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Adobe: Adobe Systems Incorporated. Maker of many applications relevant to multimedia and the Internet such as Photoshop, Premiere, Acrobat, and Illustrator. (They also make PageMaker, the popular desktop publishing application). Address: 1585 Charleston Road, P.O. Box 7900 Moutain View, CA 94039-7900. URL: http://www.adobe.com/.

AIFF: (Audio Interchange File Format) An audio file format. Three letter extension is usually .AIF, sometimes .IFF Generally, a Macintosh audio format, but the file can be played on other platforms as well.

Alta Vista: Computer-Generated Web Index from Digital Equipment Corporation.

Analog: Derived from the term "analogous". (Pronounced "ANN-uh-log"). Analog audio and video is the old-fashioned method of recording on tape a signal that uses "waves" to represent the video or audio signal. The signal is analogous to the original medium of acoustic sound or reflected light. According to Herb Zettl, "analog systems record the continually fluctuating video signal created and processed by a video source (such as a camera) on videotape and retrieve the information as an identical continually fluctuating signal from the videotape". Today, this is contrasted with digital recording methods which represent the original signal using binary information.

Anchor: A particular type of html tag which provides the "link" to a specific part of an html file. The anchor tag is used extensively within this "definitions" html file to take the user to a specific portion of the document. For example, clicking on the word "tag" (above in this definition) will take you to a specific portion of this document where the definition for "tag" is located. You could also make a link take you to a specific part of another document . To see the anchor tags, use the "View Source" function of your browser to see the underlying html tags in this document. Look for the <A NAME="ANCHOR"> tags to see how this works.

Animation: click here for definition and example.

Apple Animation: A particular codec used to to decrease the file size of digital video. This codec works best for animation, as opposed to moving video. It can run in either lossless or lossy mode.

Apple Video: A particular codec used to to decrease the file size of digital video. This is the most basic codec for Quicktime movies. It works best with moving video as opposed to drawn animation. This codec often loses out to Cinepak as the codec of choice for digital video in multimedia.

ASCII Art: Using standard ASCII characters to create line art. Often found at the bottom of email messages. Click here for an example.

ASCII Text: (ASCII is pronounced "askie"). Plain text format. This is text with none of the formatting instructions ordinarily included with standard word processing programs. For example, Microsoft Word for Windows stores text with special instructions for how it should look (font size, style etc.) and the three letter file name extension is DOC. Plain ASCII Text does not include this material and is usually stored with the three letter extension TXT. (Most word processing software allows the user to store the text as Plain ASCII text as well as its own proprietary format). Click here for more information on ASCII Text. Hypertext Markup Language starts with ASCII text and applies tags to define the structure of the document.

AU: Sun Microsystem's audio file format. The format allows several different kinds of sound sampling encoding, but the most popular is the 8-bit µ-law. Sometimes these files are simply called µ-law. The low 8-bit sample size results in relatively low quality of sound, therefore it is often better to use aiff or wav file formats for audio.

Audio: click here for definition and example.

Audio-Video Interleaved: (AVI) A video-audio file format for Windows. Often called "Video for Windows," it was developed by Microsoft to play full-motion interleaved video and audio in Windows. AVI and Quicktime are the two most used moving video file formats used in multimedia.

Authoring: The act of using software to combine text, graphics, sound, animation and digital video into a completed multimedia project.

Authoring Tools: Software tools used to manage and construct the individual elements of a multimedia project. Traditional multimedia tools include "Director", "Authorware" and "Quest." On the World Wide Web these projects are constructed using a computer language known as Hypertext Markup Language or HTML.

Authorware: An authoring environment for creating interactive multimedia applications. Manufactured by Macromedia, it is an object-oriented, icon-based application useful for training, educational coursework, simulations and kiosks.

Autotracing: The process of converting a bitmap image into a vector image. In other words, autotracing changes objects which are represented by a pattern of dots into something which can represented as a geometric shape. Often this involves changing a TIFF format image into an Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) file. This is useful for converting images which were produced by an optical scanner (i.e. flatbed). The optical scanner creates a bitmap file which needs to be converted to a vector image in order to useful in an object-oriented graphics application or for printing with a PostScript printer.

AVI: See Audio-Video Interleaved

Binary: Using either 0 or 1 (or off/on) as the basic unit of data in computers.

Bit: The most basic unit of computer information. A bit can be either 0 or 1. A one bit system uses this to produce either black or white. 2-bits means that there are two units of information, each one can produce either a 0 or 1. The number of different combinations of zeros and ones when using 2-bits is represented as 2² (or 4 different combinations). Accordingly, when using 8-bits where each bit can be either zero or one, the number of different combinations is represented as 2⁸ (or 256 different combinations).

Bitmaps: Sometimes called "paint graphics" (the opposite of vector graphics). Bitmap images are generally used for photo-realistic images (often these graphics are at least partly scanned photographs or are "photo-looking"). Adobe Photoshop is an example of a bitmap based application. Bitmap images are also used for graphics requiring a great amount of detail. They start as a page that contains a predetermined number of pixels (such as 640 pixels across by 480 pixels from top to bottom). The graphic is created by changing the color of each individual pixel. Bitmap images can be stored in a number of image file formats such as GIF, JPEG or TIFF. Be careful not to confuse the idea of "bitmap graphics" with the BMPfile format.

BMP Image: A specific graphics file format. Three letter extension .bmp. A BMP image is used in Microsoft Windows. (Pronounced "bitmap" image, but not to be confused with more general term bitmaps).

Browser: The software for the World Wide Web which allows the user to navigate online html documents. Netscape and Mosaic are examples of Web browsers.

Case-Sensitive: When you are required to type in characters as either upper-case or lower-case in order for the string of characters to be accepted. For example, the URLs one must type to go to a web page are usually case-sensitive. You must type the upper-case characters shown in a web address as upper-case and the lower-case letters shown in a web address as lower-case. Email addresses are usually not case-sensitive, meaning it doesn't matter whether you type the characters as upper or lower-case.

CD-I: Compact disc-interactive. A Philips's proprietary environment. Many of today's video games are sold under this product category (Philips, Sega, Nintendo, Panasonic and Sony). The term is meant to show that the video game uses CD-ROM technology, as well as being interactive. CD-I represents a vast improvement in speed and image quality over the older game cartridges.

CD-ROM: "Compact disk read-only memory." The most popular method of delivery for multimedia materials. A typical CD-ROM can be mass produced for less than a dollar per unit and can contain as much as 72 minutes of high-quality full-screen video. CD-ROMs are made out of polycarbonate plastic. Because these devices are mechanical in nature, many believe they will be replaced in the future by memory storage devices which will require no moving parts. Also, the delivery of information via networks, such as the Internet, will likely prevail as the most commonly used delivery system for multimedia.

CERN: The European Laboratory for Particle Physics. Located in Geneva Switzerland, this organization is the birthplace of the World Wide Web. Physicists needed a way to share documents with more that just plain text across a distributed network. The need to create documents with graphics and hypertext links resulted in the creation of the WWW. Click here to go to the CERN web site in Switzerland.

CGI-BIN: (Pronounced "C-G-I bin"). CGI-BIN is a directory on a web server where CGI scripts are placed.

CGI:Common Gateway Interface. CGI is an interface for running external programs, or gateways, under a web server (also known as a HTTP server). Together the HTTP server and the CGI programs are responsible for servicing a client request by sending back responses. The "gateway script" is usually a link between the server and some other program running on the system. CGI is at the heart of the web as far as web browsers being able to support a variety of protocols (http, ftp, gopher, news, telnet). CGI is also necessary for imagemaps and forms to function. The CGI script is usually placed in a directory on the web server called cgi-bin.

Cinepak: (Pronounced "SIN-ah-pack"). A particular codec used to to decrease the file size of digital video. Considered one of the best codecs for video because of its high quality and small file size. Probably the most used codec with Quicktime movies. Cinepak is usually considered a better codec for video with a great deal of movement in the screen than the Indeo codec. However, the process of compressing video with Cinepak compression can be very slow.

Clickable: Layperson's term for any text or image on which the user can "click" to go to something else. Often the terms hyptertext or hypermedia are considered more savvy or sophisticated.

Client: A computer which connects to a server computer and uses the server to provide software or carry out requested tasks.

Client-Server Model: Most simply, a client makes a request and a server fufills that request. Client software on your own computer (such as a web browser i.e. Netscape) will be used to make a request of the server (a computer to which you connect) and the server goes out, gets the file and transfers it back to the computer running the client program. The server software helps carry out these requests and simply passes the information on to the client without storing the information on the server itself. This is the nature of the World Wide Web when using a web browser.

CODEC: Compression-Decompression. (Pronounced "COE-deck"). A codec is a particular compression scheme used to compress and later decompress digital video. Each compression scheme has a different way of handling compression and decompression. Codecs include: Cinepak, Indeo, Apple Video, Apple Animation and YUV Codec. Compression and decompression can be done with either software or hardware. Software codecs are slower and generally aren't capable of handling full-screen, full-motion (30 frames per second), high-quality video. Hardware compression is able to compress and decompress full-motion, full-screen video in real-time, but requires the purchase of a special card which is inserted into a computer.

Common Gateway Interface: See CGI.

Communication Mode: Communicating via a specific human sense, such as sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. Research has shown that messages which combine more than one communication mode will improve learning, understanding, message retention and will add to the enjoyment with the experience. This is the essence of multimedia which involves sight, sound and touch.

Component Video: Analog video signals can be broken down into parts. The two main parts are luminance (Black & White) and chrominance (color). Luminance is designated as "Y" and chrominance is designated as "C." A component video format keeps the Y and C signals separate and further breaks the chrominance (C) information into smaller parts. These parts are R, G, B (red, green, blue). Actually, component video only needs to carry two of these other three parts (red and blue for example) because like basic algebra...when you know the values for 2 parts, the third part can be deduced (by the electronic equipment). So, the component video format is sometimes represented as Y, C, C (luminance, color 1 and color 2). Keeping video information separate and actually carrying the signals on different wires, avoids such problems as "color bleeding" and "video noise." Component video allows for the best representation of color and will have the least amount of generational loss. Component video is the highest quality analog video format available. Other types of video include: composite video and Y/C video.

Composite Video: Analog video signals can be broken down into parts. The two main parts are luminance (Black & White) and chrominance (color). Luminance is designated as "Y" and chrominance is designated as "C." A composite video format incorporates both the Y and C information together into one signal. This often results in signal interference where colors "bleed" into each other and there will be "video noise." Composite video suffers greatly from problems of generational loss as well. Yet, this is the type of video currently being used for analog television around the world. (See NTSC television). Other types of video include: Y/C and Component Video.

Compression: A method used to reduce the amount of information stored with a particular file. Graphics files and moving video files are good candidates for compression because they are generally very large in size. Compressing these files can greatly reduce the amount of information required. However, compression comes with some sacrifice of image quality.

Compression Artifacts: The "boxy" patterns visible in highly-compressed graphics. Generally, a deterioration of image quality due to compression.

Computer-Generated Web Indeces: Computers that search the web to create indeces of web content.

Cross-Platform: This means that a particular file or application (or even certain hardware) can be used on more than one computer platform, such as Macintosh or Windows or Amiga or Unix.

CUSI Sites: The Configurable Unified Search Engine. A Central Web Search Site.
Click here for more information about CUSI Sites.

Desktop Video: This term has come about because of a developing transition from traditional analog video tape (such as VHS, S-VHS, HI-8, 3/4", professional beta, 1" and other formats) to computer based platforms used to digitize, edit and manipulate video. Full-motion (30 frames per second), full-screen digitized video takes up tremendous amounts of storage space. However, there is a tremendous increase in efficiency because of the ability to do non-linear editing.

Digital: Using a binary system instead of the older analog methods of representing sound or video.

Digital Stills: click here for definition and example.

Digitizing:The process of converting standard analog information into digital form (binary code) which a computer can use. This is done with a special "card" which plugs into a slot in a computer that allows either audio or video to be sent into the computer. The signal from the audio or video is then converted into digital information (data) which can be stored and manipulated.

Director: An extremely powerful multimedia authoring tool made by Macromedia. Although it is an extremely versatile tool for combining multimedia elements, Director also has a very steep "learning curve." (It can take a long time to learn).

Distributed Networks: The use of copper wire, glass fiber (fiber optics), radio transmission (microwave), and/or satellite transmission to deliver data. Computers are interconnected and distributed over more than one location. Local area networks or (LANs) are computers connected within a single location. Wide area networks (WANs) represent the interconnecting of computers over a wide geographic area. Terms such as "information superhighway", "cyberspace" and "infobahn" have become popular ways of describing the use of networks distributed over wide geographic areas. What is generically referred to as the Internet is really just an interconnection of many networks (a network of networks). Interactive TV and cable and other online services such as "America Online" (AOL), "Compuserve" and "Prodigy" are also brought about by distributed networks.

Download: The act of transmitting a file from a computer in another location to your own PC. The opposite of upload. To understand the distinction between upload and download...think of the act of sending or receiving a package on a train. When you send the package you put it "up" on the train. When you receive it you take it "down" from the train. So, downloading a computer file involves bringing it "down" from the other computer.

Electronic Mail: "Email" is used to exchange messages with other people. The email is delivered by Internet software through a computer network to your computer.

Encapsulated Post Script: EPS (pronounced as separate letters) is the graphics file format used by the PostScript language. EPS files are usually the on-screen representation of the way the PostScript fonts will look once they are printed.

End User: The viewer of a multimedia project.

EPS: See Encapsulated PostScript.

File Type: Computer files can take many forms. Word processing files have a two or three letter extension which indicates the "type" of file it is (i.e. letter.doc or letter.wp). Audio and video is stored in the same manner. Each file has a name followed by a period (or "dot") and a two or three letter extension. This extension indicates the type of file it is. (Sometimes referred to as the "format").
Here are some examples of file types:
Text Files: .txt, .doc, .rtf
Audio Files: .au, .aif, .wav.
Graphic files: .jpg, .gif, .tif, .bmp, .pict, .pcx
Moving video files: .qt, .mov, .avi
Animation: .flc, .fli

Fill-In-Forms: These are web pages which have radio buttons, checkboxes, text boxes and other elements that give the page a truly interactive aspect. Web users can fill-in information requested by the web creater and be provided with different options based on their input. Fill-in-forms require a CGI script (which is usually placed in a special directoy of the web server called "cgi-bin") that can take the form input and respond appropriately. A new type of form called Mailto: forms does not require the CGI script.

Flattened Movies: Quicktime Movies made on a Macintosh platform utilize both the resource and data forks. In order for Quicktime Movies to play on Windows platforms, the movies must be "flattened." This is a process in which all the information necessary to play the movie is placed in one fork (the data fork). Software such as "Flattenmoov" or "Adobe Premiere" will flatten these movies.

Fonts: A collection of text characters of a single size and style belonging to a particular typeface family. An example of fonts

Font Size: See type size.

Font Style: The particular style of textual characters. Styles are usually standard, bold and italic. Font style refers only to whether the characters are standard, bold or italic and should not be confused with typeface or fonts . An example of fontstyle.

Forms: See Fill-In-Forms.

Freehand: Design and illustration software made by Macromedia. Supports Photoshop filters and comes with many high quality fonts and images.

FTP: See File Transfer Protocol

GIF Image: Graphics Interchange Format. (Pronounced either as "giff" or "jiff"...i.e. the peanut butter). A format developed in the mid-1980s by CompuServ to allow network transmission of photo-quality graphics images. Today, the overwheliming majority of images on the World Wide Web are GIF. GIF images are 8-bit (256 colors) with a screen resolution of 640 X 480 pixels. GIF images can be one of two types: GIF87a (the older format) or GIF89a (a newer format which allows transparent backgrounds). GIF images can be either interlaced or non-interlaced. The GIF file format uses a form of file compression known as LZW (Lempel Zev Welch) that squeezes out inefficiencies in the file without causing a loss of data or image quality. (See lossless compression). GIF and JPG images are the most widely used graphics file formats on the World Wide Web. Some advantages of GIF over JPG include: they're the most widely supported format on the Web and they can include tranparency and interlacing.

Gopher: A non-graphical, text-basedclient-server system. It is menu driven, making it much easier to find information than standard FTP. Gopher (named after the U. of Minnesota mascot. It was developed at the U. of Minnesota) works by placing information into a hierarchical menu system. Internet users can connect to a Gopher server and start at a top-level directory. From there they can "burrow" through the menu structure to a variety of information. Many times the information is actually downloadable files or software which the user can bring to their own computer and use later.

Graphic Art: click here for definition and example.

HTTP: HypterText Tranfer Protocol. The particular method by which a HTTP server sends information from the server to the client. HTTP is the specific communication method used to get a web page from the server to your computer. HTTP is just one type of protocol.

HTTP Server: Also known as a "web server." HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol. An HTTP Server is a program that resides on a computer on the Internet. It serves up files using HTML (hypertext markup language) and the associated images, audio and moving video files. The HTTP Server waits for a web browser to connect to it and make a request.

HyperText: HyperText is the general term applied to "clickable" text. Once you click on a word or words, you are then taken to a different document or another area of the current document.

HyperText Markup Language See HTML.

Hypermedia: Hypermedia is a general term applied to "clickable" media. Once you click on a particular word or graphic, you are then taken to other text, graphics, sound files, animation or moving video. Or, more generically, an interactive project which includes a structure of linked elements which the user can navigate

Imagemap Program: One of 3 ingredients necessary to create an imagemap. An imagemap program is a CGI program that resides on a web server. The program usually resides in a directory called "cgi-bin." This program connects the coordinates from the map file to the specified links.

Indeo: A particular codec used to to decrease the file size of digital video. Indeo is often considered to be a better codec for video in which there is little on-screen movement than the Cinepak codec. Although, Indeo only works well on the fastest computers. (Actually there are two Indeo codecs: 1. "Intel Indeo Video R3.2" explained above and 2. "Intel Indeo Video Raw" in which no compression is applied. This latter coded results in very high quality video, but takes more storage space than the former).

Inline Images: An image that appears along with text on a web page. It begins with the <IMG> tag...followed by one of four attributes: SRC, ALIGN, ALT or ISMAP. "SRC" is used to define the location of the image. "ALIGN" will align text at the top, middle or bottom of the image. "ALT" is used to include information for people without a graphical browser such as Lynx. (They won't be able to see the inline image). "ISMAP" will activate an image map.
Click here for more information on using "inline images."

Interactive Multimedia: When the multimedia user is allowed to control what elements are to be delivered and when they are to be delivered. See also interactive multimedia design.

Interactive Multimedia Design: This multimedia design allows for random, near-random, or predetermined access and interactivity. Uses include training, discovery learning, simulation, testing, interactive research, point-of-purchase marketing, and many other kiosk, business, and home applications, even virtual reality.

Interlacing: The process of displaying GIF images in several passes on the screen. The image starts by building a low-resolution version of the full-sized GIF image first (looks "out-of-focus") and then more passes are done until finally the full image is displayed. (Normally, GIF images load from top to bottom until the whole image is displayed). The advantage of interlacing is that it allows the web user to preview the image, judge the physical screen size and have some idea of what is about to come. In some cases, the user may wish to stop the image from loading after looking at the first pass or so, thus saving time. Contrary to popular belief, interlaced images are not faster-loading than non-interlaced images. Popular software conversion applications such as LViewPro (for Windows) and GIFConverter (for Mac) can convert non-interlaced GIFs to interlaced GIFs.

Interleaved: A process in video files which synchronizes video and audio information. This allows a person's lips to match the sound. Video is "interleaved with audio" within both Quicktime and AVI video file formats.

Internet: The Internet is a worldwide network of networks which interconnects home computers to other home computers, sophisticated mainframe computers and even super-computers. An "internet" is a connected set of networks, (a network of networks) such as those using Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP). When used in conjunction, this suite of protocols is referred to as TCP/IP. "The Internet" usually refers to the connected TCP/IP internets.

JPEG Compression: A compression scheme that uses a specific mathematical formula (or algorithm) to drop out repetitive data within a still image or moving video file. This is done to decrease the size of a file. JPEG is referred to as a lossy compression scheme because it throws out certain information. JPEG compression allows for varying levels of compression resulting in different file sizes with different levels of quality. It can compress about 20:1 before image quality significantly deteriorates. The JPEG standard has become popular for professional turnkey computer video systems as well.

JPEG Images: See JPG Images

Local area network: Computers interconnected within a single location. In most cases the computers are all connected to a central computer known as a server which handles the communication necessary for interconnectivity as well as providing shared software the many networked computers can utilize.

Lossless: Some compression schemes reduce the size of a file but always recreate the original file exactly. In other words, lossless schemes preserve the original data precisely. This is referred to as "lossless" compression. Lossless compression is important for very high-resolution image application such as medical imaging.

Lossy: Some compression schemes reduce the size of a file by throwing out certain data. This is referred to as "lossy" compression. (See JPEG Compression). This can be done by finding repetitive (or unchanging screen areas in moving video) pixels in an image, throwing out the repitition and then recreating the original image as closely as possible when it is uncompressed. However, anytime data is thrown out, the resulting recreation will have some "loss" associated with it.

Lynx: A World Wide Web browser often referred to as a "line browser." It is used on text-only operating systems with character only displays (such as Unix or VM/CMS). In other words, Lynx is "non-graphical" and doesn't have the ability to display images or moving video files. It also cannot be configured to play audio files.

Mailto: The "mailto:" tag is used to allow someone to click on a word or words and then directly send an email message from the web browser to the email address contained in the mailto: tag. A mailto: tag might look like this: <a href="mailto:anderssd@jmu.edu">, and would end with the standard </a>. The mailto: tag would result in something that looks like this: For more information contact anderssd@jmu.edu.

Mailto: forms: A new type of form which offers Web Page authors a way to use forms in their pages WITHOUT having to write CGI scripts or even have access to the cgi-bin directory. The results of the form are mailed directly to the author's Email account, so immediate responses based on the contents of the form are not possible. Also see fill-in-forms.

Map File: One of 3 ingredients necessary to create an imagemap. The map file contains the coordinates of the active areas (hot spots) on the clickable GIF image.

MOV: The three letter file extension for Quicktime movies.

MPEG: Moving Pictures Experts Group. A format for moving images (video). MPEG compresses at about a 50 to 1 (50:1) ratio before visible degradation occurs. Compression can go as high as about 200:1. A good working figure is about 1.2 to 1.5 megabytes (MB) for each second of MPEG video.

MPEG Compression: A video compression scheme originally conceived as the "moving video" equivalent of the still image compression scheme called JPEG. MPEG compression requires special hardware to play back video at full-motion, full-frame rates. Also see MPEG.

Multimedia: Any combination of text, graphic art, digital stills, sound, animation and video. Multimedia can be used for a variety of purposes ranging from creating presentations, training, education, creating digitial publications, simulations and kiosks. Multimedia can be accessed via videotape, hard-disk, CD-ROM or over a distributed network such as the World Wide Web. It can be either non-interactive or interactive.

Multimedia Developers: The people who create multimedia projects

Multimedia Projects: The multimedia materials which are part of a particular topic or subject presented on a computer or television screen.

Multimedia Title: A multimedia project shipped or sold to consumers under a given name. (i.e. popular titles..."Encarta", "WarCraft", "Oregon Trail II", "Star Trek-TNG A Final Unity.") See also packaged multimedia design & distribution.

Navigation Maps: A visual representation of the structure of a multimedia or Web project. A navigation map outlines the connection or links among the various elements of a project. These maps help web/multimedia creaters organize the content of a project. See examples of navigation maps here. See also storyboards.

Networked Multimedia: Multimedia material delivered over a distributed network (i.e. the World WIde Web) instead of some other delivery method such as CD-ROM.

News: See Usenet.

NNTP: Network News Transfer Protocol. A protocol to allow Usenet news to be read by news readers on the Internet.

Non-Interactive Multimedia: A mulitmedia project in which text, graphics, sound and moving video come to the end user without any opportunity for interactivity. The end user simply watches what is delivered without being able to choose among options.

Non-Linear Editing: Non-linear editing refers to the fact that digital video can be retrieved from a storage medium (i.e. computer hard disk) which doesn't need to be physically rewound or fast-forwarded (as with conventional videotape) to access particular sections of video (Audio works in the same way). Access is almost instantaneous. Also, non-linear editing allows for insertion of material in the middle of a video segment whereas conventional videotape editing does not. Videotape is not physically spliced, but edited electronically by dubbing (copying) from one tape to another. Therefore, the insertion of material in the middle cannot be done without re-editing from that point on. (Or, by dubbing onto yet another tape resulting in generational loss). See also desktop video.

Nonlinear Multimedia: When the end user is given navigational control to wander through multimedia content at will. The user can control what is seen and when it will be seen.

NTSC: National Television Systems Committee. A group originally formed by the electronics industry to create a technical standard for television in the United States. In 1941, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted the recommendations of the NTSC which set television standards of 525 horizontal lines of resolution, 30 frames of video per second and a 4:3 aspect ratio (screen is 4 units wide X 3 units high). Later standards for color television were devised which incorporated all of the video information, luminance (black & white) and chrominance (color), together into one signal. This is known as composite video. "NTSC Composite Video" is the standard for regular analog television still in use today.

PDF: See Portable Document Format

Photoshop: A very popular photo manipulation and graphics software package created by Adobe.

PICT Image: A Macintosh image file format which can be used for both bitmap and vector images. Just about any Macintosh application can import PICT files. However, you don't see PICT images on the World Wide Web. Most Web images are either GIF or JPG format images.

Pixel: Short for "picture element." A pixel is the smallest unit that makes up an image on your computer monitor. There are thousands of pixels in an standard screen display arranged in rows. For example, a standard 8-bit GIF image contains 640 pixels on each row and there are 480 rows from top to bottom. Varying the color of each pixel is what creates the images you see on your computer.

Pixel Depth: (Also called "bit resolution"). A measurement of the number of bits of information stored with each pixel. Pixel depth will generally be expressed as either 8-bit, 16-bit or 24-bit. The greater the number of bits, the more different colors a pixel can create. 8-bit pixel depth can create 256 different colors (2⁸), 16-bit pixel depth can create over 65,000 different colors (2¹⁶) and 24-bit pixel depth can create more than 16-million different colors (2²⁴).

Portable Document Format: (PDF) A type of file which can be sent over a network and retain the original look utilized for a print publication. The advantage of a PDF file is that it allows the desktop publisher to maintain the look (layout) created for the "print" medium (newspapers, magazines) and send this work electronically over the World Wide Web as a PDF file. This requires software such as Acrobat to view the file on the receiving end. The creater does not have to learn HTML and the professional print look can be maintained without making the work look like "just another HTML file." According to Adobe, pdf is a file format that allows you to "create electronic documents from a wide range of authoring tools (such as PageMaker) for sharing across different computer platforms. Simply 'print' files to the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Now you can distribute your documents over the broadest selection of electronic media, including the World Wide Web, e-mail, Lotus Notes(R), corporate networks, CD-ROMs, and print-on-demand systems. Send a PDF file and a free copy of Acrobat Reader to any Macintosh(R), Windows(R), DOS, or UNIX(R) user, and they can view or print the document with the hardware and software they already have".

PostScript: A page description language made by Adobe. It is the primary language for printing documents on a laser printer. It is an object-oriented language meaning it treats images and text fonts as geometric shapes instead of bitmaps. Just one mathematical description for each character of a typeface is required. (Whereas with bitmap fonts, a bitmap file is required for each character in each size). With PostScript, a simple mathematical change in the coordinates of the character changes its size. (This change in character size is called "scaling"). This means that it will look right whether it is printed very small or very large. PostScript can store the font description in a laser printer's own memory. In order to represent the PostScript fonts on the users monitor, a special graphics file format called Encapsulated PostScript is used. Today, most high quality fonts are created with either PostScript or TrueType.

Premiere: Powerful video editing software created by Adobe. Premiere allows up to 2 separate tracks of video with a number of transitions (i.e. wipes, dissolves etc.) as well as the ability to overlay graphics. A large number of audio tracks can also be added.

Presentation Multimedia Design: This is basically what is meant by linear multimedia. This type of multimedia design involves the combination (programming) of digitized text, audio, video, graphics, and moving video for instruction and other presentation applications (sales, consulting, research etc.). Many popular authoring programs are useful only for this type of multimedia.

Protocol: Similar to "protocol" in human communication which involves a previously agreed upon set of rules for communicating in diplomatic settings. On the Internet, a protocol is an agreed upon method for sending and receiving information. For the World Wide Web, the protocol is called HyperText Transfer Protocol. (In a web address this is sometimes referred to as the Scheme). Protocols include Gopher, FTP, Telnet, SMTP (for email), and NNTP (for News).

Quest: A multimedia authoring application from Allen Communication. Quest was developed primarily as an interactive training and educational application using a visual development environment and object-oriented architecture. In other words, the screen layout is WYSIWYG and intuitive.

Sample Size: Part of the process of converting analog signals to digital information. Sample size refers to how many bits of information are stored with each sample. The higher the number, the better the quality of sound. Expressed in "bits"...usually as 8-bit or 16-bit. The latter is C.D. quality sample size. (See also "sample rate" above).

Sans Serif: Sans Serif (sans is French for "without") textual characters don't have the decorations or flags usually associated with Serif characters. Click here for a comparison of Sans Serif characters with Serif characters. (Notice the more basic look to the Sans Serif characters).

SavvySearch: A Central Web Search Site.
Click here for more information about SavvySearch.

Scanning: The act of digitizing material with a flatbed scanner. Usually artwork or photographs.

Scheme: The particular protocol used to get information with a web browser. In the following address, the scheme is "http". (http://www.usu.edu/~communic/). Again, the "http" part is the scheme (in this case HyperText Transfer Protocol). Suppose the address were gopher://cc.usu.edu. In this case the scheme would be "gopher."

Scripting:: Outlining the structure of a multimedia project.

Serif: Serif textual characters have a little "flag" or decoration at the end of the letter stroke. It could be said that Serif characters are "embellished" or "ornate." Click here for an example of the letter "T" in Serif form. (Notice the "flag" or decoration).

Server: A computer which is used as the main source of interconnectivity for other computers. In the "client-server model", the server carries out the instructions of the client computer to go out and get the information the client requests. A web server (http server) is one type of server.

SGML: Standard Generalized Markup Language. SGML is a standard for describing markup languages. See also HTML.

SMTP: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. A protocol used on the Internet to define how Electronic Mail is packaged, transmitted and received.

Smiley: Textual conventions used to substitute for the lack of body language and voice inflection in email correspondence. Email doesn't allow these other communication modes, therefore a system to help clue in the email recipient to your intent has come about. To read this you must turn your head 90 degrees counter-clockwise. Examples...
:-) the basic smiley
:-( the frowning smiley
;-) winking smiley
Here's are more smilies from "EFF's Unofficial Smiley Dictionary".

SMPTE: Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. A professional engineering society charged with developing technical standards for motion pictures and television. (See timecode).

Sound: click here for definition and example.

SoundEdit 16: Audio digitizing and editing software made by Macromedia. Allows you to record to your hard disk and do multi-track mixing in 16-bit, 44kHz quality. A number of special effects can also be utilized.

Spiders: Computer programs that systematically collect Web pages across the Net by repeatedly querying their servers. (aka "web crawlers").

Standard Generalized Markup Language: See SGML.

Starting Point: A Central Web Search Site.
Click here for more information about Starting Point.

Storyboarding: Visually representing the content of individual multimedia/web pages. Similar to a navigation map. Pages in a storyboard will usually be laid out in some order, but a storyboard isn't organized to show all the links from one page to another. A storyboard is more detailed than a navigation map in that each "page" is sketched out to indicate where graphics, icons and textual elements will go.

SuperSearcher: A Central Web Search Site.
Click here for more information about SuperSearcher.

Telnet: The Internet protocol for allowing logins to remote computers (or hosts). This is sometimes referred to as "logging in interactively." When you use Telnet to connect to a remote host, your computer becomes a "dumb terminal." In other words, it's as though your keyboard is connected directly to the host computer and you aren't really using the processing power of your personal computer. This is opposite of the Client-Server Model in which your computer (the client) uses it's own software and processing power. Using Telnet has the advantage of being able to use the software interface on the host computer, which is often very powerful and sophisticated.

Text: click here for definition and example.

TIFF: (Tagged Image File Format) A graphics format which was originally created for scanned images. (Three letter extension is .tif). TIFF is widely used in the newspaper industry and for desktop publishing because of the very high quality and high resolution (lots of pixels). However, it is not very useful on the Internet for two reasons. 1.) TIFF files are very large, often requiring many megabytes, and therefore take a long time to send across a network (especially at slow modem speeds). 2.) TIFF files can not be compressed resulting in much larger files than you might find with gif or JPEG images. With improvements in the pict format, TIFF files may be used even less in newspapers and desktop publishing in the future.

Timecode: A system to indentify each frame of videotape (there are 30 "frames" or still images that make up each second of video) for control and editing. Timecode provides a unique address for each frame of NTSC video in the form of hours:minutes:seconds:frames. This makes it easy to later find a specific portion of a tape or digital video clip. A video clip with a starting timecode address of 01:15:42:16 and an ending timecode address of 01:16:42:16 runs for exactly one minute. Most timecode is of a particular type known as SMPTE timecode.

Transparent Backgrounds: Transparent GIF images can have one color designated to be transparent. Since all graphic images are stored as either square or rectangular shapes, even the background color will show up on a web page. In order to make the background transparent, the background color must be designated to be transparent and the image must be stored as a GIF 89a image. This can be done with an application such as "Transparency" for the Macintosh, "Giftrans" for DOS,or "LViewPro" for Windows. See GIF for more information.

TrueType: A font methodology developed by Apple to compete with the PostScript fonts developed by Adobe. Like PostScript fonts, TrueType fonts are object-oriented fonts (meaning the fonts are represented as geometric shapes instead of bitmaps). TrueType fonts can be easily scaled to many different sizes and still maintain quality. One advantage of TrueType over PostScript is the fact that TrueType fonts can be drawn in low-resolution on a monitor while still printing smooth characters on a printer. (PostScript requires an additional graphics file format called Encapsulated PostScript in order to represent the characters on a monitor).

Turnkey: A "turnkey" system is a package of computer hardware and software put together by a company to sell as a self-contained computer audio or video system. The turnkey approach allows the multimedia creator to buy a system which is specifically designed to do digital desktop audio or video. The vendor provides the computer, extra hardware and software in an integrated package. This makes it easier for the buyer because they don't have to research individual components to the system and figure out how to configure them and make them work together. (Avid, Matrox and Data Translations are companies that provide "turnkey solutions" for non-linear editing systems).

Typeface: A family of graphic characters. There is some basic consistency of look that makes the individual fonts part of the same family. An example of typefaces. A typeface is a more general category than fonts, which take into account both the characters' size and style.

Type Size: The type size is the distance from the top of the capital letters to the bottom of the descenders in letters such as "g" and "y." Type sizes are expressed in "points." On paper, one "point" is .0138 inches or about 1/72 of an inch. However, due to different size monitors, in the electronic world this term is generally meaningful only as a method of comparison. An example of type size.

Upload: The act of transmitting a file from your own computer to another computer somewhere else. The opposite of download. To understand the distinction between upload and download...think of the act of sending or receiving a package on a train. When you send the package you put it "up" on the train. When you receive it you take it "down" from the train. So, uploading a computer file involves puting it up on the other computer.

Usenet: Often used synonymously with "news," Usenet is a collection of thousands of topically organized "newsgroups." Internet user can read email posted by other people interested in a particular topic and even post their own messages. The main categories have changed over the years, but here are a few: comp=computer hardware & software, rec=recreational activities, sci=science topics, soc=cultures and current events. Each of these main categories is broken down into sub catergories. For example, comp.music=a discussion about computer based music applications.

User Definable: In a "user definable interface" (such as Netscape on the World Wide Web), the end user is able to determine certain variables as to the look of web documents. For example, the user is able to configure his/her browser to define which font is used to display basic text as well as defining the color of links, followed links and text. In other words, the user (not the web creater or "web spinner") determines certain aspects of the look of the web pages.

Video: click here for definition and example.

WAV: Microsoft Windows audio file format. (Pronounced "wave") Three letter extension is .wav. Most Macintosh sound editing applications cannot play or convert WAV files. In other words, the format is not generally cross-platform. WAV files are high usually high quality.

Web Browser: See browser.

Web Crawler: A Computer-Generated Web Index. Generically, web crawlers (aka "spiders") are computers that systematically collect Web pages across the Net by repeatedly querying their servers. Also, a specific service called "Web Crawler" operated by America OnLine.

Web Server: See http server.

Wide area network: Wide area networks (WANs) represent the interconnecting of computers over a wide geographic area. This is essentially one network. Businesses will often interconnect computers into a "wide area network" so that company business can be shared across geographic boundaries in a quick, cost-effective and efficient manner.

World Wide Web: A global, graphical hypertext information system that runs on the Internet. The "Web" is capable of delivering multimedia materials such as text, graphics, sound and moving video. Hypertext links allow a quick and easy way to move seamlessly from one source of information to another across computers from all around the globe.

WORM: Write-once, read many. When a multimedia project is intended for distribution on CD-ROM. The CD-ROM is written to once (sometimes referred to as "pressed") and is intended to be read many times by the end user.

Write-to: This involves a memory device which can be used to record information. A computer floppy disc (or diskette) would be an example of a device a user can write to.

WYSIWYG: "What You See Is What You Get." Any computer application which allows you to see on the screen exactly what you'll get once you print a file on paper or make it available in some other electronic form. Some applications, such as text-based html editors and older word-processing applications, don't allow the creater to see the actual "look" of a page before printing or exporting. WYSIWYG html editors allow the web designer to see the layout of a web page, complete with graphics and text as it will look on the web.

Yahoo!: A human-edited web directory started by a couple of graduate students at Stanford University in the early 1990s as their own "bookmark" list of favorite web sites. The directory has become one of the most visited sites on the web, proving that information about information is one of the most important resources in an information-rich environment.

YUV: A particular codec used to to decrease the file size of digital video. Characterized by extremely high image quality. The compression ratio is 2:1.