Lecture # 1

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MUTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGIES

Teacher:Razia Nisar Noorani

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LECTURE 1

Introduction, History, Terminologies and Applications

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Ỗ Animation

Ỗ Sound

Ỗ Graphics

Ỗ Text

Ỗ Video

Ỗ Photography

First consider what constitutes media. Some examples of media are:

Introduction to Multimedia

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HardwareHardwareSoftwareSoftwareStorageStorageBandwidthBandwidthDevicesDevicesFormats and compressionsFormats and compressions

Technologies

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Multimedia involves the combination of two or more media types to

effectively create a sequence of events that will communicate an idea

usually with both sound and visual support. Typically, multimedia

productions are developed and controlled by computer.

Introduction to Multimedia

The enabling force behind multimedia is digital technology. Multimedia today represents the convergence of digital control and digital media - the PC as the digital control system and the digital media being today's most advanced forms of audio and video storage and transmission.

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Multimedia = "Multiple" + "media"Multimedia = "Multiple" + "media"combination of combination of texttext, , imageimage, , computer computer

graphicsgraphics, , animationanimation, , soundsound, and , and video.video. InveractiveInveractive Multimedia - allow user to control Multimedia - allow user to control

each mediaeach media MultimediaMultimedia is the field concerned with the computer- is the field concerned with the computer-

controlled integration of text, graphics, drawings, still controlled integration of text, graphics, drawings, still and moving images (Video), animation, audio, and and moving images (Video), animation, audio, and any other media where every type of information can any other media where every type of information can be represented, stored, transmitted and processed be represented, stored, transmitted and processed digitally.digitally.

Introduction to Multimedia

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What is a multimedia system?A multimedia system supports the integrated storage, transmission and representation of the discrete media types text, graphics and image and the continuous media types audio and video on a digital computer.

Introduction to Multimedia System

Text, ....

Speech, Audio

VideoAnimation(Still Image)

Digitalize

Interactive

Playback

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Newspaper were perhaps the first mass communication medium to employ Multimedia, they used mostly text, graphics, and images. In 1895, Gugliemo Marconi sent his first wireless radio transmission at Pontecchio, Italy. A few years later (in 1901) he detected radio waves beamed across the Atlantic. Initially invented for telegraph, radio is now a major medium for audio broadcasting. Television was the new media for the 20th century. It brings the video and has since changed the world of mass communications.

History of Multimedia Systems

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What is HyperText and HyperMedia?

Hypertext is a text which contains links to other texts. The term was invented by Ted Nelson around 1965. Hypertext is therefore usually non-linear (as indicated below).

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Definition of Hypermedia Hypermedia can include other media, e.g., graphics, images, and especially the continuous media - sound and video. Apparently, Ted Nelson was also the first to use this term.

The World Wide Web (WWW) is the best example of hypermedia applications

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Characteristics of a Multimedia System

Ỗ Multimedia systems must be computer controlled.

Ỗ Multimedia systems are integrated.

Ỗ The information they handle must be represented digitally.

Ỗ The interface to the final presentation of media is usually interactive

A Multimedia system has four basic characteristics:

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Challenges for Multimedia Systems

Multimedia systems may have to render a variety of media at the same instant -- a distinction from normal applications. There is a temporal relationship between many forms of media (e.g. Video and Audio)

Sequencing within the media :

Playing frames in correct order/time frame in video

Synchronization

inter-media scheduling (e.g. Video and Audio). Lip synchronization is clearly important for humans to watch playback of video and audio and even animation and audio.

There 2 are forms of problems here

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The key issues multimedia systems

Ỗ Data has to represented digitally so many initial source of data needs to be digitise -- translated from analog source to digital representation. They will involve scanning (graphics, still images), sampling (audio/video) although digital cameras now exist for direct scene to digital capture of images and video.

Ỗ The data is large several Mb easily for audio and video – therefore storage, transfer (bandwidth) and processing overheads are high. Data compression techniques very common.

Ỗ How to represent and store temporal information?

Ỗ How to strictly maintain the temporal relationships on play back/retrieval?

Ỗ What process are involved in the above?

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Desirable Features for a Multimedia System

Given the above challenges the following feature a desirable (if not a prerequisite) for a Multimedia System:

Very High Processing Power Needed to deal with large data processing and real time delivery of media. Special hardware commonplace.

Multimedia Capable File System Needed to deliver real-time media -- e.g. Video/Audio Streaming. Special Hardware/Software needed e.g RAID technology.

Data Representations/File Formats that support multimedia Data representations/file formats should be easy to handle yet allow for compression/decompression in real-time.

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Efficient and High I/O Input and output to the file subsystem needs to be efficient and fast. Needs to allow for real-time recording as well as playback of data. e.g. Direct to Disk recording systems.

Special Operating System To allow access to file system and process data efficiently and quickly. Needs to support direct transfers to disk, real-time scheduling, fast interrupt processing, I/O streaming etc.

Storage and Memory Large storage units (of the order of 50 -100 Gb or more) and large memory (50 -100 Mb or more). Large Caches also required and frequently of Level 2 and 3 hierarchy for efficient management.

Network Support Client-server systems common as distributed systems common.

Software Tools User friendly tools needed to handle media, design and develop applications, deliver media.

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Components of a Multimedia System

Capture devices Video Camera, Video Recorder, Audio Microphone, Keyboards, mice, graphics tablets, 3D input devices, tactile sensors, VR devices. Digitising/Sampling Hardware

Storage Devices Hard disks, CD-ROMs, Jaz/Zip drives, DVD, etc

Communication Networks Ethernet, Token Ring, FDDI, ATM, Intranets, Internets.

Computer Systems Multimedia Desktop machines, Workstations, MPEG/VIDEO/DSP Hardware

Display Devices CD-quality speakers, HDTV,SVGA, Hi-Resolution monitors, Color printers etc.

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Applications

Ỗ World Wide Web

Ỗ Hypermedia courseware

Ỗ Video conferencing

Ỗ Video-on-demand

Ỗ Interactive TV

Ỗ Groupware

Ỗ Home shopping

Ỗ Games

Ỗ Virtual reality

Ỗ Digital video editing and production systems

Ỗ Multimedia Database systems

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Ỗ Business Reference

Encyclopedias, census data, yellow pages, atlases and street directories are examples of CD reference titles. In many cases they are electronic versions of reference books. The challenge for the developer is to make it easy for the user to find the desired information and to effectively use other multimedia elements such as sound, video and animation

Ỗ Education

Multimedia has the ability to accommodate different learning styles and can present material in a non linear manner. It is motivating, it can be highly interactive, it can provide feedback and evaluate skills.

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Ỗ Training

Every company has a need to train its employees on a wide range of subjects from personnel policy to equipment maintenance. A number of companies are now training employees using multimedia enhanced training materials. Sometimes this is done with off the shelf multimedia titles but many companies are producing their own in-house multimedia training products. The Boeing company, for instance, has an entire training division dedicated to developing multimedia titles that instruct mechanics and pilots on new aircraft systems.

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Ỗ Entertainment

Drawing the line between education and entertainment in multimedia can be almost impossible, hence the term 'edutainment'. Multimedia can make learning entertaining. But multimedia also has a purely entertainment side. Anything that's possible in sound and images is possible on a multimedia CD.

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Ỗ Business

As businesses have the need to communicate with the outside world, multimedia processes offer a wide variety of options for business presentations, marketing and sales. Multimedia can be used at trade shows or to produce electronic catalogues. The marketing of new products can be greatly enhanced by using multimedia, these products can be marketed in a manner that will provide more detailed and stimulating information than printed media. Auto manufacturers like Nissan provide interactive test drives of new vehicles on the web or on CD. Macromedia now present their annual report, vision statement and product overview in print, on the Internet, and in CD ROM form.

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Ỗ Presentations

Thousands of multimedia presentations are made in the business world every day. Company CEOs give their annual report to a meeting of stockholders. Sales reps pitch their product line to a group of potential customers. A conference keynote speaker tells an audience about industry trends. From an electronic slide show to an interactive video display multimedia can enhance a presentation. Multimedia provides the presenter with the tools to attract and focus the audience's attention, reinforce key concepts and enliven the presentation. The following software programs progress from basic presentation to complete authoring capabilities: Microsoft PowerPoint Adobe Premiere Macromedia Director Macromedia Authorware Asymmetrix ToolBook

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Ỗ Interactive Games

Multimedia means interaction, and to many interactive entertainment means games. Game developers were the pioneers in the use of multimedia and still provide the most innovative and interactive applications of multimedia. In order to attract, engage, captivate and challenge the user multimedia provides the fast action, vivid colours, 3D animations and elaborate sound effects that are essential to entertainment. It can also provide the rewards, recognition and sense of accomplishment that are often part of entertainment titles.

Many games have moved from the physical (hand/eye coordination) to the mental (solving the mystery, overcoming evil, outwitting the opponent). Myst is just one of many such very successful multimedia games. It effectively uses exploration as a way for the player to experience the mysteries of the island.

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Trends in Multimedia

World Wide Web Hypermedia systems embrace nearly all multimedia technologies and application areas. Ever increasing popularity.

MBone Multicast Backbone: Equivalent of conventional TV and Radio on the Internet.

Enabling Technologies Developing at a rapid rate to support ever increasing need for Multimedia. Carrier, Switching, Protocol, Application, Coding/Compression, Database, Processing, and System Integration Technologies at the forefront of this.

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Questions?