Understanding

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lesson 23
Understanding Multimedia
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• This lesson includes the following sections
• Multimedia, Interactivity, and New Media
• Information in Layers and Dimensions
• Hardware Considerations for Multimedia
• Applications for Multimedia

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Multimedia, Interactivity, and New Media Defined

• Multimedia
• Interactivity
• New Media and Digital Convergence

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Multimedia, Interactivity, and New Media Defined
- Multimedia

• A medium is a way of conveying information.
  Speech is one medium, text is another.
• There are many kinds of unique media. ("Media"
  is the plural of "medium.")
• Multimedia is the use of more than one type of
  medium at the same time to convey a message or
  information.
• A lecture presented along with slides is an
  example of a simple multimedia event.

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Multimedia, Interactivity, and New Media Defined
- Interactivity

• Like television, a PC can present many media
  types simultaneously. For example, text,
  animation, music, and narration can all play at
  one time.
• TV is not interactive it only delivers content.
  The PC enables the use of interactive multimedia
  such as games and reference products.
• Interactivity means that the user and program
  respond to one another. The program provides an
  ever-changing array of choices, which the user
  selects to direct the flow of the program.

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Multimedia, Interactivity, and New Media Defined
- New Media and Digital Convergence

• "New media" is a term that encompasses all types
  of interactive multimedia technologies.
• New media bring together not only multimedia
  content, but delivery technologies such as cable,
  telephone lines, networks, and the Internet.
• New media is based on the concept of digital
  convergence, which means many different
  technologies can be used together to deliver
  different types of content in one digital stream.

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Information in Layers and Dimensions

• The Importance of Content
• Hypermedia and Navigation

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Information in Layers and Dimensions - The
Importance of Content

• The purpose of multimedia is to make information
  (content) more interesting, compelling, or
  enjoyable, as well as easy to navigate.
• Multimedia technologies give users choices of the
  type of content that is presented, and the manner
  in which it is presented.
• Regardless of the technologies used in
  multimedia, the primary focus is on providing
  high-quality content.

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Information in Layers and Dimensions -
Hypermedia and Navigation

• The process of moving through electronic
  information is called navigation.
• Well designed multimedia products provide a
  variety of methods for the user to navigate and
  choose content. Multimedia navigation is based
  on hypermedia.
• Hypermedia allows different types of content to
  be linked together. By choosing a hyperlink, WWW
  users jump to a new web page or multimedia
  feature.

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external links
REWIND BACK 1 STOP PAUSE ADV.1 PLAY F-FWD
Navigation buttons for embedded media on this site
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Hardware Considerations for Multimedia

• Most new PCs are multimedia-capable, featuring
  all the hardware required to play back multimedia
  content.
• To play multimedia content, a PC needs (at the
  very least) a sound card, speakers, and a CD-ROM
  or DVD-ROM drive. A large hard disk and lots of
  RAM are also helpful.
• New PCs must meet requirements set in the PC 97
  or PC 99 standard to be considered
  multimedia-compliant.

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Applications for Multimedia

• In the School
• In the Workplace
• In the Home

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Applications for Multimedia - In the School

• Many types of multimedia tools are being used in
  schools, from CD-based reference products, to
  games, to online collaboration.
• Distance learning technologies allow schools to
  provide courses online, over the Internet. These
  online learning environments are called virtual
  universities.

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Applications for Multimedia In the Workplace

• Companies are increasingly using multimedia for
  sales, marketing, and training.
• Using computer-based training (CBT) products,
  companies can quickly and cost-effectively teach
  employees new skills.
• Because multimedia content can be distributed
  over the Web, many companies have developed
  online outlets which enable customers to view and
  purchase products from their PC.

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Applications for Multimedia - In the Home
In the home, multimedia products are used largely
for the following purposes

• Reference materials
• Self-help and instruction
• Entertainment

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lesson 23 Review

• Define multimedia, interactivity, and new media.
• Explain how different types of media are used to
  create multimedia events.
• List three essential hardware components for a
  multimedia-capable PC.
• Name four specific uses for multimedia products.