Date: April 8, 2000
Author: Ronald Wolak

Subject: DISS 780 Multimedia Discussion Topic 3 - Video Overhead

DISS 780 Discussion Topic 3 - Video Overhead

The use of video in a multimedia presentation adds significantly to the complexity of the project (England & Finney, 1999). For example, the preparation required for a video interview is far greater than an interview in which sound and still pictures are employed. The video interview requires the producer to consider additional factors such as lighting, location, specialized personnel, and equipment logistics. Other issues include increased hardware, software, storage, and network capabilities at both the server and client when video is employed. Is the addition of video worth the complexity it brings to the multimedia production and distribution process?

Yes, more Americans turn to television for information that any other form of communication (Webb & Poehlmann, 1997). Audiences are familiar with the medium, and the use of video in a multimedia presentation is an extremely effective way of conveying a message. Recent advances in Digital Video Disc (DVD) technology allow producers a convenient means of storing and distributing high profile and splashy multimedia presentations (Gundermann, 1999, November). DVD technology delivers theater quality sound and video. In addition, DVD provides full-screen, instead of postage-size, video.

Along with the distribution of multimedia presentations on CD and DVD discs, advances in communication and computing technology have made it feasible to provide online access to multimedia audio and video (Vernick, Venkatramani, & Chiueh, 1996). However, networked multimedia computing generates two new problems. These include the need for large aggregate I/O bandwidth and the guarantee of real-time performance to ensure reliable playback at the client. In spite of these issues, the ability of video to communicate with an audience justifies its increased overhead.

References

England, E., & Finney, A. (1999). Managing multimedia: Project management for interactive media (2nd ed.). Harlow, England: Addison-Wesley.

Gundermann, M. (1999, November). The next step in multimedia. Successful Meetings, 48(12), 55-56.

Vernick, M., Venkatramani, C., & Chiueh, T. (1996). Adventures in building the Stony Brook video server. Proceedings of the Fourth ACM International Multimedia Conference on Proceedings ACM Multimedia 96, ACM, Boston, pp. 287.

Webb, K., & Poehlmann, T. (1997). The sixty second seminar -- Producing instructional video for the web. Proceedings of the 25th SIGUCCS Conference on User Services: Are You Ready?, ACM, Monterey, California.