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Chapter 7: Making Multimedia

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What You Need: Hardware

  • The most significant platforms for producing and delivering multimedia projects are the Macintosh operating system and Microsoft Windows.
  • The Macintosh as well as the Windows PC offer a combination of affordability, and software and hardware availability.

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What You Need: Hardware (continued)

  • Detailed and animated multimedia can also be created on specialized workstations from Silicon Graphics and Sun Microsystems.
  • Projects must be tested to ensure proper performance in all target environments.

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  • Windows vs. Macintosh
    • The Microsoft Windows operating system can run on assemblages of hardware from countless manufacturers.
    • Apple Computer produces both the computer and the operating system.

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What You Need: Hardware (continued)

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  • Networking Macintosh and Windows�computers
    • Local area networks (LANs) connect computers �that are close to each other. They are relatively�less expensive.
      • Ethernet is the most common networking�technology.
      • Client/server software allows computers �to communicate.

What You Need: Hardware (continued)

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  • Networking Macintosh and Windows�computers (continued)
    • Wide area networks (WANs) connect computers�over a diverse geographical area. Typically set up�and managed by large corporations, WANs are�expensive to install and maintain.
      • Internet service providers (ISPs) connect�computers to the internet via a WAN.

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What You Need: Hardware (continued)

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  • Connections
    • Small Computer System Interface (SCSI)
    • Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE)
    • Universal Serial Bus (USB)
    • FireWire (IEEE 1394)

What You Need: Hardware (continued)

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  • SCSI:
    • Connects internal and external peripheral�equipment and devices
    • Is preferred for real-time video editing, network�servers, and situations that require mirroring.

What You Need: Hardware (continued)

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  • IDE:
    • Connections are also known as Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA).
    • These are usually internal devices such as hard drives, CD-ROM drives, and DVD-ROM drives.

What You Need: Hardware (continued)

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  • USB:
    • A standard for connecting devices to the computer using the plug-and-play system.
    • Uses a single cable to connect 127 USB peripherals to a single PC.

What You Need: Hardware (continued)

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  • FireWire:
    • Introduced by Apple in the 1980s.
    • The industry standard and provides support�for high-bandwidth serial data transfer, particularly�for digital video and mass storage.
    • Can connect multiple computers and peripheral�devices (peer-to-peer).

What You Need: Hardware (continued)

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  • Memory and storage devices
    • Sufficient memory must be allocated for storing and archiving files.
    • Memory requirements of a multimedia project depend on the project's content and scope.
    • The two types of memory are random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM).

What You Need: Hardware (continued)

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  • Memory and storage devices (continued)
    • RAM enables the simultaneously running of many applications.
    • ROM is non-volatile. The BIOS program that boots up the computer resides in the ROM.
      • Non-volatile memory, nonvolatile memory, NVM or non-volatile storage is computer memory that can retain the stored information even when not powered.

What You Need: Hardware (continued)

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  • Memory and storage devices (continued)
    • Hard disks are non-removable mass-storage devices and have a high data storage capacity and data transfer speed.

What You Need: Hardware (continued)

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  • Memory and storage devices (continued)
    • Flash or thumb drives:
      • Small storage devices that can be integrated with USB or FireWire devices.
      • Can store from 8 megabytes to several GB �of data.
      • More reliable than disk drives.
      • Small printed circuit board encased in sturdy metal �or plastic.
      • Usable, trendy, and convenient.

What You Need: Hardware (continued)

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  • Memory and storage devices (continued)
    • CD-ROM:
      • CD-ROM drives are an important part of multimedia development.
      • CD-ROM discs are useful for short-run distribution of finished multimedia projects and data backup.

What You Need: Hardware (continued)

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  • Memory and storage devices (continued)
    • CD-ROM (continued):
      • A CD-RW recorder can rewrite 700MB of data to a CD-RW disc about 1,000 times.
      • CD-RWs are similar to CD-Rs, except CD-RWs can be completely erased.

What You Need: Hardware (continued)

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  • Memory and storage devices (continued)
    • DVD:
      • Is an optical disc technology for distributing multimedia and feature-length movies.
      • They provide sharp and detailed video resolution.
      • The three types of DVDs are DVD-Read Write, �DVD-Video, and DVD-ROM.

What You Need: Hardware (continued)

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  • Memory and storage devices (continued)
    • Blue-ray discs:
      • Were developed by motion picture industry.
      • Can be used for high-definition television recording, video distribution, camcorder archiving, and mass data storage.

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What You Need: Hardware (continued)

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  • Input devices
    • An optical character recognition (OCR) device is used to convert printed matter into ASCII text files.
    • Voice recognition systems recognize spoken words and commands.
    • Microphones and cables are used to capture audio.
    • Digital cameras use charged-coupled devices (CCDs) to digitally capture images.

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What You Need: Hardware (continued)

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  • Input devices (continued)

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What You Need: Hardware (continued)

Working with a scanner, OCR software �can save many hours of rekeying text.

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  • Output devices
    • For better quality audio, external stereo speakers�are required.
    • Many multimedia developers use more than one�monitor by adding additional display adapters to�the computer.

What You Need: Hardware (continued)

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  • Output devices (continued)
    • Projectors are used when you have a larger�audience than can be accommodated around �a computer monitor.
    • Color printers are an important part of any�multimedia production department.

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What You Need: Hardware (continued)

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