Multimedia Delivery SystemsSome of the most popular multimedia delivery systems used on the Web are Real Media, Quicktime and Windows Media Technologies. New systems, especially for audio files, are being developed to allow for quality multimedia with minimum bandwith. For example, even though Flash started out as primarily an animation program, it is fast becoming a excellent way to deliver audio (MP3 compression) and video (especially when using Sorenson Squeeze.) Each of these systems uses a "codec" (compression/decompression) that can greatly reduce the size of the media file, allowing for quicker transfer across the Net. A reduction in audio/video quality can occur when files are compressed, but in most cases, this reduction in quality is an acceptable compromise that allows multimedia files to be placed on Web pages. Some of these systems allow for "streaming" media, which means that a media file will start to play before the entire file has been downloaded to the viewer's machine. Whenever possible, one should use a streaming format to deliver media files across the Web. Note: some of these systems require special software on the server in order to stream. Note: To view these examples (most produced locally), you need RealPlayer and QuickTime. Click the preceding links to get these free plug-in/players. Video Examples: Images with digital audio soundtrack Images with
digital audio soundtrack Images
with MIDI soundtrack (The Infamous) Dancing Baby Melodrama © Joan Harrison, 1998 Audio Examples: C.W. Post
Chamber Singers Excerpt from Catgut
Flambo Electronic #2. © John Meschi, 1994 |