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Multimedia

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Multimedia is a special way to communicate using many different things at once.

ApertureDefn1707
ApertureDefn1707

Instead of using just one thing, like a book with only words, multimedia mixes different forms together. This can include writing, audio, images, animations, or even video. When these parts are combined into one single presentation, they create a rich experience. This is different from traditional media, like a printed newspaper or a single audio recording. Those older forms usually only feature one type of content at a time. Multimedia makes information more engaging and easier to understand for many people.

Animhorse
Animhorse

To make multimedia, creators use five main building blocks.

Praktica
Praktica

First, they use text to provide important facts and context. Next, they add audio, which can be music, sound effects, or voices. Some new audio even uses spatial design to sound more real. Then, they include images, which are still pictures like photos or drawings. Video is another block that shows moving images to tell a story.

Muybridge horse gallop animated 2
Muybridge horse gallop animated 2

Finally, they use animation to create movement from still pictures. Creators can even use artificial intelligence to generate these parts based on what a user asks for.

The history of this word is quite interesting.

Ford Show 1987
Ford Show 1987

The term was first used by an artist named Bob Goldstein in 1966. He used it to describe his "Lightworks" show in Southampton, New York. Later, in 1968, the word was used to describe the work of David Sawyer. By the late 1970s, people used it for slideshows that matched music. In the 1990s, the meaning changed to what we know today. One famous book called "Multimedia: Making It Work" was published in 1993. This era also saw the word become so popular that Germany named it "Word of the Year" in 1995.

Technology has changed a lot to help multimedia grow.

Scroll switch mouse
Scroll switch mouse

In the 1990s, computers like the Amiga 1000 were called "multimedia computers." These machines could show many colors and play stereo sound. Storage also became much better during this time. A floppy disk could only hold about 1.44 megabytes of data. However, a CD-ROM can hold about 700 megabytes on average. This extra space allowed for much larger and more complex files. Now, we can use smartphones and laptops to watch streaming video anywhere.

You can find multimedia in almost every part of life.

Steven Koonin BP 2005-02-22
Steven Koonin BP 2005-02-22

It is used in schools to help students learn through videos and charts. Businesses use it for advertisements and to train new workers. It is also a huge part of entertainment, like video games and movies. Some multimedia is linear, which means it plays from start to finish like a film.

Classical spectacular laser effects
Classical spectacular laser effects

Other types are non-linear, which means you can interact with it. In a video game, your own actions change what happens next.

Air Force officer using Valve Index
Air Force officer using Valve Index

This interactivity makes the experience feel very personal.

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🖼️ Images & Media (13)
File:ApertureDefn1707.png
ApertureDefn1707.png
File:Hörlurar.jpg
Hörlurar.jpg
File:Praktica.jpg
Praktica.jpg
File:Animhorse.gif
Animhorse.gif
File:Muybridge horse gallop animated 2.gif
Muybridge horse gallop animated 2.gif
File:Scroll switch mouse.jpg
Scroll switch mouse.jpg
File:Ford Show 1987.jpg
Ford Show 1987.jpg
File:Classical spectacular laser effects.jpg
Classical spectacular laser effects.jpg
File:Steven Koonin BP 2005-02-22.jpg
Steven Koonin BP 2005-02-22.jpg
File:Interactive multimedia educational game.jpg
Interactive multimedia educational game.jpg
File:Raadioajakirjaniku töövahendid- mikrofon ja makk..jpg
Raadioajakirjaniku töövahendid- mikrofon...
File:CMAP - Centre de Mathématiques Appliquées de l'Ecole polytechnique (25911635211).jpg
CMAP - Centre de Mathématiques Appliquées...

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