Multimedia - data, or content, which is presented simultaneously in different forms: sound, animated computer graphics, video . For example, one container object may contain, in addition to text, audio, graphic and video information, and also, possibly, a method of interactive interaction with it. This is achieved by using a specific set of hardware and software.

The term multimedia is also often used to refer to storage media that allow you to store significant amounts of data and provide fairly fast access to them (the first media of this type were CDs). In this case, the term multimedia means that a computer can use such media and provide information to the user through all possible types of data such as audio, video, animation, image and others in addition to traditional ways of providing information such as text.

The term “multimedia” first appeared in 1966. It was used by the American showman B. Goldstein to describe his show “Lamps at L'Oursin” (“LightWorks at L’Oursin”). This term was actively used until the late 1970s to describe theatrical shows that combined slides, film, video, audio fragments, lighting effects and live music.

Classification

Multimedia can be roughly or finely classified as linear or nonlinear . 

An analogue of the linear method of presentation can be cinema: a person viewing a given document cannot in any way influence its conclusion.

The nonlinear (interactive) method of presenting information allows a person to participate in the output of information by interacting in some way with the means of displaying multimedia data. Human participation in this process is also called “interactivity”. This method of interaction between man and computer is most fully represented in the categories of computer games . The non-linear way of representing multimedia data is sometimes called "hypermedia".

As an example of a linear and nonlinear way of presenting information, we can consider a situation such as giving a presentation . If the presentation was recorded on tape and shown to the audience, then with this method of delivering information, those viewing this presentation do not have the opportunity to influence the speaker. In the case of a live presentation, however, the audience has the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the presenter in other ways, which allows the presenter to deviate from the topic of the presentation, for example, by clarifying certain terms or covering controversial parts of the presentation in more detail. Thus, live presentation can be thought of as a non-linear way of presenting information.

Features

Presentation

Multimedia presentations can be delivered by a person on stage , shown through a projector , or on another local playback device. Broadcasting a presentation can be either live or pre-recorded. Broadcasting or recording can be based on analogue or electronic technologies for storing and transmitting information. It is worth noting that online media can either be downloaded to the user's computer and played in some way, or played directly from the Internet using streaming technologies. Multimedia produced using streaming technologies can be either live or on-demand.

Games

Multimedia games are games in which the player interacts with a virtual environment built by a computer . The state of the virtual environment is transmitted to the player using various methods of transmitting information (auditory, visual, tactile). Nowadays, all games on a computer or game console are multimedia games. It is worth noting that this type of game can be played either alone on a local computer or console, or with other players via a local or global network.

Various multimedia data formats can be used to simplify the perception of information by the consumer. For example, provide information not only in text form, but also illustrate it with audio data or a video clip . In the same way, contemporary art can present everyday, everyday things in a new way.

Various forms of information provision make it possible for consumers to interact interactively with information. Online multimedia is increasingly becoming object-oriented, allowing the consumer to work on information without having specific knowledge. For example, in order to post a video on a video hosting site, the user does not need knowledge of video editing, encoding and compression of information, or knowledge of how web servers work. The user simply selects a local file, and thousands of other users of the video service have the opportunity to view the new video.

Internet resource

Multimedia Internet resource  is a site in which basic information is presented in the form of multimedia. This is a modern and very convenient mechanism that does not replace classic functions, but complements and expands the range of services and news for visitors.

Multimedia Internet resources are characterized by:

• may contain various types of information (not only text, but also sound, graphic, animation, video, etc.);
• high degree of visibility of materials;
• support for various file types: text, graphics, audio and video;
• the possibility of using it to promote creative works in the field of various arts.

A resource of this type makes it possible to quickly report on events that are being organized, demonstrate an overview of an area, institution or creative team, establish feedback with your visitors, reveal goals and materials using modern mechanisms for presenting information and promote recognition of the presented object via the Internet .

Usage

Multimedia finds its application in various fields, including advertising , education , entertainment , technology , medicine , mathematics , business , scientific research and the arts .

Education

In education, multimedia is used to create computer-based training courses (popularly known as CBTS) and reference books such as encyclopedias and compilations. CBT takes the user through a series of presentations, topical text, and associated illustrations in a variety of information presentation formats. Edutainment is an informal term used to combine education and entertainment, especially multimedia entertainment.

Learning theory has developed significantly over the past decade due to the advent of multimedia. Several areas of research have emerged, such as the theory of cognitive load, multimedia learning and others. The possibilities for learning and education are almost endless.

The idea of ​​media convergence is also becoming one of the most important factors in the field of education, especially in the field of higher education. Defined as individual technologies such as voice (and telephony features ), databases (and derivative applications), and video technologies that now share resources and interact with each other to synergistically create new responsiveness, media convergence is a rapidly changing educational course disciplines taught at universities around the world. It also changes the availability, or lack thereof, of jobs that require these technology-savvy skills.

Technique

Software developers can use multimedia in computer simulations for anything from entertainment to education, such as military or industrial training. Multimedia for software interfaces is often created as a collaboration between creative professionals and software developers.

Industry

In the industrial sector, multimedia is used as a way to present information to shareholders, management and colleagues. Multimedia is also useful in organizing employee training, advertising and product sales worldwide through virtually unlimited web technologies.

Mathematical and scientific research

In mathematical and scientific research, multimedia is primarily used for modeling and simulation. For example: a scientist can look at a molecular model of a substance and manipulate it to make another substance. Exemplary studies can be found in journals such as the Journal of Multimedia.

Medicine

Doctors can also be trained through virtual surgery or simulators of the human body affected by a disease spread by viruses and bacteria, thereby trying to develop techniques to prevent it.