Introduction

to Multimedia
Table of Content
Definition of multimedia
Classification of media types
Characteristics of multimedia system
Benefits of using multimedia
Problems with multimedia
Sectors that use multimedia
Multimedia products
Evaluation of multimedia products





What is multimedia?

The word multimedia is composed of two
parts: the prefix multi and media.

Multi = Plural, more than 1, many

Media = Medium of communication

What is multimedia?
What is multimedia?

Definition:

Multimedia is the presentation of a computer application
incorporating media elements such as text, graphics, animations,
audio, and video.

Classification of media types
Captured
from real world
Synthesized
by computer
Discrete
or space-based
Continuous
or time-based

Sound


Photo


Video


Animation


Graphics

Origin
Time/Space
nature

Text

Captured Versus Synthesized Media

Captured media refers to information types
captured from the real world (e.g. Still pictures,
moving pictures, and sound).

Synthesized media refers to information types
synthesized by the computers (e.g. Text,
graphics and computer animation).

Discrete Versus Continuous Media

Discrete media refers to media involving space
dimension only (e.g. Still images, text and
graphics). Discrete media is also referred to as
static media or non-time-based media or non-
temporal media or space-based media.

Continuous (time based) media refers to time-
based media (e.g. Sound, moving images, and
animation). Continuous media is also referred
to as dynamic media or time-based media or
temporal media.

Multi-sensory system
According to Dr. Albert Mehrabian, a specialist in
interpersonal communication at the University of
California, says:





Multimedia allows for seeing, hearing and doing
(multi-sensory system)
People recall 20% of what they see
40% of what they see & hear
70% of what they see, hear & do
Characteristics of Multimedia System

1. They must be computer-controlled.
User is able to view, hear, and see using a Multimedia
PC System.

2. They are integrated.
At least one discrete and one continuous media
combined for information presentation and sharing.








continued




3. The information they handle must be represented
digitally.
Consists of various form of media i.e. text, graphics,
audio, video, and animations; created, stored, processed,
and transmitted DIGITALLY.

4. The interface to the final user may permit interactivity.
User is able to navigate, interact, create, and
communicate.

Benefits of using multimedia in software

Ease of use
- User friendly, increase users effectiveness
Intuitive Interface
- Allows user to determine functions of an application by their
own intuition
Immersive Experience
- Software application takes over the entire computer screen,
allows user to focus on application


Benefits of using multimedia in software
Self-paced interaction & better retention
- allows information processing at ones own
pace

Better understanding
- simultaneous presentation of different media
provides richer & broader range of information.

Cost effectiveness
- less training, less technical support


Investment costs
- multimedia involves high volume of content
- expensive copyright and royalty
Technical barriers (accessibility issues)
- upgrade IT & PC infrastructure
Sociopsychological barriers
- Generation gap
- Learning rates
- Learning in group/individual
- Importance of teacher
Legal problems
- Copyright
Problems with Multimedia
Where to use multimedia ?

Business
Government
Education
Broadcasting & Entertainment
Research & Development
Health
Business
Interactive Multimedia Merchandising
Online-shopping Kiosks
Virtual shopping / home shopping

Desktop Videoconferencing
Due to the high cost of transportation and the
large amount of employee time spent traveling
to meetings, videoconferencing is on the rise.



continued
Multimedia Travel Systems
These systems enable the travel agents to show
their customers about where they will travel,
what will be their accommodation like, and
what they will be able to do at their
destinations.
Real Estate
Multimedia systems enable buyers to visit
hundreds of properties virtually, view on screen
photos of homes, inspect floor plans, see street
maps, and study neighborhood
demographics.c
continued
Corporate Training
Many corporations have used multimedia to
reduce training cost and improve employee
productivity.

Advertising and Electronics Brochures
The electronic brochure is an advertising and
marketing tool that usually consists of single
diskette or CD-ROM sent to targeted
audiences. Corporations are also beginning to
offer shareholders annual reports on CD-ROM.
www.porsche.com
Government
Public Service Kiosks
Multimedia kiosks convey public service
information such as jobs and employment
opportunities.
City-info kiosks offer to citizens and travelers the
ability to find information on addresses, points of
interest, shops, restaurants, public
transportation, hours of opening, guided tours,
city transport info.

continued
Politics
Multimedia in general and internet in particular are
playing a big role in politics and virtual campaigning
where every political candidate contesting in an
election has a web site.

Consumer Information
Multimedia based CD-ROMs are available which
contains government information on a wide variety of
topics: government forms, list of government offices in
each state, tax preparation etc.

Education
Computer Aided Learning
To assist student through simulation
for better understanding such as
volcano eruption, corrosion,
language pronunciation, etc.
www.quiz-tree.com

Virtual Campus
Learning takes place in a virtual
classroom using video conferencing
and online lecture so that students
all around the world can attend.

Broadcasting and Entertainment
Electronic catalogue
Product features and descriptions are advertised
through web, CD and mobile devices.
Interactive Movie
Viewers can decide the direction of the plot of the
movie and camera angle.
On-demand News or movies
News, movies and TV series can be watched on
demand through web and mobile devices.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com

continued
3D or animated movies
Movies created through
advance 3D technology and
animation techniques.

Video Games
Advances in the field of
multimedia have led to more
attractive video and computer
games being available now in
the consumer market.

Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality refers to the use of
a computer to immerse the user
into a simulated experience that
it seems real. Virtual reality
systems often use special
hardware to enhance the
experience, including visual
displays.
continued
Cyber Sports
Cyber Sports is the use of virtual reality to provide
computer users with a realistic sports experience.
Two new interactive virtual reality devices let you
Swing and Hit balls at your PC.
Medicine
Virtual Surgery
Virtual surgery authoring system has been created
for producing surgical training simulation.
Surgeons can use 3-D images created from
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the
human body to practice complicated procedures
such as brain tumor removal and reconstructive
surgery.
continued
Video Conferencing and Image Retrieval
The use of imaging techniques (X-Rays, CT, MRI
etc) is growing in health care. The collection,
maintenance, processing and distribution of these
records can be significantly improved by using
computer based storage and multimedia
networking. Once these records are integrated
with the on-line patient information and easily
shared by both local and remote physicians, it
results in a large number of benefits like reduced
cost and improved care.

Multimedia Products

Briefing
eg: corporate presentation, sales presentation and
educational lectures.

Reference
eg: encyclopedias, dictionaries

Database
eg: library system, phone directory

continued
Education and Training
eg: - Instructor support products Resource materials
for instructors
- Standalone or self-paced products Learning
materials for students
to study at their own
pace

Kiosk
eg: bank machines, mall information centers.

Entertainment and Games
eg: computer games and movies.



Evaluating Multimedia Products

Evaluation can be done from two perspectives:
Users Perspective
Subject and Content
Platform
Usability
Cost

Developers Perspective
Content
Performance
Delivery
Interface

Users perspective
Subject/content

Area of interest
Entertainment value multimedia games and
sports-related products
Education, training or learning objectives how-to
and subject-related products
Need for information encyclopedia or similar
reference products
continued
Platform (hardware and software)

Focus on what type of equipment the user has
and if it is compatible with a specific product.
Criteria for evaluation:
Hardware platforms
Computer processor speed and data bus
requirements
Memory sizing

continued
Usability

Usability means that the user can apply, learn, use
the program efficiently.
The key criteria here are:
Learning/training time: how long does it take to
learn how to use the product,
Error rate: how often mistakes made by the
users and how severe is the mistake?,
Task Time: how long does it take to accomplish
a task,
Retention: how difficult is for the user to operate
and how attractive is the product to use.
continued
Cost

The cost can be the first or the last factor
considered by many people. Generally, users are
willing to spend depending on how much is
gained.


Developers perspective

Developer must evaluate and aim to improve their
product better than the last.

From the developers perspective, evaluation will
cover:

- Content
- Performance
- Delivery
- Interface
Developers perspective
Content

Product domain or subject matter- is the material
useful for the end user?
Message How does the product communicate
the information? Will the users understand it?
Comparison to comparable products

continued
Performance

Developer must consider that general users have
equipment that has much less capabilities, so
products should always be tested on a range of
platforms before they are released.
Graphic, audio and video presentation should be
use wisely not to slow down the application for
slower machine.
continued
Delivery

Delivery means how fast user is able to use the
product depending on the speed of the
installation procedure, the configuration and
documentation.
The instructions should be straightforward, easy to
configure and documentation are thorough and
adequate.
continued
Interface

Ease-of-use for novice users
Depth for experienced or expert users
Navigation features all work and are all useful and
user-friendly
Enabling Technologies
The main reason for increasing popularity of
multimedia lies in dramatic concurrent
advances in some enabling technologies
Higher processing power
More memory capacity
Bigger storage capacity
Better compression technology
Carrier and transmission technology
Input and output device technology
Protocol technology
Database technology
Software technology
Summary
Multimedia is the presentation of a computer application incorporating
media elements such as text, graphics, animations, audio, and video.

There are 4 groups of media types: discrete, continuous, captured,
synthesized.

The characteristics of multimedia system are:
- They must be computer controlled.
- They are integrated.
- The information handled must be represented digitally.
- The interface to the final user may permit interactivity.

Benefits of using multimedia: ease of use, intuitive interface, immersive
experience, self-paced interaction & better retention, better understanding,
cost effectiveness.







Summary
Problems with multimedia: investment cost, technical barriers,
sociopsychological barriers, legal problems.

Sectors that use multimedia: Business, Government, Education,
Broadcasting & Entertainment, Research & Development, Health.

Multimedia products: Briefing, Reference, Database, Education and training
, Kiosk, Entertainment and games.

Multimedia products can be evaluated from 2 perspectives:
users perspective, developers perspective.