Multimedia

Chapter-2

Multimedia Elements

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Multimedia Elements
 Text
 Images
 Audio
 Video
 Graphics & Animation

 Text and Static Data

Text is the basic element of multimedia.

• Source: keyboard, speech input, optical character recognition, data stored on disk.
• Stored and input character by character:
– Storage of text is 1 byte per character.
e.g. ASCII.
• For other forms of data (e.g. Spreadsheet files). May store as text (with formatting) or
may use binary encoding.
• Formatted Text:
- Raw text or formatted text e.g HTML, Rich Text Format (RTF)
- Word or a program language source (C, Java)
• Size Not significant w.r.t. other Multimedia data formats.
• Compression: convenient to bundle files for archiving and transmission of larger files.
E.g. Zip.

Text File Formats

DOC/DOCX:

 Microsoft's Word (word processing) software saves documents using

the .doc filename extension.

 .doc file format was superceded in Word 2007 with the .docx filename

extension.

TXT:

 TXT documents only contain text.

 It uses .txt filename extensions.

 Any computer can read a txt file, but don't expect it to look pretty.

 The Notepad text editor included with Windows defaults to creating txt documents.

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HTML
 Stands for Hyper Text Markup Language

 It use either .htm or .html filename extensions

 HTML files contain codes that browsers, like Internet Explorer or Safari, translate into

Web pages.

PDF
 PDF Stands for Portable Document Format

 PDF files use a .pdf filename extension

 These files are created using a software package from Adobe called Acrobat.

RTF
 RTF stands for Rich Text Format

 It uses .rtf filename extensions.

 .rtf documents are designed to transfer documents between word processes in

software.

 Images

• Still pictures which (uncompressed) are represented as a bitmap (a grid of pixels).

• Still images are drawn in one of two ways:

- Bitmapped Images

- Vector-drawn images

• Input: digitally scanned photographs/pictures using a digital scanner or from a digital

camera.

• Stored at 1 bit per pixel (Black and White), 8 Bits per pixel (Grey Scale, Colour Map) or

24 Bits per pixel (True Colour)

• Size: a 512x512 Grey scale image takes up 1/4 MB, a 512x512. 24 bit image takes 3/4

MB with no compression.

• Can usually only edit individual or groups of pixels in an image editing application, e.g.

Photoshop.

Image File Formats

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GIF

 Stands for Graphic Interchange Format.

 It uses .gif filename extension.

 Uses lossless compression technique.

 Supports 8 bit colors and supported by all browsers.

 Suitable for text, artwork , icons and cartoons.

JPEG/JFIF

 Stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group.

 It uses .jpg or .jpeg filename extension.
 Uses lossy compression technique.
 JPEG-compressed images are usually stored in the JFIF (JPEG File Interchange Format)
file format.
 Supports 24-bit colors and supported by all browser.
 Suitable for photographs.
PNG

 PNG stands for Portable Network Graphics.

 It uses .png filename extension.

 Uses lossless compression technique.

 It supports 24-bits colors but not supported by all browsers

 Suitable for text , icons etc.

TIFF

 TiFF stands for Tagged Image File Format.

 It uses .tif or .tiff filename extension.

 These files are uncompressed true color images.

 These files can be opened by many graphics programs including xv, Lview, and

Photoshop.

WMF

 WMF files are Windows MetaFiles that can be opened by Canvas.

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 It uses .wmf filename extension.

PICT

 A PICT file is a standard Macintosh image file format and can be either a raster image

or a vector image, depending on the program that created it.

 It uses .pict filename extension.

BMP

 BMP files are Windows Bitmap files.

 It uses .bmp filename extension.

 BMP files can be used as backgrounds for the windows desktop.

 They are usually 8-bit color images (256 colors) and can be viewed by many programs

including Windows Paintbrush.

PCX

 A PCX is a Zsoft paint file. PCXs are openable by Windows Paintbrush.

 It uses .pcx filename extension.

PSD

 PSD signifies an Adobe Photoshop graphic file.

 They are openable on Pentium and Macintosh systems by Adobe Photoshop.

 It uses .psd filename extension.

 Audio

 Audio signals are continuous analog signals.

 Input: microphones and then digitised and stored

 CD Quality Audio requires 16-bit sampling at 44.1 KHz, Even higher audiophile rates

(e.g. 24-bit, 96 KHz)

 1 Minute of Mono CD quality (uncompressed) audio requires 5 MB.

 1 Minute of Stereo CD quality (uncompressed) audio requires 10 MB.

 Usually compressed (E.g. MP3, AAC, Flac,Ogg Vorbis).

Audio File Formats

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WAVE

 Wave stands for Resource Interchange File Format Waveform.

 WAVE uses .wav filename extension.

 This file format is a proprietary format that was sponsored jointly by Microsoft and

IBM.

AU

 An AU is an audio sound file native to Sun workstations.

 It is playable by wplany on Pentium computers or with Netscape's built-in AU player.

 AU uses .au filename extension.

QuickTime

 A QuickTime movie can contain just sound and no video.

 Any program that can play QuickTime can play QT sound files.

 It uses .qt filename extension.

SND

 An SND is a Macintosh clickable sound format.

 It is playable on any Macintosh and on Pentium computers with wplany.

 It uses .snd filename extension.

VOC

 VOC (voice) files were originally popularized by Creative Labs.

 They are sound files similar to WAV.

 These files are openable on Pentium computers with wplany.

 It uses .voc filename extension.

MIDI

 MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface.

 MIDI files are very small, but are not compressed.

 It uses .mid or .midi filename extension.

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 A 10KB (10,000 storage locations) MIDI file could easily hold more than a minute of

music.

WMA

 WMA stands for Windows Media Audio.

 WMA uses .wma filename extension.

 The WMA audio file format uses lossless compression.

 It is non-propriety MP3 format for saving and storing music files.

 WMA file formats use a loss compression developed by Microsoft and is widely

recognized by a variety of players and jukeboxes, like Winamp and Music Match.

AIFF

 AIFF stands for Audio Integrated File Format

 It uses .aiff file extension.

 AIFF is the native audio file format developed by Apple for the Macintosh computer

platform.

 It is an uncompressed audio format.

ACC

 ACC stands for Advanced Audio Coding

 It uses .aac file extension.

 Intended to be the successor to MP3 format, AAC generally has better audio quality

and is the default format for many digital audio players like the iPod, iPhone, iPad,

Nintendo DS and others.

 Video

 Input: Analog Video is usually captured by a video camera and then digitised.

 There are a variety of video (analog and digital) formats

 Raw video can be regarded as being a series of single images.

There are typically 25, 30 or 50 frames per second.

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 E.g. A 512 X 512 size monochrome video images take

25 X 0:25 = 6.25MB for a second to store uncompressed.

 Typical PAL digital video (720 X 576 pixels per colour frame) approximately1:24 X 25

= 31MB for a second to store uncompressed.

 High Definition video on Blu-ray (up to 1920 X 1080 = 2 Megapixels per frame)

approximately 6:2 X 25 = 155MB for a second to store uncompressed.

(There are higher possible frame rates!)

 Digital video clearly needs to be compressed for most times.

Video File Formats

MPEG

 Stands for Motion Picture Experts Group.

 MPEG files are also a common format for digital videos and movies.

 It uses .mpg or .mpeg filename extensions.

 The latest MPEG version, MPEG4, uses the .mp4 filename extension.

MOV

 MOV stands for QuickTime Movie.

 The QuickTime video and movie file format was originally developed for the Apple

Macintosh.

 But MOV is now recognized by all personal computers.

 QuickTime movies use the .mov filename extension.

 .qt filename extension used as an alternative.

AVI

 AVI stands for Audio/Video Interleave.

 The AVI video and movie file format was originally developed by Microsoft for

Windows-based personal computers.

 It uses the .avi filename extension.

 It is the nominal standard for personal computers using Windows.

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WMV

 WMV Stands for Windows Media Video.

 WMV file formats are propriety to Microsoft licensed products.

 WMV are not widely recognized by non-Windows players.

 Windows Media Video files use a .wmv filename extension.

 Files stored in this format are intended to be played, not edited.

Real Video

 RealVideo is a proprietary file format

 It uses .rm, .ram, .ra as file extensions

 Used mainly for real-time streaming of audio and video it requires RealPlayer

(Windows and Mac) software.

SWF

 SWF stands for Originally ShockWave Flash, now means Small Web Format.

 SWF files uses .swf file extension.

 It is a format for multimedia, vector graphics and ActionScript in the Adobe Flash

environment.

 SWF files can contain animations or applets of varying degrees of interactivity and

function.

 Currently, SWF functions are the dominant format for displaying "animated" vector

graphics on the Web.

 Graphics & Animation

 Format: constructed by the composition of primitive objects such as lines, polygons,

circles, curves and arcs.

 Input: Graphics are usually generated by a graphics editor program (e.g. Illustrator,

Freehand) or automatically by a program (e.g. Postscript).

 Graphics input devices: keyboard (for text and cursor control), mouse, track ball or

graphics tablet.

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 Graphics are usually selectable and editable or revisable (unlike images)

 Graphics files usually store the primitive assembly.

 Do not take up a very high storage overhead.

 Graphics standards : OpenGL - Open Graphics Library,GKS,PIGHS a standard

specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that

produce 2D/3D graphics.

 Animation: can be generated via a sequence of slightly changed graphics

– 2D animation: e.g. Flash - Key frame interpolation.

– tweening: motion, shape

File Formats :

.swi: Animation Swish Format

.swf: Flash and Shockwave

.gif: Graphics Interchange Format

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