Development process for multimedia applications
- Description of the software development process as it applies to the development of multimedia applications
- Description of methodologies used in the creation or definition of a multimedia application, including:
- WYSIWYG editors and text editors to create web pages
- authoring software to create multimedia applications
- presentation software to create presentations
- Description of the methodologies and requirements for the display of a multimedia application, including streaming of multimedia data and embedded files
- Explanation and exemplification of the terms ‘codec’ and ‘container’ file
Bit-mapped graphic data
- Description of the hardware used to capture still graphic data, including:
- digital camera
- array CCD
- memory card storage medium
- scanner
- linear CCD
- role of ADC
- digital camera
- Description of the storage of graphic data in compressed and uncompressed file formats,
- Simple description of the techniques used within each file for compression and data storage, including:
- bitmap (indexed colour or CLUT)
- 24-bit bitmap and compressed bitmap (RLE)
- GIF (animation, (non)-interlaced, LZW)
- JPEG (description of factors involved)
- PNG (CLUT or RGB, transparency, compressed)
- Description of RGB colour codes and their effect on the overall colour produced
- Calculations using the relationship:
- File Size = pixels x colour depth (bits)
- Calculation of number of pixels from height, width and resolution
- Explanation of the following image related terms:
- dithering
- anti-aliasing
- increase resolution (re-sampling)
- Description of features of graphics cards involved in displaying 2D graphics, including:
- role of DAC
- role of GPU/DSP (to allow effects to be applied by hardware)
Digitised sound data
- Description of sound card in its use to capture sound data including role of ADC
- Description of the storage of sound data in compressed and uncompressed file formats,
- Simple description of the techniques used within each file for compression and data storage, including:
- RAW (PCM)
- RIFF (ADPCM) (including WAV)
- MP3 (description of factors involved)
- Description of the following terms in relation to audio files:
- bit-rate to describe data throughput for a sound file
- normalising sound files
- Calculations using the relationship:
- File Size (bytes) = Sampling Frequency (Hz) x Sound Time (s) x Sampling Depth (bytes) x Channels
- Explanation of the following sound related terms:
- clipping
- stereo,
- surround sound
- fade
- Description of features of sound cards, including:
- role of DAC
- role of DSP (to allow hardware decoding of sound files)
Video Data
- Technical description of hardware required to capture digital and analogue video:
- digital video camera (array CCD)
- web cam (array CCD)
- video capture card (role of ADC and role of DSP to allow hardware encoding of data stream including into MPEG format)
- Description of the storage of video data in compressed and uncompressed file formats
- Simple description of the techniques used within each file for compression and data storage and the inclusion of sound within the file, including:
- uncompressed AVI
- MPEG (description of factors involved)
- Description of term bit-rate to describe data throughput for a video file
- Calculations using the relationship:
- File Size (bytes) = pixels per frame x Colour Depth (bytes) x Video Time (s) x Frame Rate (fps)
- Description of the main features and applications of video editing software with multiple clips, including:
- timeline
- transition
- sequencing
- Description of features of graphics cards for output of video, including:
- role of DAC
- role of DSP (to allow hardware decoding of data stream including MPEG files)
Vector Graphics Data
- Description of features of vector formats:
- object oriented data storage
- more storage efficient than bitmap storage
- output quality matches hardware capability
- conversion to bitmap formats
- Description of common attributes of vector graphic objects:
- drawing (shape, position, size, rotation, line, fill)
- 3D image (shape, position, size, rotation, texture)
- Description of basic features and structures of vector graphic file types, including methods used to implement common attributes listed above for these file types:
- SVG
- VRML/WRL
Synthesised sound data
- Description of common attributes of notes stored as MIDI data
- instrument
- pitch
- volume
- duration
- tempo
- Description of advantages and disadvantages of storing sound as MIDI data
Implications of the use of multimedia technology
- Description of trends and changes in contemporary technologies that facilitate the convergence of technologies in relation of multimedia capabilities, including:
- communications
- buses
- wireless standards
- increasing bandwidth
- including USB
- Firewire
- WiFi
- Bluetooth
- storage technologies
- decreasing size and price
- increasing capacity
- including optical
- magnetic
- holographic
- processor
- increasing power
- display technologies
- including real and virtual 3D displays
- flat displays
- communications