Chapter 1:

Introduction to
Multimedia
Introduction to Multimedia

What is Multimedia?

Introduction to Multimedia 2
What is Multimedia?

Multimedia can have many definitions theseinclude:

A computer system perspective definition:
Multimedia means that computer information can be
represented through audio, video, and animation in addition to
traditional media (i.e., text, graphics/drawings, images).

Introduction to Multimedia 3
General Definition

A good general working definition forthis moduleis:

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.

Introduction to Multimedia 4
Multimedia Application Definition

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.

Introduction to Multimedia 5
What is HyperText and HyperMedia?

Hypertext is a text which contains links to other texts.

The term was invented by Ted Nelson around 1965.

Introduction to Multimedia 6
HyperText Navigation

Traversal through pages of hypertext is therefore usually

non-linear (as indicated below).

This has implications in layout and organisation of material —

and depends a lot on the application at hand.

Introduction to Multimedia 7
Hypermedia

Hypermedia definition:
HyperMedia is not constrained to be text-based. It can include
other media, e.g., graphics, images, and especially continuous
media – sound and video.

Introduction to Multimedia 8
Example Hypermedia Applications?

Example

Introduction to Multimedia 9
Example Hypermedia Applications?

The World Wide Web (WWW) is a clear example of a

hypermedia application.
Powerpoint
Adobe Acrobat (or other PDF software)
Adobe Flash
Many many others?

Introduction to Multimedia 10
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

Introduction to Multimedia 11
Multimedia Systems

Multimedia System Definition

A Multimedia System is a system capable of processing
multimedia data and applications.

A Multimedia System is characterised by the processing,

storage, generation, manipulation and rendition of Multimedia
information.

Introduction to Multimedia 12
Characteristics of a Multimedia System

A Multimedia system hasfourbasic characteristics:

Multimedia systems must be computer controlled.
Multimedia systems are integrated.
The information they handle must be represented
digitally.
The interface to the final presentation of media is usually
interactive.

Introduction to Multimedia 13
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?

Introduction to Multimedia 14
Key Issues for Multimedia Systems

The key issues multimedia systems need to deal with here are:
How to represent and store temporal information.
How to strictly maintain the temporal relationships on
play back/retrieval
What process are involved in the above.
Data has to represented digitally — Analog–Digital
Conversion, Sampling etc.
Large Data Requirements — bandwidth, storage,
Data compression is usually
mandatory

Introduction to Multimedia 15
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 should be easy to handle yet allow for
compression/decompression in real-time.

Introduction to Multimedia 16
Desirable Features for a Multimedia System (cont.)

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 .

Introduction to Multimedia 17
Desirable Features for a Multimedia System (cont.)

Storage and Memory— large storage units (of the

order of hundreds of Tb if not more) and
large memory (several Gb or more).
Large Caches also required and high
speed buses 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.

Introduction to Multimedia 18
Components of a Multimedia System
Now let us consider the Components (Hardware and Software)
required for a multimedia system:
Capture devices— Video Camera, Video Recorder, Audio
Microphone, Keyboards, mice, graphics tablets,
3D input devices, tactile sensors, VR devices.
Digitising Hardware
Storage Devices— Hard disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROM, etc
Communication Networks— Local Networks, Intranets,
Internet, Multimedia or other special high speed
networks.
Computer Systems— Multimedia Desktop machines,
Workstations, MPEG/VIDEO/DSP Hardware
Display Devices— CD-quality speakers, HDTV,SVGA, Hi-Res
monitors, Colour printers etc.
Introduction to Multimedia 19
Applications
Examples of Multimedia Applications include:
World Wide Web
Hypermedia courseware
Video conferencing
Video-on-demand
Interactive TV
Groupware
Home shopping
Games
Virtual reality
Digital video editing and production systems

Introduction to Multimedia 20
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 char / more bytes for
Unicode.
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 (Java, Python,
MATLAB 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.
Multimedia Data 21
Graphics

Format: constructed by the composition of primitive

objects such as lines, polygons, circles, curves and arcs.
Input: Graphics are usually generated by a graphics editor
program (e.g. Illustrator) or automatically by a program
(e.g. Postscript).
Graphics are usually editable or revisable (unlike Images).
Graphics input devices: keyboard (for text and cursor
control), mouse, trackball or graphics tablet.
graphics standards : OpenGL, PHIGS, GKS
Graphics files usually store the primitive assembly
Do not take up a very high storage overhead.

Multimedia Data 22
Compression: Is there another way?
Compression via Synthesis:
Encode how to make (synthesise) the data
can be done in many less bits in certain
cases.
Examples: Vector Graphics (Flash), MPEG
Video, MP4 (Audio), MIDI:

Compression 23