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WHAT IS MULTIMEDIA? The term multimedia refers broadly to information in different formats: text, still images, sound, music, video and animation. According to some definitions, multimedia describes an integrated presentation, which combines at least three of those elements in a single integrated delivery system. Sometimes the term desktop multimedia is used to focus multimedia to computer-based applications. Another much used term is hypermedia. The term hypermedia refers to the information structure of the content. If the texts, pictures and sounds are linked to each other by associative links the application may be called hypermedia. Note: Many multimedia applications are hypermedia in nature, but all hypermedia is not necessarily multimedia, and a multimedia application is not necessarily hypermedia application. Multimedia is not a pedagogical idea or something that does wonders from nothing. Multimedia is just a way to deliver the message. If there is no message, all you can do with multimedia is a nice package for nothing. If you want to evaluate or investigate multimedia applications in a more professional way for your future action, a good way to start is to step into the shoes of a multimedia producer or programmer and look at multimedia from their point of view. In general, by using multimedia in your applications you can produce applications that are: • Efficient -you can replace information you read with information you can see and hear, such as a video clip. • Direct -you can deliver information using the best medium, such as a language-teaching application that plays a native speaker’s voice to demonstrate pronunciation. • Interactive - It is easier to construct genuine and multilevel user interaction with pictures and sounds than with plain text only. WHY MULTIMEDIA ON A PC APPLICATION? The content of multimedia applications is based on different types of media. Proper use of different media types is a key to the smoothness, usability and true interaction of multimedia application. Choosing the right media type has a great effect on the message and its reception. Text Text often shapes the content of a multimedia title. On the other hand, large amounts of text data can be a sign of a "converted book", not a true multimedia design. Technically speaking a text medium is easy to handle and store. Common file formats for text data are *.TXT, *.RTF and *. DOC. As a rule texts should be brief and a font should be easy to read on the computer screen. Graphics Graphics shape the design of a multimedia title, adding visual appeal and expressing concepts that text alone cannot easily communicate. Graphics is a more complex medium than text. You have to deal with a number of colors and screen resolutions. You can scan graphics from the printed materials or create them on a computer and then save them in the appropriate file format. Graphics files tend to be quite large. A single color picture for the computer screen can easily fill up several HD diskettes. However, applications from the entertainment side of the business have established high quality graphics and photo realistic images as basic elements of all multimedia applications. Common file formats for graphics are *.BMP, *.TIF, *.GIF and *.JPG. Sound Sound can refer to speech, sound effects, or music. You can use spoken words to complement written text, music and sound effects to create a mood, add emphasis or signal interactivity. Technically, dealing with sound is comparable to dealing with graphics. With recorded (digitized) sound you have to deal with sound quality and storage capacity. Music can mean "recorded songs", or the computer can imitate instruments and produce synthesized (MIDI) music. MIDI music occupies little storage space, but the actual sound output varies depending on the sound card. Common file formats for digitized sound are *.wav, *.au and *.snd. The MIDI music file type is *. mid. Video Digitized video offers a level of authenticity similar to television or movies - with some performance limitations. With video you can show tasks and events that words and graphics are inadequate to explain. Producing high quality video clips is a hard and time-consuming job. The current PC performance for video playback is limited, and the maximum video size for a decent quality is smaller than a post card.
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