DCIT 205:

Multimedia And Web Design

Lecture 1 – Multimedia

Lecturers: Ben-Bright Benuwa, PhD.

Mr. Dwumfour Abdullai Aziz
Contact Information: benuwa778@gmail.com , adwumfour@ug.edu.gh

Lecturer: Mr. Joseph Annan, Department of Computer Science

Contact Information: jannan1@ug.edu.gh
 Lecture Outline
The key topics to be covered in the lecture are as follows:
• Topic One - Multimedia – Definitions
• Topic Two - Multimedia System
• Topic Three - Data Stream & continuous media
• Topic Four - Streaming Media
• Topic Five - Multimedia - Applications

Ben-Bright Benuwa (PhD), Dept. of Computer Slide 2

Science
 The Future of Multimedia
• Technology directly interfacing with our nervous
system

• Track down a copy of Black Mirror – History of You

Immersive Sensory Experiences
• Sight
• Sound
• Touch
• Smell
• Taste

• Multimedia will become a fully immersive

experience that takes over all of our senses
 So what is Multimedia?
 Depends who you are…

 PC Vendor
 PC with sound & video
 Consumer Entertainment
 Cable TV
 Smart TV
 Online service – Netflix
 Developer
 Applications for authoring multimedia
 Text, graphics, animation, video and sound
 Plus interactivity
 Convergence – many technologies and disciplines coming
together e.g.
 Programming
 Human computer interaction
 Graphic design
 Multimedia - Definitions
• Definition
– Multi - many; much; multiple
– Medium - A means to d istribute and
represent information: Text, graphics, pictures,
voice, sound and music.

• Multimedia is def in ed as an interactive

c o m p ut e r m e d i at e d p re se nt at i o n t hat
i nc l ud e d at l e ast tw o o f the f o l l o w i ng
elements: text, sound, still graphic images,
motion graphics and animation.
 Multimedia - Definitions
• Multimedia is any combination of digitally
manipulated text, art, sound, animation and
video.
• A more strict version of the def in ition of
multimedia do not allow just any combination
of media.
• It requires
– Both continuous & discrete media to be utilized
– Signif ic ant level of independence between media
being used
• The less stricter version of the def inition is
used in practice.
 Classification of Medium
Perception

• Medium Presentation Representation

– Means for distribution

and presentation of
information
Criteria for the
classification of medium
• Classification based on
perception (text, audio,
video) is appropriate Storage Transmission

for defining multimedia

Information
Exchange
 Classification of Medium
• Pe rc e pt i o n me d i a (ho w d o humans pe rc e i v e
information?)
– Audio/visual media
• Representation media (how is information encoded?)
– ASCII, JPG, MPEG, PAL.
• Presentation media (medium used for output/input)
– Input/output media (keyboards, papers, microphone)
• Storage media (Where is information stored?)
– Magnetic disk, optical disk, Paper, CD-ROM
• Transmission
– Optical Fibre, Coaxial Cable, Wireless
• Information Retrieval/Exchange
 Elements of Multimedia
• Multimedia is a combination of text, graphic,
sound, animation, and video that is delivered
interactively to the user by electronic or
digitally manipulated means.

GRAPHIC
TEXT

MULTIMEDIA

VIDEO
AUDIO

ANIMATION
 Text
GRAPHIC
TEXT

MULTIMEDIA

VIDEO
AUDIO

ANIMATION

 A broad term for something that contains words to express

something.
 Text is the most basic element of multimedia.
 A good choice of words could help convey the intended message
to the users (keywords).
 Used in contents, menus, navigational buttons
 Text
GRAPHIC
TEXT

MULTIMEDIA

VIDEO
AUDIO

ANIMATION

 Example
 Graphics
GRAPHIC
TEXT

MULTIMEDIA

VIDEO
AUDIO

ANIMATION

 Two-dimensional figure or illustration

 Could be produced manually (by drawing, painting,
carving, etc.) or by computer graphics technology.
 Used in multimedia to show more clearly what a
particular information is all about (diagrams, picture).
 Graphics
GRAPHIC
TEXT

MULTIMEDIA

VIDEO
AUDIO

ANIMATION

 Example
 Audio
GRAPHIC
TEXT

MULTIMEDIA

VIDEO
AUDIO

ANIMATION

 Produced by vibration, as perceived by the sense

of hearing.
 In multimedia, audio could come in the form of
speech, sound effects and also music score.
 Audio
GRAPHIC
TEXT

MULTIMEDIA

VIDEO
AUDIO

ANIMATION

 Example
 Animation
GRAPHIC
TEXT

MULTIMEDIA

VIDEO
AUDIO

ANIMATION

 The illusion of motion created by the consecutive

display of images of static elements.
 In multimedia, animation is used to further enhance /
enriched the experience of the user to further
understand the information conveyed to them.
 Animation
GRAPHIC
TEXT

MULTIMEDIA

VIDEO
AUDIO

ANIMATION

 Example
 Video
GRAPHIC
TEXT

MULTIMEDIA

VIDEO
AUDIO

ANIMATION

 Is the technology of capturing, recording, processing,

transmitting, and reconstructing moving pictures.
 Video is more towards photo realistic image sequence /
live recording as in comparison to animation.
 Video also takes a lot of storage space. So plan carefully
before you are going to use it.
 Interactive Multimedia

• When the user is given the option of controlling

the elements.
 Interactive Multimedia
• Interactive Multimedia
 Hypermedia

• Hypermedia is the combination of hypertext,

graphics, audio, video, (linked elements) and
interactivity culminating in a complete, non-
linear computer-based experience.
 Example
• Hyper Media
Main Page
1. Video link
2. Image link
3. Audio Link
 Multimedia - Definitions
• Multimedia involves Many Media
– THE MEDIA DOMAIN

• Multimedia involves Computers

– THE SYSTEMS DOMAIN

• Multimedia enhances the presentation and

communication of information
– THE APPLICATION DOMAIN
 Media Domain
Media types can be divided into two groups:
• Temporal (Continuous media )
– Time or more exactly time-dependency between information
items, is part of the information itself.
– dynamic, time-based, continuous
– e.g., audio, video, music, animation

• Non-temporal (Discrete media )

– Time is not part of the semantics of the media.
– static, non-time-based, discrete
– e.g., text, graphics, images
 Multimedia System
• Following the dictionary definitions, Multimedia
system is any system that supports more than a
single kind of media
– Implies any system processing text and image will be
a multimedia system!!!
– Note, the definition is quantitative. A qualitative
definition would be more appropriate.
– The kind of media supported should be considered,
rather the number of media
 Multimedia System
• A multimedia system is characterized by
computer-controlled, integrated
production, manipulation, storage and
communication of independent
information, which is encoded at least
through a continuous (time-dependent)
and a discrete (time-independent) medium.
A Multimedia System is characterized by
the processing, storage, generation,
manipulation and rendition of Multimedia
information
 Data streams
• Data Stream is any sequence of individual
packets transmitted in a time-dependent fashion
– Packets can carry information of either continuous or
discrete media
• Transmission modes
– Asynchronous
• Packets can reach receiver as fast as possible.
• Suited for discrete media
• Additional time constraints must be imposed for continuous
media
 Data streams
– Synchronous
• Defines maximum end-to-end delay
• Packets can be received at an arbitrarily earlier time
• For retrieving uncompressed video at data rate
140Mbits/s & maximal end-to-end delay 1 second
the receiver should have temporary storage 17.5
Mbytes
– Isochronous
• Defines maximum & minimum end-to-end delay
• Storage requirements at the receiver reduces
 Streaming Media
• Popular approach to continuous media over
the internet
• Playback at users computer is done while the
media is being transferred (no waiting till
complete download!!!)
• You can find streaming in
– Internet radio stations
– Distance learning
– Cricket Live!!!
– Movie Trailers
Streaming Media
 Linear VS Non-Linear

Linear
• A Multimedia Project is identified as Linear when:
– It is not interactive
– User have no control over the content that is being showed to
them.
• Example:
– A movie
– A non-interactive lecture / demo show
 Linear VS Non-Linear

Non-Linear
• A Multimedia Project is identified as Non-
Linear when:
– It is interactive
– Users have control over the content that is
being showed to them.
– Users are given navigational control
• Example:
– Games
– Courseware
– Interactive CD
 Authoring Tool
• Use to merge multimedia elements (text,
audio, graphic, animation, video) into a project.
• Designed to manage individual multimedia
elements and provide user interaction (if
required).
 Authoring Tool
• Multimedia elements are composed into a
project using authoring tools.

• Multimedia Authoring tools are those programs

that provide the capability for creating a
complete multimedia presentations by linking
together objects such as a paragraph of text
(song), an illustration, an audio, with appropriate
interactive user control.
 Authoring Tool
• By def ining the objects' relationships to each
other, and by sequencing them in an appropriate
order, authors (those who use authoring tools)
can produce attractive and useful graphical
applications.
• To name a few authoring tools
– Macromedia Flash
– Macromedia Director
– Authorware
• The hardware and the software that govern the
limits of what can happen are multimedia
platform or environment
 Authoring Tool
• Example:
– Macromedia Authorware
– Macromedia Director
– Macromedia Flash
– Microsoft Power Point
 Potential Applications
• Video conferencing – Skype
• Distance learning – Open University
• Cooperative applications – Google docs / on-line
games
• Augmented reality – Google glass (Last sighted
in a local CEX store) – Oculus rift

• So many areas of Computing impacted by

multimedia
 Technical Aspects
Processing and Encoding
 How to store images and video efficiently yet still
preserving quality
System integration and Networking
 Protocols and hardware allowing communication of
content
Tools and authoring applications
 HTML 5, DreawWeaver, PhotoShop etc
Security / Ethical Considerations
 Sony pictures leak
 Pirate Bay
 Genesis & Icefilms
 Applications
• Aside, there are a number of fields where
multimedia could be of use. Examples are:-
– Business
– Education
– Entertainment
– Home
– Public Places
 Applications

• Business
– Use and Applications
• Sales / Marketing Presentation
• Trade show production
• Staff Training Application
• Company Kiosk
 Applications

• Education
– Use and Applications
• Courseware / Simulations
• E-Learning / Distance Learning
• Information Searching
 Applications

• Entertainment
– Use and Applications
• Games (Leisure / Educational)
• Movies
• Video on Demand
–Online
 Applications

• Home
– Use and Applications
• Television
• Satellite TV
• SMS services (chats, voting, reality TV)
 Applications

• Public Places
– Use and Applications
• Information Kiosk
• Smart Cards, Security
 THE END

Ben-Bright Benuwa, Dept. of Computer Slide 46

Science