Multimedia
The use of computers to present text, graphics, video, animation, and sound in an integrated way. Long touted as
the future revolution in computing, multimedia applications were, until the mid-90s, uncommon due to the expensive hardware required.
With increases in performance and decreases in
price, however, multimedia is now commonplace.
Nearly all PCs are capable of displaying video,
though the resolution available depends on the power of the computer's video
adapter and CPU.
Components of
Multimedia
Text
It
may be an easy content type to forget when considering multimedia systems, but
text content is by far the most common media type in computing applications.
Most multimedia systems use a combination of text and other media to deliver
functionality. Text in multimedia systems can express specific information, or
it can act as reinforcement for information contained in other media items.
This is a common practice in applications with accessibility requirements. For
example, when Web pages include image elements, they can also include a short
amount of text for the user's browser to include as an alternative, in case the
digital image item is not available.
Images
Digital
image files appear in many multimedia applications. Digital photographs can
display application content or can alternatively form part of a user interface.
Interactive elements, such as buttons, often use custom images created by the
designers and developers involved in an application. Digital image files use a
variety of formats and file extensions. Among the most common are JPEGs and
PNGs. Both of these often appear on websites, as the formats allow developers
to minimize on file size while maximizing on picture quality. Graphic design
software programs such as Photoshop and Paint.NET allow developers to create
complex visual effects with digital images.
Audio files and streams play
a major role in some multimedia systems. Audio files appear as part of
application content and also to aid interaction. When they appear within Web
applications and sites, audio files sometimes need to be deployed using plug-in
media players. Audio formats include MP3, WMA, Wave, MIDI and RealAudio. When
developers include audio within a website, they will generally use a compressed
format to minimize on download times. Web services can also stream audio, so
that users can begin playback before the entire file is downloaded.
Video
Digital
video appears in many multimedia applications, particularly on the Web. As with
audio, websites can stream digital video to increase the speed and availability
of playback. Common digital video formats include Flash, MPEG, AVI, WMV and
QuickTime. Most digital video requires use of browser plug-ins to play within
Web pages, but in many cases the user's browser will already have the required
resources installed.
Animation
Animated
components are common within both Web and desktop multimedia applications.
Animations can also include interactive effects, allowing users to engage with
the animation action using their mouse and keyboard. The most common tool for
creating animations on the Web is Adobe Flash, which also facilitates desktop
applications. Using Flash, developers can author FLV files, exporting them as
SWF movies for deployment to users. Flash also uses ActionScript code to
achieve animated and interactive effects.
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