MultimediaMultimedia is the term used to describe two or more types of media combined into a single package—usually denoting a combination of some or all of the following: video, sound, animation, text, and pictures. Multimedia gives the user the opportunity to influence the presentation of material. The selection and manipulation of various aspects of the presentation material is the interactive aspect of a multimedia presentation. Interactive features could range from a question-and-answer function to choosing from a menu of particular subjects or aspects of a presentation. One application of multimedia, for example, involves presenting the user with a “what if” scenario, in which the choices the user makes affect the outcome of the presentation. This affords the user a degree of control, not unlike directing a motion picture and having the opportunity to make changes to the plot at various junctures. Show
TYPES OF MEDIAThere are certain types of media used in multimedia presentations, from simple to complex visual and audio devices. Multimedia components are divided into:
ANALOG AND DIGITAL MEDIAAnalog media saves sounds, pictures, and text in non-electronic forms. This can include more traditional types of media, such as cassette tapes, records, and videocassettes, which use waves to transmit information. Analog equipment is generally more specialized than digital. Analog devices rely on tape recorders, video cameras, and older playback equipment to edit their contents. Digital media transmits the information recorded in the waves into a more flexible format, namely, digitized code that can be transferred across a variety of devices, such as computers, internet systems, digital cameras, and more. Scanners, sound cards, and video compression are all used to record these types of media. Businesses currently use digital media most often in their multimedia applications, such as:
THE MECHANICS OF DIGITAL MULTIMEDIAThe CD-ROM and its successor, the DVD-ROM, store data in the form of a binary code. The binary code is placed onto the discs by a stamping process that impresses lands (flat areas that represent the zero in binary code) and hollows (pits that represent the one in binary code) onto the surface of the disc. When the discs are placed into a player or computer drive, the playing mechanism spins the disc and flashes a laser beam over the surface of the disc. The reflected light patterns caused by the embossed data contained on the surface of the disc are then decoded by the reader/player and translated back into audio and video. The storage capacity of a CDROM disc is 635 megabytes, while the storage capacity of a DVD-ROM disc can be as great as 5.2 gigabytes. Since sound, graphics, and other visuals take up considerably more data space than text alone, the increased storage capacities of the CD-ROM and DVD-ROM discs have played an integral part in making the use of multimedia more commonplace. The durability, portability, and relatively low manufacturing cost of the discs also play a critical role in their proliferation. While the Read Only Memory (ROM) format is still the most common for both CDs and DVDs, today recordable disc drives are widely available to enable users to “burn” data (write, erase, and/or rewrite data) to a disc on their own. RICH MEDIARich media is a term referring to digital, interactive multimedia programs, the newest type of multimedia, most often found online via company Web sites or social networks. Rich media involves a combination of sound, pictures, animations, and video with integrated interactivity so that users, by pointing and clicking, can access online information as they desire. Rich media, because of its use of video and animation, can be built in two different formats. The first type is downloadable, which means Internet users can download the presentation and view it with a media player of their own, such as Apple's Quick-Time, Microsoft's Media Player, or Real Network's Real-Player. The second type of rich media is embedded into a Web site, meaning that it does not need to be downloaded, only accessed by the online user. This involves more cost on the producer's part, but makes it easier for users to have a seamless, interactive experience. As the use of rich media increases, so do the benefits and complications. More and more companies are making use of rich media as marketing tools and training programs. However, downloadable media is dependent on its format, and problems can arise when transmitting rich media from one player to another. Animations and audio files may play differently from one media player to another. A successful rich media presentation will be interesting, informative, and easily accessed by any user. HYPERMEDIAHypermedia, used in online multimedia presentations such as rich media, refers to the hyperlinks embedded in visual media. When a customer or employee clicks on a Web site link to learn more about a subject or choose a certain option, this is an example of hypermedia. It is ideal as a tool for allocating information on appropriate levels, giving users knowledge in pertinent pieces. These types of nonlinear interaction are becoming increasingly common in the business world. As more people internationally gain access to hypermedia, companies are beginning to develop multimedia presentations to communicate their visions, opportunities, outsource training, and updates. USES OF MULTIMEDIAMultimedia devices have an almost innumerable variety of applications. They are used in home-entertainment systems and can be extremely powerful educational tools. Educators, for example, have been exceptionally creative in combining some of the exciting elements of video-game applications with select features of educational material. By doing this, the concept of “edutainment” was created. The goal of using the multimedia edutainment approach is to entertain the user so effectively that the user remains unaware that he or she is actually learning in the process. Multimedia can also offer critical services in the business world. While information can certainly be conveyed adequately by the singular use of still pictures, video, film, audio, or text, multimedia potentially multiplies the degree of effectiveness, in no small part due to the added entertainment value and the extent to which the viewers feel a part of the action. Such benefits can't easily be matched by the application of a singular medium. The effectiveness of teaching, selling, informing, entertaining, promoting, and presenting are all dependent upon one factor: the ability of the presented material to hold the attention of the desired audience. A dynamic multimedia presentation can usually be more effective than earlier methods at accomplishing this task with an audience that was raised on television and motion pictures. The computerized multimedia presentation offers the added benefit of cost-effective flexibility, allowing easy editing of the basic materials in order to tailor them to specific target audiences. Training, informational and promotional materials, sales presentations, and point-of-sale displays that allow for customer interaction and communication both within and outside the organization are all common applications of multimedia in the business world. Multimedia presentations for many such applications can be highly portable, particularly in the cases of the CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and videotape. The equipment required to produce these presentations is relatively commonplace or otherwise easy to access. Perhaps the vanguard application of multimedia is virtual reality, a combination of video, stereo, and computer graphics that attempts to create an interactive three-dimensional environment that immerses the user within the simulation. Virtual reality has been employed in a wide range of practical applications: to train military troops, to streamline manufacturing and architectural design processes, to create simulated test environments for industry, and as a form of public entertainment. One should still keep in mind, however, that even if rendered in a highly advanced multimedia format, an ineffectual presentation is still an ineffectual presentation. One should remain focused on the message being conveyed while shaping the choice and use of materials in accordance with that message. SEE ALSO Technology Management; Training Delivery Methods BIBLIOGRAPHY“Hypertext and Hypermedia: Definition.” New Jersey Institute of Technology, 2008. Available from: http://www.cis.njit.edu/~bieber/pub/cs-encyclopedia/hypertext.html. Li, Nian-Ze, and Mark S. Drew. Fundamentals of Multimedia. New York: Prentice Hall, 2003. Mayer, Richard E. Multimedia Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. “Multimedia Uses.” Woodridge Data Solutions, Inc., 2008. Available from: http://www.wdsi.ca/multimedia/mm-uses.htm. “What is rich media and how can I learn more about its accessibility?” University of Washington, 2008. Available from: http://www.washington.edu/accessit/articles?146. What do you call a multimedia resource in which there is a combination of moving pictures with image and sound?Video Presentations
Video presents moving pictures and typically combines images and sound for a compelling multimedia experience.
Which among the elements of media is a combination of audio and visual?In common usage, multimedia refers to an electronically delivered combination of media including video, still images, audio, and text in such a way that can be accessed interactively.
Which multimedia elements move or change like video audio and animation?Text and images are static objects, whereas audio, video and animations are dynamic objects that move or change.
How are the elements of media combined to form a multimedia?There are seven elements - text, graphics, photographs, sound, animation, video and interactivity - that can be included in a multimedia presentation. A TRUE multimedia presentation combines all of these elements.
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