CS4624 Environments

Overview of Multimedia Systems

Simple multimedia systems are but extended computers that enable capture, storage, and playback of several media types.

Modern systems for multimedia development, and some for playback, have extensive multimedia capabilities, with many components in the multimedia subsystem, often more (powerful) than in the host system!

• CD Family
  
  
  • CD-DA
    
  • CD+G, CD+MIDI
    
  • CD-ROM
    
  • CD-I (Philips):
    • Introduced in 1986, shipped in 1992, with MPEG in 1994
      
    • 68000 target machine with numerous constraints
      
    • Real-time OS
      
    • Slow evolution of authoring environments
    
    
  • CD-ROM-XA
    
  • CD-TV (Commodore):
    By mid 1993, only about 25K players (CD-I, CDTV, VIS) shipped in US.
    • Out to market before CD-I
      
    • Built upon successful Amiga 500
      
    • Real-time OS, rich multimedia support
      
    • Investigated fractal compression
      
    • Problems: computer too slow, CD-ROM drive too slow
      
    
    
  • CD-V
    
  • Photo CD
    
  • CD-R, CD-WO
    
  • Video CD
  
  
• 3DO Interactive Multiplayer (The 3DO Company)
  
  
  • 3DO Partnership begun in 1990, launched 1993, networked 1994 - including Matsushita, AT&T, Time Warner, MCA, Electronic Arts
    
  • 3DO Features
    
    
    • Play music CDs, Photo CDs, digital video CDs at 2x
      
    • 50x graphics, animation performance of any CD format - Animation cels: high-res, full-color: scale, rotate, distort
      
    • Cinematic software tools: warp, transparency, lighting effects, anti-aliasing, texture-mapping
    
    
  • 3DO Architecture
    
    
    • Pair of graphics/animation engines, 64Mpixels/s
      
    • 32-bit RISC processor
      
    • DSP for 3D Audio Imaging
      
    • Add on MPEG cartridge (s/w too: full motion, screen)
  
  
• Macintosh Multimedia Support
  
  
  • Graphics
    
  • HyperCard (1987) for all
    
  • QuickTime (1991) for all
    
  • Audio: microphone, 16 bit samples
    
  • AV (1993):
    
    
    • squeeze multimedia on motherboard
      
    • 68040, video controller
      
    • DSP, 16 bit audio
      
    • video scaler, video decoder
      
    • in/out for audio, S-video and composite
    
    
  • Recommendations
    
    
    • For development, prefer 20+ Mbytes
      
    • Use fast processor (shift to PowerPC)
      
    • Use hardware assist for video
  
  
• DVI
  
• QuickTime
  
• MPC/MME
  • Original MPC Specification
    
    
    • 386
      
    • 2 Mbytes RAM
      
    • 30 Mbytes disk
      
    • CD-ROM drive
      
    • VGA monitor with 16 colors
      
    • audio board, speakers/headphones
      
    • Microsoft Windows with MultiMedia Extensions package
    
    
  • MPC Supporters
    
    
    • IBM PS/2 Ultimedia Model M57 SLC (in 1991)
      
    • option of M-Motion Video Adapter/A
      
    • also, option of IBM PS/2 Action Media II (DVI)
      
    • Tandy, Zenith, NEC, NCR, Fujitsu
    
    
  • MPC Level 2
    
    
    • 25-MHz 486SX
      
    • 4 Mbytes RAM
      
    • 160 Mbytes disk
      
    • double speed (300 KB) CD-ROM drive with av. seek < 400 msec
      
    • 640x480 monitor with 64K colors
      
    • 16 bit, 44.1kHz MIDI compatible audio board
      
    • speakers/headphones
      
    • Microsoft Windows with MultiMedia Extensions package
      
    • N.B. One can even get portables!
  
  
• Director
  
• Standards