Multimedia Technology

(Course Code: CSC 107)

Department of Computer Science

Department of Computer Science

Mewar International University Nigeria

Instructor: Ali Abdullahi

Email: ali.danbatta2015@[Link]
Phone: +2348060408946
What is Multimedia?
Several authors have depicted multimedia in different ways. Essentially, it can be described
as the integration of sound, animation, and digitized video with more traditional types of
data such as text. It is an application-oriented technology that is used in a variety of ways,
for example, to enhance presentations, and is based on the increasing capability of
computers to store, transmit, and present many types of information.

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.
Components of Multimedia
The various modalities of text, video, audio, images, animation, audio and so on are put
to use in multimedia in different forms such as:

 Geographically based, real-time augmented-reality, massively multiplayer online video

games, making use of any portable device such as smartphones, laptops, or tablets, which
function as GPS-aware mobile game consoles.

 Shapeshifting TV, where viewers vote on the plot path by phone text-messages, which
are parsed to direct plot changes in realtime.

 A camera that predicts what would be the best type of next shot so as to conform to ideal
principle for developing storyboards.

 A Web-based video editor that allows one create a new video by editing, annotating, and
remixing professional videos on the cloud.

 Collaborative education environments that allow school-children to share a single

educational game using two mice at once that pass control back and forth.

 Searching (very) large video and image databases for target visual objects, using
semantics of objects.
 Merging of artificial and natural video into hybrid scenes, placing real-appearing
computer graphics and video objects into scenes so as to take the physics of objects and
lights (e.g., shadows) into account.
 Visual cues of video-conference participants, taking into account gaze direction and
attention of participants.
 Making multimedia components editable—allowing the user side to decide what
components, video, graphics, and soon are actually viewed and allowing the client to
move components around or delete them—making components distributed.
 Building inverse-Hollywood‖ applications that can recreate the process by which a
video was made, allowing storyboard pruning and concise video summarization.
Multimedia Application
A Multimedia Application is an Application which uses a collection of multiple media
sources e.g. text, graphics, images, sound/audio, animation and or video. Hypermedia can
be considered as one of the multimedia applications. Some examples of multimedia
applications are: business presentations, online newspapers, distance education, and
interactive gaming, advertisements, art, entertainment, engineering, medicine,
mathematics, business, scientific research and spatial temporal applications.
Other examples of Multimedia Applications include:
1) World WideWeb
2) Hypermedia courseware
3) Videoconferencing
4) Video-on-demand
5) InteractiveTV
6) Groupware
7) Homeshopping
8) Games
9) Virtual reality
10) Digital video editing and production systems
11) Multimedia Database systems
Hypertext
1) Hypertext refers to 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).
 Example of Hphertext

In 1990, Tim Berners-Lee proposed the World Wide Web to CERN (European Center for
Nuclear Research) with aim of achieving collaboration in organizing and sharing of
research work and experimental results. Development of hypertext server, browser and
editor on a NeXTstep workstation started immediately after the approval of his proposal
by CERN. Hence, the advent of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and the Hypertext
Transfer Protocol (HTTP) from his team.
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
Charles Goldfarb, Edward Mosher, and Raymond Lorie developed a Generalized Markup
Language (GML) for IBM, with the intention of introducing formats that should be human
readable and able to identify structure and elements. In the year 1986, came the final
version of the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) was released by the ISO
and it was mostly based on the earlier GML.
HTML is defined using SGML and is a language for publishing hypermedia on the web. It
uses ASCII format which makes it compatible with different computer hardware and this
makes it acceptable for global exchange of information. The current version of HTML is
HTML5 developed in 2019.
HTML is designed to use tags in order to describe document elements. The tags are in the
format
<token params> to define the start point of a document element and </token> to define the
end of the element. Some elements have only inline parameters and do not require ending
tags. HTML divides the document into a HEAD and a BODY part as shown below:
Example of HTML CODE
<HTML>
<HEAD> ...
</HEAD>
<BODY> ...
</BODY>
</HTML>
The HEAD tag, describes document definitions and this may include page title, resources
links and meta-information the author decides to specify. The body part describes the
document structure and content.
Hypermedia
Hypermedia is not constrained to be text-based. It is an enhancement of hypertext,
the non-sequential access of text documents, using a multimedia environment and
providing users the flexibility to select which document they want to view next,
based on their current interests. The path followed to get from document to
document changes from user to user and is very dynamic. It 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.
Characteristics of a Multimedia System
Basically, a Multimedia system has four vital characteristics:

 multimedia systems must be computer controlled

 multimedia systems are integrated
 the information they handle must be represented digitally
 the inter face to the final presentation of media is usually interactive


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). Multimedia systems
are often required for:
 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. Ever tried watching an out of (lip) sync film for a long time?
Hence, the key issues multimedia systems need to deal with here are:
1) how to represent and store temporal information
2) how to strictly maintain the temporal relationships on play back/retrieval
3) what are the processes involved in tackling these issues?
Another challenge is that the initial forms of data have to be represented digitally, i.e.
translated from the analog source to the digital representation. The will involve scanning
(graphics, still images), sampling (audio/video) although digital cameras now exist for
direct scene to digital capture of images and video.
Desirable Features for a Multimedia System
Haven discovered the challenges that have to be surmounted in using multimedia
systems; the following features are desirable for a Multimedia System:
-Very High Processing Power: This is a requirement for dealing with large data
processing and real time delivery of media.
- Multimedia Capable File System: This feature is essential for delivering 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 or
file formats should be easy to handle and allow for compression/decompression in real-
time.
- Efficient and High I/O: Input and output to the file subsystem needs to be efficient and
fast. It is necessary to allow for real-time recording as well as playback of data. e.g. Direct
to Disk recording systems.
- Special Operating System: A special operating system is required to provide access to
file system and process data efficiently and quickly. Consequently, the multimedia system
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 hierarchies for efficient management.
- Network Support: Client-server systems commonly known as distributed systems.
- Software Tools: User friendly tools are needed to handle media, design and develop
applications, deliver media.
Components of a Multimedia System
We can now consider the core components required for a multimedia system:
s/n
1 Capture devices Video Camera, Video Recorder,
Audio Microphone, Keyboards, mice, graphics tablets,
3D input devices, tactile sensors, VR devices
Digitizing/Sampling Hardware
2 Storage Devices Hard disks, CD-ROMs, Jaz/Zip drives, DVD, etc
3 Communication Ethernet, Token Ring, FDDI, ATM, Intranets, Internets
Devices
4 Computer System Multimedia Desktop machines, Workstation
MPEG/VIDEO/DSP, Hardware
5 Display Devices CD-quality speakers,HDTV,SVGA, Hi-Res monitors,
Colour printers etc
Stages of Multimedia Project
There are basically three stages of multimedia project namely:
o Pre-production
o Production
o Post-production
The order of these stages are very important. It is advisable for every member of the project
team to agree before the beginning of the project, what should be done and why it is
necessary to do it. Lack of proper agreement among team members could lead to
uncompleted project when started. Hence, the reason for the clarification of why, what the
multimedia product has to offer in order to fulfil the needed purpose. It is the why and what
that determines the decisions centering around storyboard, flow chart, media content and
so on.
Pre-production – this is the process before producing multimedia project. The following
are stages of the pre-production process.
Idea or Motivation
It is important that the question of why is used as a source of motivation for the multimedia
project. The first question from the production team should be why the multimedia project
needs to be embarked on. Other expected questions should be:
o Is the idea marketable and profitable?
o Is multimedia the best option, or would a print production be more
effective?
Production Concept and Project Goals
This stage of pre-production requires lots of brainstorming sessions in order to come up
with an idea. It is until the idea has be crystalized that the production team can figure out
the market benefit of the multimedia product. Activities such as developing a planning
document, interviewing the client and building specifications for production should be able
to guide on what information and function the team need to provide in order to meet the
desire goals.
Target Audience
It is important that the background of the target audience is being considered in order to
implement the best structure that will fit in accordingly in the multimedia project. This
consideration will help figure out the special interest groups to which the project might be
targeted towards and the nature of information the group may deem very necessary.
Delivery medium and authoring tools
The project team in this phase, has to decide the best medium to reach out to their audience.
This can be decided by determining the available equipment of the target audience and the
expected obstacles to be overcome. Some of the commonly used delivery medium are as
follows: Web, DVDs and CD-ROMs. Also, a few authoring tools that are mostly being
used by production team are: Graphics, audio, video, text, animation and so on.

Planning
This stage is very important to the very success of any multimedia project. The project
team works together to decide the appearance and deliverable of the project. Some of the
questions usually encountered in planning are as follows:
1) What do you require for the multimedia project?
2) How long will each task take?
3) Who is going to do the work?
4) How much will the product cost?

Planning is inclusive of creating and finalizing flowchart and resource organization in

which the product ‘s content is arranged into groups, establishing timeline, content list,
storyboard, finalizing the functional specifications and work assignments.
Production
It is at this stage that all components of planning come to effect. A well planned
preproduction, will result to proper coordination of the team individuals in performing their
role accordingly. In this phase, graphic artists, instructional designers, animators, audio
graphers and videographers starts the creation of the artwork, animation, scripts, video,
audio and interface. The production phase is always successful when the project manager
has distributed roles accordingly to the right individuals and created practical and
achievable production schedule. Some of the things expected from people involved in
production are as follows:

Scriptwriting
The scripts for the text, transitions, audio narrations, voice-overs and video are written.
Existing material also needs to be rewritten and reorganized for an electronic medium.
Then the written material is edited for readability, grammar and consistency.

Art
Illustrations, graphics, buttons, and icons are created using the prototype screens as a guide.
Existing photographs, illustrations, and graphics are digitized for use in an electronic
medium.
3D Modelling and Animation
The 3D artwork is created, rendered, and then prepared for use in the authoring tool. The
3D animations require their own storyboards and schedules.

Authoring
All the pieces come together in the authoring tool. Functionality is programmed, and 2D
animation is developed. From here, the final working product is created. Every word on
the screen is proofread and checked for consistency of formatting. In addition, the
proofreader reviews all video and audio against the edited scripts.

Shooting and Recording Digitizing Video

The edited scripts are used to plan the budget, performers, time schedules and budget, then
the shoot is scheduled followed by recording.

Quality Control
Quality control goes on throughout the process. The storyboards are helpful for checking
the sequencing.

Post-production
In this stage of the project, it is important to address the post-production technicalities in
order to produce a perfect and error free project. It is one of the most fundamental of all
stages of production. The stage of post-production includes:

Testing
The product is tested on multiple computers and monitors. It is imperative to evaluate, test
and revise the product to make sure the quality and success of the product.

Mastering
Mastering can be as simple as writing a CD-ROM or floppy disk. Or it can be as complex
as sending the files to a service that will create a pre-master from which the master is made.

Archiving and Duplication

The original files, including audio, video, and the native software formats, are archived for
future upgrades or revisions. The duplicates are created from the original and packaged
accordingly.
Marketing and Distribution
Marketing is significant to the success of a product. The survival of a company and its
products depends greatly on the product reaching the maximum number of audience. Then
comes the final step in the process which is distribution of the multimedia project.

Authoring System
An Authoring System simply refers to a program which has preprogrammed elements for
the development of interactive multimedia software titles. Authoring systems vary widely
in orientation, capabilities, and learning curve. There is no such thing (at this time) as a
completely point-and-click automated authoring system; some knowledge of experiential
thinking and procedural design is necessary.
Whether you realize it or not, authoring is actually just a speeded-up form of programming;
you do not need to know the intricacies of a programming language, or worse, an API, but
you do need to understand how programs work.
Significance of an Authoring System
It generally takes about 1/8th the time to develop an interactive multimedia project, such
as a CBT (Computer Based Training) program, in an authoring system as opposed to
programming it in compiled code. This means 1/8 the cost of programmer time and likely
increased re-use of code (assuming that you pass this project's code to the next CBT project,
and they use a similar or identical authoring system).
However, the content creation (graphics, text, video, audio, animation, etc.) is not generally
affected by the choice of an authoring system; any production time gains here result from
accelerated prototyping, not from the choice of an authoring system over a compiled
language.
Multimedia Authoring Paradigms
The authoring paradigm is a term used to describe the methodology by which the
authoring system accomplishes its task.
There are various standards, including:
Scripting Language
The Scripting paradigm is the authoring method closest in form to traditional programming.
The paradigm is that of a programming language, which specifies (by filename) multimedia
elements, sequencing, hotspots, synchronization, etc. A powerful, object-oriented scripting
language is usually the centerpiece of such a system; in program editing of elements (still
graphics, video, audio, etc.) tends to be minimal or non-existent. Scripting languages do
vary; check out how much the language is object-based or object-oriented. The scripting
paradigm tends to be longer in development time (it takes longer to code an individual
interaction), but generally more powerful interactivity is possible. Since most Scripting
languages are interpreted, instead of compiled, the runtime speed gains over other
authoring methods are minimal. The media handling can vary widely; check out your
system with your contributing package formats carefully. The Apple's HyperTalk for
HyperCard, Asymetrix’s OpenScript for ToolBook and Lingo scripting language of
Macromedia Director are examples of a Multimedia scripting language.
Here is an example lingo script to jump to a frame
global gNavSprite
on exitFrame go the frame
play sprite gNavSprite
end

Iconic/FlowControl
This tends to be the speediest (in development time) authoring style; it is best suited for
rapid prototyping and short-development time projects. Many of these tools are also
optimized for developing Computer-Based Training (CBT). The core of the paradigm is
the Icon Palette, containing the possible functions/interactions of a program, and the Flow
Line, which shows the actual links between the icons. These programs tend to be the
slowest runtimes, because each interaction carries with it all of its possible permutations;
the higher end packages, such as Authorware (Figure 2.1) or IconAuthor, are extremely
powerful and suffer least from runtime speed problems.

Macromedia Authorware Iconic/Flow Control Examples

Frame
The Frame paradigm is similar to the Iconic/Flow Control paradigm in that it usually
incorporates an icon palette; however, the links drawn between icons are conceptual and
do not always represent the actual flow of the program. This is a very fast development
system, but requires a good auto-debugging function, as it is visually un-debuggable. The
best of these have bundled compiled-language scripting, such as Quest (whose scripting
language is C) or Apple MediaKit.

Card/Scripting
The Card/Scripting paradigm provides a great deal of power (via the incorporated scripting
language) but suffers from the index-card structure. It is excellently suited for Hypertext
applications, and supremely suited for navigation intensive (a la Cyan's "MYST" game)
applications. Such programs are easily extensible via XCMDs and DLLs; they are widely
used for shareware applications. The best applications allow all objects (including
individual graphic elements) to be scripted; many entertainment applications are
prototyped in a card/scripting system prior to compiled-language coding.

Cast/Score/Scripting
The Cast/Score/Scripting paradigm uses a music score as its primary authoring metaphor;
the synchronous elements are shown in various horizontal tracks with simultaneity shown
via the vertical columns. The true power of this metaphor lies in the ability to script the
behaviour of each of the cast members. The most popular member of this paradigm is
Director, which is used in the creation of many commercial applications. These programs
are best suited for animation-intensive or synchronised media applications; they are easily
extensible to handle other functions (such as hypertext) via XOBJs, XCMDs, and DLLs.