A Multimedia System is a system capable of processing multimedia data and applications.

A Multimedia System is characterized by the processing, storage, generation, manipulation and rendition of Multimedia

Multimedia system has four basic characteristics: -Multimedia systems must be computer controlled. -Multimedia systems are integrated. -The information they handle must be represented digitally. -The interface to the final presentation of media is usually interactive. Desirable Features for a Multimedia System Given the above challenges the following feature a desirable (if not a prerequisite) for a Multimedia System: Very High Processing Power -- needed to deal with large data processing and real time delivery of media. Special hardware commonplace. Multimedia Capable File System -- needed to deliver real-time media -- e.g. Video/Audio Streaming. Special Hardware/Software needed e.g RAID technology. Data Representations/File Formats that support multimedia -- Data representations/file formats should be easy to handle yet allow for compression/decompression in real-time. Efficient and High I/O -- input and output to the file subsystem needs to be efficient and fast. Needs to allow for realtime recording as well as playback of data. e.g. Direct to Disk recording systems. Special Operating System -- to allow access to file system and process data efficiently and quickly. Needs to support direct transfers to disk, real-time scheduling, fast interrupt processing, I/O streaming etc. Storage and Memory -- large storage units (of the order of 50 -100 Gb or more) and large memory (50 -100 Mb or more). Large Caches also required and frequently of Level 2 and 3 hierarchy for efficient management. Network Support -- Client-server systems common as distributed systems common. Software Tools -- user friendly tools needed to handle media, design and develop applications, deliver media.

Components of a Multimedia System Capture devices -- Video Camera, Video Recorder, Audio Microphone, Keyboards, mice, graphics tablets, 3D input devices, tactile sensors, VR devices. Digitising/Sampling Hardware Storage Devices -- Hard disks, CD-ROMs, Jaz/Zip drives, DVD, etc Communication Networks -- Ethernet, Token Ring, FDDI, ATM, Intranets, Internets. Computer Systems -- Multimedia Desktop machines, Workstations, MPEG/VIDEO/DSP Hardware Display Devices -- CD-quality speakers, HDTV,SVGA, Hi-Res monitors, Colour printers etc. Text is a visual representation of language, as well as a graphic element in its own right. The studyof how to display text is known as typography An Image is generally a 2-Dimensional array of pixels, Usually in rectilinear coordinates and Resolution is determined by the number of pixels. An image is a spatial representation of an object, a twodimensional or three-dimensional scene or another image. Often the images reflect the intensity of lights NTSC(National Television Systems Committee) developed in the U.S. and used in North and South America, Japan._ A picture consists of 525 lines and frame rate is approximately 30Hz SECAM(SEquential Couleur Avec Memoire) is a standard used in France and Eastern Europe _ A picture consists of 625 lines and frame rate is 25Hz PAL(Phase Alternating Line) is used in most part of western Europe, most part of Asia (including China and Hong Kong) and other countries _ A picture consists of 625 lines and frame rate is 25Hz

Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) It is a communication standard developed for electronic instruments and computers. It specifies the hardware connection between equipments as well as the format in which the data are transferred between the equipments. Common MIDI devices include electronic music synthesisers, modules, and MIDI devices in common sound cards. Polyphony Ability of devices to play more than one note at the same time, Monophony (Single at a time)

Each instrument or noise effect is known as a patch or preset. There three types of MIDI file: 0 single multichannel track 1 one or more simultaneous track of asequence 2 one or more sequentially independent single-track patterns
There are two ways of synthesizing sounds: FM Synthesis (Frequency Modulation)Using one sine wave to modulate another sine wave,thus generating a new wave which is rich in timbre. It consists of the two original waves, theirsum and difference and harmonics. The drawbacks of FM synthesis are: the generated sound is not real; there is no exact formulafor generating a particular sound. Wave-table synthesis It stores representative digital sound samples. It manipulates these sample, e.g., by changing the pitch, to create the complete range of notes. The Amplitude Envelop Delay the time between when a key is played and when the attack phase begins Attack the time from no sound to maximum amplitude Holdthe time envelop will stay at the peak level before starting the decay phase Decay the time it takes the envelop to go from the peak level to the sustain level Sustain the level at which the envelop remains as long as a key is held down Release the time is takes for the sound to fade to nothing

Digital Audio Digital representation of physical sound waves File size is large if without compression Quality is in proportion to file size More software available Play back quality less dependent on the sound sources Can record and play back any sound including speech MIDI Abstract representation of musical sounds and sound effects MIDI files are much more compact File size is independent to the quality Much better sound if the sound source is of high quality Need some music theory Cannot generate speech Size(bytes)=Sampling rate (HZ)*Resolution (bytes)*Channels*Duration (seconds)>>>>>>>>>>>>covert to MB