Fundamentals of Multimedia

Abstract

This chapter introduces multimedia, defined as interacting with information that employs most or all of the media: text, graphics, images, audio, and video. Students and faculty need to learn to create and use high-quality multimedia documents, including references, lecture materials, reports, and term papers. The authors provide a framework for understanding multimedia in its rapidly changing context. They discuss a wide spectrum of multimedia end-user devices that range from smart cell phones and powerful PCs to intelligent cars and homes. They also propose a vision of pervasive multimedia any time and anyplace, and discuss related issues, controversies, and problems. Typical problems are excessive complexity and a plethora of choices that paralyze many potential users. The chapter concludes with a discussion of possible solutions to major problems and probable future trends.