Networked Multimedia and Electronic Commerce

1
Networked Multimediaand Electronic Commerce

• Norman White
• Stern School of Business
• February 1, 1999

2
Overview

• What is Multimedia?
• Why is it important?
• Networked Multimedia, whats different?
• Why now?
• Some examples
• What does the future look like?

3
Types of Multimedia

• Audio
• Video
• Image
• Animated images
• Presentations
• Virtual Reality

4
Audio

• How do we play audio over the WEB?
• .WAV files
• .WAV file downloaed and then played
• Real Audio
• Played Live with Real Audio Player
• MP3
• Highly compressed, high quality audio
• How is audio supported?
• Need Speakers
• Microphone for input

5
Images

• GIF and JPEG images supported by most Browsers
• Many other types also supported with additional
  software
• How do you create?
• Can use a digital camera, or scan a photo or
  slide
• Need to convert to JPEG

6
Graphics

• Again, GIF or JPEG supported
• Creation
• Many Tools from PC Paint, Paint Shop Pro to
  Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, Extreme 3D etc.

7
Animated Graphics

• Create a sequence of graphics (usually GIFs) and
  play them repeatedly
• Vector Graphics - Use a product like Macromedia
  Flash to create extremely compact vector based
  graphics. Much smaller than GIFs, can include
  imbedded sound (go to www.macromedia.com)

8
Video

• Use Camcorder to record video
• Input video to PC and convert to AVI, MOV or QT
  (quicktime ) format
• Need multimedia extensions in Windows to play
  AVI, MOV files and Quicktime player to play video
• Adobe Premiere - high end video editing tool
• Realplayer - Convert to Real Media format for
  efficient video streaming

9
Presentations

• Combination of all of the above
• Need to use specialized packages like Macromedia
  Director, Asymmetrix Toolbook etc. to create
  complete presentations
• Need Browser plugin(s) to play over the WEB

10
WEB delivery

• All of these multimedia types of files can now be
  delivered over the WEB
• The WEB is rapidly becoming the technology of
  choice for delivering multimedia, especially
  within a companys intranet

11
VRMLVirtual Reality Modeling Language

• Move around in 3 D worlds

12
VRML

• Brings 3 Dimensional Capabilities to the WWW
• Provides standard format for displaying,
  manipulating and navigating 3D worlds using a WEB
  Browser (with Plug-ins)

13
VRML Objectives

• Interactive 3D simulations
• Multi-participant
• Hyper-linked with pointers to other Worlds or
  other WEB sites
• Latest standard includes 3D sound

14
History

• 1994
• Discussion of VR interface to the World-Wide Web
• 1000 members joined discussion group within 3
  weeks.
• Open Inventor adopted as file format
• Originally developed by Silicon Graphics as
  method of developing interactive 3D multimedia

15
Requirements for VRML 1.0

• Platform Independence
• Extensibility
• Ability to work over low-bandwidth connections

16
VRML 2.0

• Extend VRML to include object behaviors
• Objects can have preprogrammed responses
• Provide a scripting language for objects
• Will allow multi-participant worlds

17
VRML Concepts

• Nodes
• cubes, spheres, transformations, texture maps
• In general, shapes, properties or groups
• Parameters to describe nodes
• Name to identify node
• Child nodes - implements object hierarchy (group
  nodes can have children)

18
Some nodes ...

• Shapes
• text,Cone,Cube, Cylinder, IndexedFaceSet,
  IndexedLIneSet, Pointset,Sphere
• Properties
• Coordinate3, FontStyle,Info,LOD. Material,
  MaterialBinding, Normal,...

• Properties
• MatrixTransform, Rotation,Scale,
  Transform.Translation
• DirectionalLight, PointLight,SpotLight
• Group Nodes
• Group, Separator,Switch, TransforSeparator,
  WWWAnchor

19
Important Concepts

• Need to build 3D objects and place them in 3
  space
• Use Spheres, cones, polygons, cubes etc. to
  build an object.
• Cover the object using materials, and specify
  qualities of object surface (reflectance,
  transparency etc.)
• Need to specify light sources
• From viewer
• From infinity
• from a fixed spot
• Objects can have hyperlinks (WWWanchors)
• Viewer can move around the objects using the mouse

20
More Concepts

• Worlds can have links to other worlds, so they
  can be developed independently and then linked
  together with hyperlinks

21
Applications

• Architecture
• Equipment Design
• Sales and Marketing
• Multiparticipant games

22
To View VRML

• Download Cosmo viewer from Netscape (or another
  VRML viewer)
• Upgrade Netscape Navigator
• Point Netscape at a VRML site

23
To Create VRML

• Can just edit VRML code, but quickly gets
  difficult if you want to create complex objects
• Use a system like Fountain from Caligari, or
  Virtual Homespace Builder to create the objects,
  and then export them as a VRML (.WRL) file. There
  are a rapidly growing number of ways to create
  VRML

24
Some VRML Terms

• Rendering -
• Performing all of the computations necessary to
  display an object given the lighting,
  reflectance, materials colors, transparency etc.
• Ray Tracing
• Common rendering technique. All possible light
  paths are traced and the ligting effects computed
  for every point on the object. Interactions
  between light sources have to be taken into
  account
• LOD - Level of Detail
• As a user zooms in, increasingly complex models
  of the world are rendered. Saves Rendering time
  when objects are far away

25
VRML Terms continued

• Inverse Kinematics
• Given a connected set of objects (like an arm)
  allow user to manipulate part of it and have
  program compute paths of related objects.
• Collision Detection
• Browser provides realtime collision detection so
  that user can not move through walls etc.

26
Future of VRML

• VRML will continue to evolve rapidly as
  computation speeds increase and 3D extensions are
  built into the hardware
• The incorporation of Java as a scripting language
  means that 3D worlds can have sophisticated built
  in behaviors
• Browsers now coming with VRML plug-ins as
  standard

27
Enabling Developments

• Bandwidth
• ISDN 128KBS (available now)
• Cable Modems 10MBs (3 million by 2000)
• Fiber 100MBs (coming soon)
• ADSL (10 Mbits to home)
• Connectivity
• WWW connection prices still falling (9/month)
• ATT, MCI etc will add on to local phone bill
• Processing speed
• Pentium PII, MERCED, , Power Pc etc.
• Multimedia audio standard on PCs
• Java
• Clearly the WWW standard, allows many new types
  of interaction

28
Video

• Now just beginning to be available, soon will be
  commonplace
• New tools like Shockwave/SMIL etc. will allow
  development of WWW video presentations
• Customer will be able to pull ad content or
  companies can push it
• Live video will start to compete with cable
  channels
• Enormous education/training market

29
Audio

• Stored audio already well-supported
• Live audio will start to develop nationwide
  radio competitors. (radio is currently distance
  limited..)
• Audio support for Electronic Commerce
• Internet becomes a telephone competitor for
  intercontinental calls
• Live video and audio enhance group work

30
Wireless

• You will always be connected, car, boat, plane
  etc.
• Palm Pilot size devices will let you work
  anywhere
• Streaming video formats will deliver live audio
  and video (what happens to cable and network TV?)

31
Virtual Reality

• Tools just starting to appear and dont really
  work yet, but....
• Promises include
• Ability to interact with 3D worlds for
• Product sales
• Games
• Education
• Scientific Research
• Art ?

32
Electronic Commerce

• New models are being developed for doing commerce
  in this new world
• Many problems solved conceptually but still need
  to be implemented
• Security
• Pricing and payment models
• authentication and signatures

33
Unknowns ...

• Regulatory climate
• Small changes in laws can have large impacts on
  financial viability of different types of
  businesses
• For instance,
• Internet Phone licensed or not
• Internet live video - regulated?
• What is the role of the FCC? What is the model, a
  phone company, a cable company, a radio station?

34
The Future

• A new environment where information is
  everywhere.
• Data, data everywhere but not a bit to think
  (sorry Coleridge)
• It will be your generations task to harness this
  new medium .. Good Luck!
• WEB address below has links used in class...
• Http//www.stern.nyu.edu/nwhite/NETEC.htm