Multimedia

Multimedia is an interactive communications mechanism that integrates text, graphics, sound, animation and video. Data can be transferred electronically or digitally. It is used in fields such as engineering, medicine, mathematical and scientific research as well as entertainment. Fundamentally, a multimedia system has to be computer controlled, unified, digital and interactive.
One of the core components: Text, serves as the functional aspect of multimedia to express or reinforce specific information. To further intensify the user interface, texts are often accompanied by images. Examples of such formats and file extensions include JPEGs and PNGs. Visual effects are often hyped using design software like Photoshop.
This leads us to the next important component of Multimedia: Audio. Common Audio formats are MP3, WMA, Wave, MIDI, and RealAudio. When used online, compressed formats are usually used for faster download durations and stream audio is used for easier playback options.
Similar to Audio, video formats such as Flash, MPEG, AVI, WMV, and QuickTime are readily accessible today. They, however, may require the user’s browser to have pre-installed resources.
Animation components are also widely used for interactiveness. This is usually delivered by Flash. FLV files can be transported into SWF movies and animation can be derived using ActionScript codes.
Multimedia holds many advantages. Its ability to immerse users makes it an ideal medium to deliver messages effectively than traditional methods. It generates knowledge connections as it is dynamic and adaptive to different environments. Furthermore, its multi-sensory applications make it relatable to people. Disadvantages of multimedia include its ramifications on users (cyberspace obsession, time consumption, and cognitive overload); it does not have structure, non-participative (users are unable to interact).