Hardware Components of a Multimedia System

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Hardware Components of a Multimedia System
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Objectives

• Describe why hardware standards are important
• Describe the MPC standard and specify its
  significance

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Objectives (continued)

• Describe the multimedia hardware components for
  playback and development systems
• List and describe the major multimedia hardware
  peripherals

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Chapter Outline

• Former barriers to multimedia development
• The multimedia personal computer
• The playback system
• The development system

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Former Barriers to Multimedia Development

• Lack of standards for playback systems
• No means for delivering large amounts of data to
  playback systems

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The Standards Barrier

• Titles might run only on a certain subset of
  multimedia computers
• Development of industry multimedia standards
  removed this barrier

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The Delivery Barrier

• 15 seconds of video requires 15 megabytes of
  storage
• Floppy disks hold less than 2 megabytes of
  storage
• The CD-ROM removed this barrier

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Macintosh Computers

• Apple Computer controlled specifications
• Developers knew what the playback system would
  have
• Less than 10 of the market

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Windows Computers

• MPC specifications developed in 1991 by group of
  companies
• Level 2 MPC specifications developed in 1993
• Level 3 specifications developed in 1995

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MPC Minimum Standards
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Processor

• Determines speed of processing and data transfer
• Fast data transfer important for multimedia

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Memory

• Random-access memory (RAM) is temporary
• Contents of RAM are lost when the computer is
  turned off
• Read-only memory (ROM) is permanent

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Monitor and Video Card

• The monitor provides the primary feedback to the
  user
• Quality of display depends on screen resolution
  and the number of colors

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Screen Resolution

• Resolution number of dots displayed on the
  monitor
• Dots are called pixels, or picture elements
• The more pixels, the sharper the image

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Video Card

• Color information is associated with each pixel
• How many colors are possible is determined by the
  number of bits used to store the color
  information
• Bits are binary digits (0 or 1)
• 4 bits can represent 16 colors 8 bits can
  represent 256 colors

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Audio Card

• Plays digital sounds
• Number of bits determines quality of sound
• 16-bit sound is now standard

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CD-ROM drive

• Compact Disc Read-Only Memory
• CD-ROM drive reads CD-ROM data and transfers it
  to the computer
• Speed is determined by the transfer rate and the
  seek time

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Transfer Rate

• How fast is data from the CD sent to the
  computer?
• Measured in kilobytes per second (Kbps)
• A kilobyte is about 1000 characters of data

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Seek Time

• How long does it take to go to a particular
  location on the disc?
• Measured in milliseconds (ms)
• Much slower than hard drives

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Upgrade Kits

• Components that upgrade a desktop computer to an
  MPC system
• Usually contain CD-ROM, audio card, speakers, and
  software

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The Development System

• High-end equipment
• Provides higher-quality results
• Saves money by reducing personnel time
• Development software available for Macintosh and
  Windows

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Processor

• Windows
• Minimum 486DX 66 MHz
• Desirable Pentium 100
• Macintosh
• Minimum 68040 33 MHz
• Desirable Power Mac 100 MHz

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Memory

• RAM
• Minimum 16 MB
• Desirable 32 or 64 MB
• Hard drive
• Determined by number of programs and amount of
  data
• Minimum 1gigabyte (1 billion bytes, or 1 GB)

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Video Capture Card

• Fits in the computer
• Digitizes video signals from cameras, TVs, VCRs,
  etc.

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Monitor

• 20-inch monitor recommended
• Two monitors ideal one for working on the
  title, one for displaying the title

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Peripherals

• Scanner
• External storage
• CD recorder
• Digital camera
• Microphone
• Video sources (video camera, VCR, videodisc
  player)

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Scanner

• Creates digitized images, usually from printed
  material
• Types
• Flatbed
• Handheld
• Slide

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External storage

• Provides backup of hard drive
• Allows portability of large amounts of data
• Types
• Removable large-capacity disks
• External hard drives

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CD Recorder

• Price has dropped dramatically
• Uses
• Create small numbers of CDs for testing
• Create CD to be sent to manufacturer
• Backup and archive data

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Digital Camera

• Operates like a regular camera
• Pictures can be transferred directly to the
  computer
• Accompanying software allows pictures to be edited

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Key Terms

• audio card
• binary
• bit
• CD-ROM drive
• development system
• digital camera

• external storage
• gigabyte (GB)
• kilobyte (KB)
• megabyte (MB)
• millisecond (ms)
• monitor

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Key Terms (continued)

• Multimedia Personal Computer (MPC) specifications
• pixel
• playback system
• processor

• RAM
• resolution
• ROM
• scanner
• upgrade kit
• video card

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