temporal — BUT may have natural implied sequence e.g.
HTML format sequence, Sequence of C program statements.
Size Not significant w.r.t. other Multimedia data.