Mohammed AM Dwikat

CIS Department

dwikatmo@najah.edu
To discuss

Course Issues
Multimedia-Definitions
Multimedia Systems
Data Stream & continuous media
Streaming Media
Multimedia - Applications

Multimedia I 2
Course Issues
Course Home
Zajel.najah.edu

Text Books

1) Ze-Nian Li & Mark S. Drew, "Fundamentals of Multimedia,Pearson Education, 2004

2) Steinmetz R & Nahrstedt K, Multimedia: Computing, Communication &

Applications, Pearson Education, 2001
In Addition to reference books, Additional readings & the class notes will be posted
on the course page on a irrregular basis.

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Multimedia- Definitions
Multi - many; much; multiple
Medium - a substance regarded as the means of transmission
of a force or effect; a channel or system of communication,
information, or entertainment
(Merriam-Webster Dictionary )

So, Multimedia???
The terms Multi & Medium dont seem fit well
Term Medium needs more clarification !!!

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Multimedia- Definitions 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 for Storage Transmission
defining multimedia
Information
Exchange

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Multimedia- Definitions
Time always takes separate dimension in the media
representation
Based on time-dimension in the representation space, media
can be
Time-independent (Discrete)
Text, Graphics
Time dependent (Continuous)
Audio, Video
Video, sequence of frames (images) presented to the user periodically.
Time dependent aperiodic media is not continuous!!
Discrete & Continuous here has no connection with internal
representation !! (relates to the viewers impression)

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Multimedia- Definitions
Multimedia is any combination of digitally manipulated text, art,
sound, animation and video.
A more strict version of the definition of multimedia do not
allow just any combination of media.
It requires
Both continuous & discrete media to be utilized
Significant level of independence between media being used
The less stricter version of the definition is used in practice.

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Multimedia- Definitions
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.

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Multimedia- Definitions
By defining 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

Multimedia I 9
Multimedia- Definitions
Multimedia is interactive when the end-user is allowed to control
what and when the elements are delivered.

Interactive Multimedia is Hypermedia, when the end-user is

provided with the structure of linked elements through which
he/she can navigate.

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Multimedia- Definitions
Multimedia is linear, when it is not interactive and the users just sit
and watch as if it is a movie.

Multimedia is nonlinear, when the users are given the navigational

control and can browse the contents at will.

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Multimedia Application Definition
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.

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What is Hypertext and Hypermedia?
Hypertext is a text which contains links to other texts.

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 Hypertext is therefore usually non-linear (as indicated below).

09-Jan-07 14
Hypermedia
HyperMedia is not constrained to be text-based. It can include
other media, e.g., graphics, images, and especially the continuous
media sound and video.

09-Jan-07 15
Example Hypermedia Applications?
The World Wide Web (WWW) is the best example of
hypermedia
applications.
PowerPoint
Adobe Acrobat
Macromedia Director
Many Others?

09-Jan-07 16
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

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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.

Multimedia I 18
Characteristics of a Multimedia System
A Multimedia system has four basic 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.

Multimedia I 19
Multimedia Authoring: Systems and
Applications
An Authoring System is
a program which has pre-
programmed elements for the development of
interactive multimedia software titles.
Authoring systems vary widely
orientation,
capabilities, and
learning curve.

09-Jan-07 20
Why should you use an authoring system?

can speed up programming possibly content development and delivery

about 1/8th
However, the content creation (graphics, text, video, audio, animation, etc.)
not affected by choice of authoring system;
time gains accelerated prototyping

09-Jan-07 21
Authoring Vs Programming
Big distinction between Programming and Authoring.
Authoring
assembly of Multimedia
possibly high level graphical interface design
some high level scripting.
Programming
involves low level assembly of Multimedia
construction and control of Multimedia
involves real languages like C and

09-Jan-07 22
Multimedia Authoring Paradigms / Metaphors
The authoring paradigm, or authoring metaphor, is the
methodology by which the authoring system accomplishes its
task.
Scripting Language -Lingo scripting
Iconic/Flow Control -Authorware
Frame -Quest
Card/Scripting
Cast/Score/Scripting Macromedia Director/Flash
Hypermedia Linkage
Tagging SMIL (Synchronized Media Integration Language)

09-Jan-07 23
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

Multimedia I 24
 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

Multimedia I 25
Characterizing continuous media streams
Periodicity
Strongly Periodic Data Stream
Constant time interval
Minimum jitter
e.g. PCM encoded voice in telephone systems
Pulse-code modulation coded speech in telephony behaves this way.

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Weakly Periodic Data Stream
Duration of time intervals between neighboring packets is a function with
finite period duration.
Time intervals between neighboring packets is not constant.

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Non-Periodic Data Streams

Other possibilities
e.g. mouse movement on white boards of the screen in video
conferences

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Characterizing continuous media streams
Contiguous packets
Are contiguous packets are transmitted directly one after
another/ any delay?
Can be seen as the utilization of resource
Connected / unconnected data streams

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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

Multimedia I 30
Streaming Media

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Multimedia- Applications
Multimedia plays major role in following areas
Instruction
Business
Advertisements
Training materials
Presentations
Customer support services
Entertainment
Interactive Games

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Multimedia- Applications
Enabling Technology
Accessibility to web based materials
Teaching-learning disabled children & adults

Fine Arts & Humanities

Museum tours
Art exhibitions
Presentations of literature

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Multimedia- Applications

In Medicine

Source:
Cardiac Imaging,
YALE centre for
advanced cardiac
imaging

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Multimedia- Applications

In training

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Multimedia- Applications

Public awareness
campaign

Source
Interactive Multimedia Project
Department of food science&
nutrition, Colorado State Univ

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