Microsoft MultiMedia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia | Multimedia refers to content that uses a combination of different content forms. This contrasts with media that use only rudimentary computer displays such as text-only or traditional forms of printed or hand-produced material. Multimedia includes a combination of text, audio, still images, animation, video, or interactivity content forms. Multimedia is usually recorded and played, displayed, or accessed by information content processing devices, such as computerized and electronic devices, but can also be part of a live performance. Multimedia devices are electronic media devices used to store and experience multimedia content. Multimedia is distinguished from mixed media in fine art; by including audio, for example, it has a broader scope. The term "rich media" is synonymous for interactive multimedia. Hypermedia can be considered one particular multimedia application.

Major characteristics of multimedia | Multimedia presentations may be viewed by person on stage, projected, transmitted, or played locally with a media player. A broadcast may be a live or recorded multimedia presentation. Broadcasts and recordings can be either analog or digital electronic media technology. Digital online multimedia may be downloaded or streamed. Streaming multimedia may be live or on-demand.

Multimedia games and simulations may be used in a physical environment with special effects, with multiple users in an online network, or locally with an offline computer, game system, or simulator. The various formats of technological or digital multimedia may be intended to enhance the users' experience, for example to make it easier and faster to convey information. Or in entertainment or art, to transcend everyday experience. A lasershow is a live multimedia performance. Enhanced levels of interactivity are made possible by combining multiple forms of media content. Online multimedia is increasingly becoming object-oriented and data-driven, enabling applications with collaborative end-user innovation and personalization on multiple forms of content over time. Examples of these range from multiple forms of content on Web sites like photo galleries with both images (pictures) and title (text) user-updated, to simulations whose co-efficients, events, illustrations, animations or videos are modifiable, allowing the multimedia "experience" to be altered without reprogramming. In addition to seeing and hearing, Haptic technology enables virtual objects to be felt. Emerging technology involving illusions of taste and smell may also enhance the multimedia experience.

Usage / Application | Multimedia finds its application in various areas including, but not limited to, advertisements, art, education, entertainment, engineering, medicine, mathematics, business, scientific research and spatial temporal applications. Virtual reality uses multimedia content. Applications and delivery platforms of multimedia are virtually limitless. Several examples are as follows:

Creative industries | Creative industries use multimedia for a variety of purposes ranging from fine arts, to entertainment, to commercial art, to journalism, to media and software services provided for any of the industries listed below.

Commercial uses | Much of the electronic old and new media used by commercial artists is multimedia. Exciting presentations are used to grab and keep attention in advertising.

Entertainment and Fine Arts | In addition, multimedia is heavily used in the entertainment industry, especially to develop special effects in movies and animations(VFX, 3D animation, etc.). Multimedia games are a popular pastime and are software programs available either as CD-ROMs or online.

Education | In Education, multimedia is used to produce computer-based training courses (popularly called CBTs) and reference books like encyclopedia and almanacs. A CBT lets the user go through a series of presentations, text about a particular topic, and associated illustrations in various information formats. Edutainment is the combination of education with entertainment, especially multimedia entertainment.

Journalism | Newspaper companies all over are also trying to embrace the new phenomenon by implementing its practices in their work.

Engineering | Software engineers may use multimedia in Computer Simulations for anything from entertainment to training such as military or industrial training. Multimedia for software interfaces are often done as a collaboration between creative professionals and software engineers.

Industry | In the Industrial sector, multimedia is used as a way to help present information to shareholders, superiors and coworkers. Multimedia is also helpful for providing employee training, advertising and selling products all over the world via virtually unlimited web-based technology

Mathematical and Scientific Research | In mathematical and scientific research, multimedia is mainly used for modeling and simulation. For example, a scientist can look at a molecular model of a particular substance and manipulate it to arrive at a new substance. Representative research can be found in journals such as the Journal of Multimedia.

Medicine | In Medicine, doctors can get trained by looking at a virtual surgery or they can simulate how the human body is affected by diseases spread by viruses and bacteria and then develop techniques to prevent it.

Document Imaging | Document imaging is a technique that takes hard copy of an image/document and converts it into a digital format (for example, scanners).

Disabilities | Ability Media allows those with disabilities to gain qualifications in the multimedia field so they can pursue careers that give them access to a wide array of powerful communication forms.

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HTML Multimedia | What is Multimedia? Multimedia on the web is sound, music, videos, movies, and animations. Multimedia comes in many different formats. It can be almost anything you can hear or see. Examples: Pictures, music, sound, videos, records, films, animations, and more. Modern web pages often have embedded multimedia elements, and modern browsers have support for various multimedia formats. In this tutorial you will learn about the different multimedia formats. >> Learn more >>

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Presentation Magazine: How to Create a Multimedia | Comments on: How to create a multimedia presentation. DirectorMX is another presentation program. Its similar to flash but it runs off your desktop rather than a ...

Multimedia presentation | A multimedia presentation differs from a normal presentation in that it contains some form of animation or media. Typically a multimedia presentation contains at least one of the following elements:

• Video or movie clip

• Animation

• Sound (this could be a voice-over, background music or sound clips)

• Navigation structure