1.

WHAT IS MULTIMEDIA
1.1 Introduction
The term multimedia is perhaps one of the most widely used in recent years. Two decades ago,
multimedia was a whole new field of research but today this field is developed and its industry has
grown significantly. From the beginning till now multimedia technology has changed at a startling
pace. It is undoubtedly one of the hottest areas of the computer industry, both in capability and
technology advances. It has become one of the largest and most diverse areas of activity. Its
boundaries merge within information technology. In every aspect of our daily lives, we are
connected to technology-based media through the Internet, email, cell phones, television, and
more. In short, multimedia in its various forms is the everyday talk in today’s society. We see its
use in every field.
Multimedia has changed how all computers are used, turning them into a “second person”. This
technology allows us to see, read, feel, and talk with computers. The major step taken recently in
distributing multimedia content is one of the most significant developments in communications
today. Communication cannot be imagined without multimedia as multimedia always involves
communication. Technology development has constantly changed the way businesses
communicate, from telephone to radio, television, fax, and computer to the use of smartphones.
The digital era makes it relatively easy to combine, transmit, and receive data by presenting
different combinations of information and media.
The communications sector is undergoing a period of rapid transition and change. Multimedia
offers great business opportunities and enables Multimedia Service Providers to find ways to
attract new customers while increasing the loyalty of current customers and also increasing the
average revenue per user. The demand is moving from passive consumption of media, information,
and services, to participative and interactive. It is precisely the development of this technology that
has made a powerful impact on the way how businesses work today. Nowadays, this phenomenon
is more evident in the case of communication with mobile devices. Demand is shifting even further
towards the consumption of interactive information and multimedia services.

1.2 What is Multimedia?

Let us discuss a few examples to better understand what is multimedia:
1. A student enters the computer lab, sits down at one of the multimedia computers, and types the
password. A menu appears and the student selects Biology 101. Another menu appears and the
student selects DNA Replication. The program asks if the student would like to take a pretest,
review the process, or begin the tutorial. The student selects Begin and watches a 3D image of a
double helix rotating on the screen. Then the audio narration begins and leads the student through
the replication process. At any time, the student can stop the process, review previous steps, ask
for help, take a test, or quit the tutorial. The student takes a moment to reflect on how the textbook
readings and instructor lectures make more sense now that she can carry out the process in a virtual
lab.
2. A child pulls his parent over to the home computer and says: “Want to watch me play my math
game?”. The parent watches with fascination as his preschool kid, solves math problems above his
grade level. Numbers flash on the screen and the kid quickly performs a calculation and types an
answer. After three correct answers, the kid is rewarded with a game. In the game, he must shoot
at trash (candy wrappers, empty pop bottles, and the like) that appears in outer space. Each hit
causes the trash to be recycled.
3. A man stands in front of a kiosk, pressing the buttons on the touch-screen monitor. Each button
represents a choice: a car model, color, and accessories. After each choice, the car as he has
configured it is displayed on the screen along with the price. At any time, he can take the car for
a virtual test drive. When done selecting and equipping his car, he has the kiosk display
information on availability, financing, and dealerships.
4. Western Airlines has just purchased five new Boing 777X airplanes, and a mechanic working
for this company, is being trained on how to troubleshoot and repair the new landing-gear systems.
He sits at a computer workstation and runs a training module that teaches him how the system
works, using graphics, sound, and 3D animation or other simulations. The mechanic navigates
inside the landing gear to view each part from every angle. After completing a section, he is tested
by being given a repair problem and having to fix it in a simulated environment.
These are actual examples from the education, entertainment, and business fields of what are called
multimedia applications or multimedia titles. The elements they have in common help us define
multimedia. In a generic sense, multimedia is simply the use of many media. Thus, a speaker
making a presentation using a slide show would be making a multimedia presentation. The word
multimedia has been popularized, however, as a term that applies to a broad spectrum of computer-
related products and processes. There are multimedia CD-ROM applications games, interactive
kiosks, CBT (computer-based training) materials, instructional courseware, and online services.
What all of these have in common is that they are computer-based; they can incorporate several
elements such as sound, graphics, and animation, and they are interactive. Consequently,
multimedia can be defined as a computer-based interactive communication process that
incorporates text, graphics, sound, animation, and video.
Multimedia takes on different meanings for people or businesses, they may also have different
perspectives, for example: a computer salesman thinks of multimedia as a computer capable of
playing audio and video, has a DVD-ROM driver, and microprocessors capable of performing
additional multimedia instruction. An entertainment service vendor thinks of multimedia as an
interactive cable TV with hundreds of digital channels, or a cable TV where services are delivered
over high-speed Internet connections. One of the difficulties that multimedia has encountered is
the lack of a universal definition. Various definitions have been formulated over the past years
from which we can mention:
Definition 1: “Multimedia is the presentation of content that relies on graphics and text.”
Definition 2: “Multimedia is the combination of two or more media”.
Definition 3: “Multimedia is the combination of different types of digital media such as text,
graphics, audio, video, and animation in an interactive presentation or application, to convey a
message or information to an audience.”
Definition 4: “Multimedia is an application that takes advantage of many mediums such as text,
images, graphics, animation, video, sound (including speech), and also some kind of interactivity.”
Referring to the first and second definitions we can say that they do not provide deep and sufficient
knowledge about the essential factors that can make multimedia effective for its usage in all fields.
Definitions two and three are more appealing because they emphasize two key components of
multimedia. First, the combination of all media is emphasized, and second, interactivity is a key
component in multimedia.
Consequently, the definition that we will use for multimedia is: “Multimedia can be defined as a
computer-based interactive communications process that incorporates text, graphics, sound,
animation, and video”.
Focusing on the definition, it is necessary to highlight the unique characteristics of multimedia.
A computer-based medium – Fundamental to the development and delivery of multimedia is a
computer capable of incorporating various elements, such as sound, animation, and video, and
providing an environment in which the user can interact with the program. Most of us are familiar
with desktop and laptop computers such as the Apple Macintosh and PC machines running
Microsoft Windows. Models of these computers that are equipped with CD-ROM drives, sound
cards, speakers, and sufficient speed and processing power can be used in developing and playing
multimedia applications.
Interactivity: the key component – The ability of the user to interact with the program is perhaps
the single most critical feature of multimedia. A movie is an example of a medium that combines
numerous elements such as graphics, sound, and animation. But a movie is presented in e linear
way – there is a beginning, a middle, and an end. Watching a movie in the theater is a passive
process – the viewer has no control. Even when using a VCR (in which the viewer can only control
volume; adjust the image quality; and pause, rewind, fast-forward, and stop the movie) the viewer
has little control over how the content is presented. Multimedia, on the other hand, allows the
content to be presented in a nonlinear way, with the user being active rather than passive. Thus, it
is interactive: the user determines what content is delivered, when it is delivered, and how it is
delivered.
For example: say you are researching Albania, using a multimedia encyclopedia. You start by
typing the word Albania as the subject of your search. A main menu appears with several choices
including History, Climate, Economy, Land, and Population that allow you to determine the
content to display. You choose Population, which leads you to an article about “Iliret”. While
reading the article, you notice the word “çifteli” in red letters. You click on it, and an illustration
and a description of a musical instrument appear. You click on an icon resembling a speaker and
listen as “çiftelia” is played. You return to the main menu and choose the Economy and then
Climate and on and on ..., you have the freedom to explore the topic in any way you choose.
The elements of multimedia –Text-intensive word processing is the most widely used feature of
desktop computers. But technological advances now make it possible to use the computer to hear
the president's speech, fly a plane in a simulation, display a picture of Saturn, and view a space
shuttle launch. All of these elements: text, sound, animation, graphs, and video can be combined
to create a multimedia application.
It was noted above that multimedia has the power to integrate graphics, text, audio, video,
animation, and interactivity, however, it is important to note that not all of these media must be
present in one application for it to be classified as a multimedia application. Television can
arguably be called multimedia because it integrates mobile images, sound, text, and
communication technologies. Before the popularization of computers, slide shows were also called
multimedia. Also, someone specializing in a medium may want to add elements of one or more
other media. If an artist wants to add music to a package of photos that are distributed on a CD-
ROM, some may call it multimedia, others simply call it a CD of art and music. Ultimately,
construction and uniqueness are not as important as the effectiveness of the result. So effective
results should take precedence over determinations. To clarify the term multimedia, we must look
beyond the term. We are in an age where interacting with digital media has become a way of life.
The power to integrate the different types of media with computers and smartphones gives us the
opportunity for powerful, unprecedented communication in the history of mankind.

1.3 The growth of multimedia

One indication of the phenomenal growth of multimedia is the number of households that own a
multimedia computer, that is, a computer with a CD-ROM drive, audio card, and speakers. At the
end of 1992, less than 1 million households had a multimedia computer. In four years the number
of households grew to more than 24 million. Today we can say that all computers marketed today
are multimedia computers.
Another indication of the growth of the multimedia industry is the increase in the number of
multimedia applications. The number of CD-ROM applications increased from approximately
5000 in 1992 to more than 15000 in 1996. Today we can count hundreds of thousands of them.
The reason for the extraordinary growth of multimedia can be looked at from a marketing and a
user standpoint.

 Growth from a marketing standpoint

Price – economics tells us that as price declines, demand increases. The price of a multimedia
application fell from an average of $100 in 1992 to an average of $30 in 1996. Today their price
is significantly reduced and some of them can be downloaded for free from the internet. During a
similar period, the price of new computers capable of playing CDs dropped from around $2500 to
less than $1500. For people who owned a computer and wanted to upgrade it to play multimedia
CD applications (by adding CD-ROM drive, sound card, and speakers) the price dropped from
$1000 to less than $300. Today with a few hundred dollars you can buy a multimedia computer
with quite good parameters.
Hype – the computer industry saw multimedia as the next “killer application”. It would do for the
home computer market what desktop publishing did for the publishing industry – revolutionize it.
The potential size of the industry was compelling. Billions of dollars would be spent on hardware
components such as CD players, audio cards, video cards, and speakers as well as on software
programs, such as for authoring, animation, video, and sound editing. Companies geared up to
manufacture the components and software, trade associations were formed to develop standards
and advise the industry, and books and magazines on the subject were published to educate and
entertain. Graphic artists, instructional designers, video producers, programmers, and musicians
began to learn the new technology that would dramatically affect their profession.
Value added – most personal computers at work and home are used primarily for word processing,
a huge improvement over the typewriter, but hardly the best use of the technology. Now, with an
investment of a few hundred dollars, the computer can be changed into an entertainment center,
educational resource, and marketing tool. Adding value to an existing product is a way to enhance
its appeal.

 Growth from a user standpoint

User control – Multimedia empowers the user by giving the user control. And empowerment is
motivating. No longer must learning be someone lecturing at us in a mostly one-way passive
process. No longer are we constrained by the limitations of the printed page (instead of reading a
printed version linearly, we can hear the actual person deliver a famous speech and skip around it
at will). No longer do we have to manipulate (rewind or fast-forward) the device to find the desired
video clip. The user decides what information to access when to access it, and the way it will be
presented. The user decides if he or she needs to review once more or get additional help.

Individualization – Closely associated with user control is individualization, the ability of a

multimedia application to address different learning styles and needs. For example, say you are
learning Japanese using a computer-based tutorial. The program might allow you to hear how a
word is pronounced by simply clicking on it. You could display the English translation for selected
words, or run an animation that illustrates how the words are used in context; you could use a
Japanese word processing program to practice your writing skills. You can even use a microphone
to record your pronunciation heard on the computer. It is up to the user to decide how the material
is presented based on how he or she learns. One person may want to focus on listening skills while
another may want to practice vocabulary. Another form of individualization is adjusting the level
of difficulty based on user actions. This has long been a feature of video games. In a training
environment, the program could be designed to periodically quiz the user to determine how well
the material is being learned. Based on the user’s answers, the program would branch to easier or
more difficult lessons – individualization.
Action – Reading a book, listening to a lecture, and watching a videotape are somewhat passive
processes. Using a computer to play a flight simulator game or dissecting a frog in a virtual lab are
active processes. Consider this: You are using a multimedia application to study a Shakespearean
play. You begin by reading a passage from the play, then you choose to see the passage acted out
by viewing a digitized video clip of an actual performance. Finally, you decide to test your
knowledge of the passage by taking a quiz – and getting immediate feedback. Based on the
feedback, you decide to review the material again or go on to a new passage – an active process.

1.4 The Major Categories of Multimedia Applications

Multimedia applications can be divided into two major categories: linear and non-linear. The user
has no control over linear content (like movies in a cinema). While non-linear content provides for
the user interactivity to control progress. Hypermedia is an example of non-linear content.
Multimedia presentations can be live or recorded. Interactivity in a recorder presentation is handled
through a navigation system, while interactivity for a live multimedia presentation is done through
the interaction of a presenter. However, this is not the only difference between multimedia
applications.
It is useful to distinguish between different categories of multimedia, because creating a
multimedia application may vary depending on its category. For example, the use of animated
cartoon characters might be appropriate for a multimedia game, but inappropriate for a marketing
presentation. There are various ways to group multimedia applications. They could be classified
by market, such as education, entertainment, and reference. Moreover, many applications could
fall into more than one group. For example, an application that teaches a child how to spell by
using cartoon characters and providing rewards may be considered a game by the child and an
educational program by the parent.
For some of the following categories, a sample application can be found on the Multimedia in
Action CD. These applications are recognized as leaders in their respective categories. As you read
through this section, take a few moments to study each application to determine why it has been
successful.
Entertainment – Game developers were pioneers in the use of multimedia. From large arcade-
style video games to handheld Nintendo Game Boys, the focus has been on action and graphics.
The developer needs to attract, engage, captivate, and challenge the user. Multimedia developers
have taken the emphasis from pure action to action plus storytelling, from games to entertainment,
from the physical (hand/eye coordination) to the mental (solving the mystery, overcoming evil,
outwitting the opponent). Multimedia can incorporate fast cation, vivid colors, 3-D animations,
and elaborate sound effects that are essential to entertainment. It can also provide the rewards,
recognition, and sense of accomplishment that are often part of entertainment applications. “7th
Guest” is an interactive mystery in which you search for the secret of the 7 th Guest in a realistic 3-
D haunted house. It includes full-motion video of live action. Another successful multimedia
application is “Myst”. This game is an adventure that begins on an island and uses exploration as
a way for the player to experience the mysteries of the island.
Education – A goal of the educator is to facilitate learning – to help the student gain a body of
knowledge, acquire specific skills, and function successfully in society. One of the greatest
challenges to an educator is the diversity of students, especially in the different ways they learn.
Multimedia ca accommodate different learning styles: Some students learn better through
association, others by experimentation; some are more visually oriented and others are more
auditory. Multimedia can present material in the way we think – in a nonlinear manner. It lets us
review specific aspects as often as we like, skipping around as necessary. It is motivating, as it
allows the user to take charge of his or her learning. Multimedia can provide feedback, adjust the
level of difficulty, and evaluate skills. And it can make learning fun. “A.D.A.M” is a multimedia
anatomy program that includes extensive structure labeling, indicating, for example, specific
branches of veins and arteries, the entire lymph system, and individual ligaments. It includes more
than 18,000 structure identification labels.
Corporate Communications: 1) Marketing and training – The ultimate goal of a marketer is to
sell a product, service, or idea, usually through informing and persuading. First, however, the
marketer must attract attention to a message. Multimedia can accomplish this through the use of
sound, animation, and graphics and through addressing the specific needs of a target audience.
Companies now distribute their product catalogs on CD or online, allowing the buyer to customize
the product (change the color, accessories, and so on) and then order it. Certain magazines are now
published and distributed on CD rather than in print. Touch-screen kiosks are strategically placed
in shopping malls, retail stores, and car dealerships. Home pages on the World Wide Web provide
interactive, online shopping via the Internet. One example of marketing and multimedia is The
Merchant, which contains more than 20 catalogs including J.C Penney; L.L Bean, Spiegel, and
Target. It allows you to browse through a catalog and select the merchandise to view, including
size, color, and other information. It also displays the price and ordering procedure.
2)Presentation and training – Thousands of multimedia presentations are made in the business
world every day. Company CEOs give the annual report to a meeting of stockholders. Sales reps
pitch their product line to a group of potential customers. A conference keynote speaker tells an
audience about industry trends. From an electronic slide show to an interactive video display,
multimedia can enhance presentations. Multimedia gives the presenter a tool to attract and focus
the audience’s attention, reinforce key concepts, and enliven the presentation. Another form of
corporate communication involves training employees using multimedia-enhanced materials.
TRW, a large Ohio-based corporation, developed an interactive employee orientation CD that
includes company goals, history, products, and codes of conduct. The interactive CD, which
includes a video segment, provides an effective way for TRW to introduce new employees to the
company.
Reference – encyclopedias, census data, and Yellow Pages directories, are examples of reference
applications. In many cases, these are electronic versions of reference books. The challenge to the
developer is to make it easy for the user to find the desired information and to effectively use other
multimedia elements such as sound, video, and animation.
Edutainment – as the name suggests, edutainment is the combination of education and
entertainment. Many multimedia applications, especially children’s games fit this category.
Training – multimedia applications that focus on developing specific skills usually related to a
particular job are called training applications. The Boeing company has an entire training division
dedicated to developing multimedia applications that instruct mechanics and pilots on a new
aircraft system.
Recreation – hobbies and sports are examples of the types of applications that could be classified
as recreation. These often give the user a vicarious experience such as being able to play the most
famous golf courses in the world or simulate flying over 3D cityscapes.

1.5 The usage of Multimedia

Another problem in defining multimedia is in the very act itself. The implication is that multimedia
is often perceived as being distinct from traditional media and something that people jump to rather
than be involved in. Multimedia does not replace or obviate traditional disciplines and media.
Industries such as graphics, photography, publishing, music, video, computing, and electronics
have contributed to multimedia through their technological advances. Skills from these industries
are also necessary in the production of quality multimedia. Looking at it another way, digital
technologies are causing various media industries to borrow from and fuse.

Photography Publishing

Graphics Computing

Music Video/Film

Multimedia is properly described from its application and its content. The major categories for
multimedia are business, government, education, entertainment, and communication. Each has its
subset categories, as well.

Business Multimedia Communication

Markets

Government Entertainment

Education

Business – is a logical mainstream market for multimedia. Virtually all businesses need to
communicate. The nature of that communication varies from business to business. Communication
has traditionally been done verbally, in person, in print, with slide shows, and on video. Multimedia
can emulate each of these standard vehicles, as well as combine them in powerful ways.
Applications include sales/marketing presentations, trade-show productions, employee, training,
direct marketing, retail vending, and point-of-sale information.
One of the most sensitive business issues is advertising. Nowadays, everyone is influenced by
advertising or other forms of promotion. Organizations both of private and public sectors have
learned that the way to be successful is to communicate effectively and efficiently with their target
audience. Advertising is used to sell products and services, to promote causes, to promote political
candidates, and to deal with various social problems. Consumers find it increasingly difficult to
avoid market efforts that are constantly finding new ways to communicate with them.

Information /
communication
Business
Application

Presentations Retail

Trade Shows Training Direct marketing

The government – in the form of the military, is one of the earliest adopters of multimedia
technology. Laserdisc players under computer control have been used for various forms of military
training almost since the inception of that medium. Similarly, CD-ROMs have been used for
electronic documentation such as the massive service manuals for nuclear submarines. Laptop
computers outfitted for cellular communication were instrumental in the Persian Gulf War. As
these and other technologies converge, the military is likely to continue pushing multimedia to its
limits.
Multimedia and related technologies can also aid traditional government branches in the massive
load of administrative tasks and one-to-many interactions. Kiosks incorporating graphics, sound,
modems, and vending act as electronic agents for many state lotteries. The state of California
installed kiosks all over the state that accept payment for traffic tickets and renewed driver’s
licenses since 1995.
Education – is an extremely powerful application for multimedia. The value of supplementing dry
textbooks with films and video has been recognized for years. Multimedia not only offers the
ability to integrate this same audio-visual experience directly with text but adds the power of
interactivity. Students can learn at their own pace. They can be automatically tested for
comprehension at strategic points and seamlessly taken back through remedial lessons when
unacceptable results are detected. Interactivity allows the curious to easily take side trips to explore
related topics and content. Students can even assemble audio-visual reports from various media
relating to a homework topic (learning something about communication and production along the
way).
Reference materials can take on added dimension and effectiveness when imbued with technology.
Multimedia brings new paradigms to education. The term “edutainment” has been coined to
describe the embodiment of educational content in entertainment genres that appeal to a generation
raised on video games, arcades, television, etc. The transformation of information into a game or
music video can make virtually any subject more compelling
Even preschoolers are given e head start through interactive storybooks and virtual playgrounds
that promote exploration while teaching fundamentals such as morals, language, and association.
Such applications can mesmerize children for hours with much more meaningful results than
simple storytelling or TV viewing. The bad news is that funding for public schools and associated
technology is in crisis. The good news is that educational multimedia applications allow parents
to supplement their children’s learning process at home.
Consumer market – Home entertainment and the consumer market represent the Holy Grail of
multimedia. Edutainment crosses the line between education and entertainment. In addition to
edutainment, applications include video-on-demand, music-on-demand, games, reference tools,
interactive fiction, home shopping, and more. This market is now seeing meaningful movement,
with some computer game applications selling millions of copies. An important distinction is that
the emphasis in this market is on users as consumers of content, rather than on producers.

Entertainment
application

Hobby Home shopping

Games Interactive fiction

Reference

Communication – until quite recently, multimedia has primarily been confined to dedicated
hardware, and applications are usually developed to play on specific platforms. Multimedia and
communication technologies are plummeting inevitably toward one another. Their integration
impacts the areas of business, education, and entertainment equally and significantly.
Multimedia content primarily takes the form of digital data. Local-area and wide-area networks
communicate digital data as does the new generation of telephone and cable systems. Over the
next decade, speed and standards issues will disappear. Businesses will reap the benefits of
 multimedia mail, videoconferencing, and networked multimedia. Education in businesses, schools,
and homes will be empowered by distance learning and telepresence.

Direct government
interaction
Hobby
Communication
application
Business Consumer
Games Entertainment
information delivery
Reference
Education Everyday
communication
Distance learning Telepresence

Seeing that multimedia is applied in every field we can raise the question multimedia is an
evolution or a revolution. At first glance, multimedia may appear to be a revolution that occurred
almost overnight. In actuality, it represents the evolution and synergistic integration of digital
technology with various media. The important part of the story began with the popularization of
low-cost desktop computers in the early 1980s. while largely used for business tasks such as
databases, spreadsheets, word processing, and accounting, the computer also became a controller
for traditional media devices such as printers, slide projectors, video editors, and music
synthesizers. As technology advanced, many of these devices became digital – essentially
dedicated computers.
The human factor – one of the most important factors of multimedia is the human factor. the
people involved with multimedia can be categorized according to those who create it and those
who experience it. In this respect, it parallels other media. Movie studios make films for audiences
to view, just as publishers create magazines, newspapers, and books for mass consumption. As
technology becomes ambiguous, cheaper, and more powerful, however, it becomes more
accessible to those who have a need or desire to express themselves creatively in media. So, the
technology of media is accessible to anyone who has a message to convey. Multimedia technology
creates an incredible power of communication.
In reality, multimedia is not a substitute for talent. While many basic business presentations are
created by individuals, more ambitious projects typically require the skills of many individuals.
For this kind of project work group is required. The three orientations essential for multimedia
projects of any scope are creative, technical, and business. Creative talent is necessary to make the
message more compelling. Technical skills (or willingness to develop them) are required to
transform creative desires into reality. And business savvy is necessary to ensure that the message
hits its mark while the production budgets remain fluid. Many people have a combination of two
or three of these orientations. Envision a triangle with creativity, technology, and business at the
three corners. You should be able to place yourself at any point within this space that represents
your balance of mindsets. This same model is also helpful in visualizing the talents of others.

Technology

Creativity Business Knowledge

Graphics
Text
Video
Audio
Programming

Communication
Production

Multimedia adds various strata that represent media and disciplines. Depending on the project,
those strata can include graphics, text, audio, video, computing, marketing, and overall production.
Adding these strata to the triangle model makes it possible to position one’s disciplinary attributes
as multiple points within this space. It also serves as an excellent model in which to evaluate the
attributes of others in terms of team needs for a given project.
We can find multimedia products everywhere, from the simplest ones to the complicated ones.
The greater the need for qualitative and aesthetic products the more talent is required. There is a
small group of people who are experts in many disciplines. These individuals are usually the best
multimedia producers and visionaries. In sophisticated projects, they employ other talents as their
team members to accomplish and develop different parts of the multimedia project, where parallel
production of processes is often required due to limited time.

1.6 Delivering Multimedia

Until now we have focused on how multimedia applications can be classified. In this section, you
will learn about different ways to deliver multimedia.
Compact Disc – the growth of multimedia was often expressed in terms of the growth of CD
applications. CDs are a popular medium because they can hold substantial amounts of data,
including sound and video. They are relatively inexpensive; easy to mass produce, distribute, and
transport; and they take up little retail shelf space. In addition, it is common for computers now to
be sold with CD-ROM drives, sound cards, and speakers.
Kiosk – a kiosk is a stand-alone or networked computer system that allows the user to access
information, perform transactions, and even play games. Examples are college informational
kiosks that students use to learn about academic programs, print out schedules and transcripts, and
access a campus map; retail store kiosks that allow customers to locate merchandise, print out
coupons, and purchase products; and museum kiosks that allow the user to locate specific works
of art, view parts of a collection that are not on display, and obtain detailed information about the
artists. Kiosks are useful in disseminating information, especially in high-traffic areas, providing
value-added services to customers (convenience), and reducing personnel costs. They are
expensive because of the investment in hardware and require continual updating of the content.

Online - One of the fastest-growing areas for multimedia delivery is online, which includes
telecommunications and the Internet. Telecommunications involving phone lines, satellite, and
cable transmission are being used by educational institutions to deliver multimedia courseware to
rural areas, and by companies for teleconferencing and training. The use of the Internet is growing
exponentially. Companies are developing home pages for the World Wide Web (WWW) that
allow customers to purchase products, access product information including video demonstrations,
and even subscribe to real-time multimedia events such as rock concerts.

1.7 Inappropriate Use of Multimedia

Despite the advantages, it is not always appropriate to use multimedia. The following section
outlines some considerations.
Test-intensive Content - Reading large amounts of text on a computer screen is tedious and tiring,
both physically and mentally. Placing a book on a CD and expecting the user to read it “from cover
to cover” is not realistic. Developing interactive books, on the other hand, in which the user
becomes an active participant and can make choices that affect the storyline and outcome can be
effective. Similarly, multimedia reference applications can contain a great deal of text: by allowing
the user control over the content and by adding other elements (such as animation, sound, and
video), they can overcome the drawbacks of being text intensive.
Linear Content - Watching a movie or any digitized video from beginning to end is not
multimedia. Here is an example of an inappropriate use of video: A company wanted to showcase
its high-tech image by sending out invitations on CD to an upcoming conference. The content of
the CD was a well-developed, 10-minute video played in a small window on a computer screen
with poor resolution and no user control. How many potential conference attendees will have
multimedia playback computers? Will the user want to watch 10 minutes of poor-quality video on
a computer screen? Will the user be impressed with the company’s attempt at creating a “high-
tech” image? A better approach would be to allow the user to choose from a menu that includes
company background, interviews, product demonstrations, and so on, and then play a short video
clip appropriate for the choice.
Although the allure of multimedia is substantial, developers must weigh the development time and
the costs of alternatives. Can the communication objectives be accomplished more effectively
and/or inexpensively using another process? Is there time to develop a compelling application?
Could a presenter simply use overhead transparencies? Could a company distribute videotapes
(virtually everyone has access to a VCR) rather than CDs to deliver its message?
Even with all of its advantages, multimedia cannot make up for a lack of content, poor design,
targeting the wrong audience, or delivery by a mediocre presenter.