Sounds, Images & Other Objects

Sounds, Images & Other Objects Website Production

Browsers • Most browsers can handle basics types of objects, but not all • Helper applications and Plug-ins are used to extend the functionality of browsers

Helper Apps & Plug-ins • Helper applications are stand-alone, separate programs that browsers call upon to “handle” specific types of files • Example: Microsoft Media Player • Plug-ins are software modules that allow for handling of different file types within a webpage • Example: Quicktime Plug-in

Common Object Types • Sound • Wave files (.WAV) • Sound format developed jointly by Microsoft and IBM • Support built into Windows 95; de facto standard for PCs • .AU • Short for audio • Common format for UNIX machines • Standard audio file format for Java

Common Object Types • Sound • Midi: Musical instrument digital interface (.MID) • Standard adopted by the electronic music industry for controlling devices, such as synthesizers and sound cards • Includes values note's pitch, length, and volume, as well as attack and delay time

Common Object Types • Images • GIF: graphics interchange format (.GIF) • Bit-mapped graphics file format • Supports color and various resolutions • Includes data compression • JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group (.JPG) • Can reduce files sizes to about 5% of their normal size • Some detail is lost in the compression

Common Object Types • Animations/Video • QuickTime movie (.MOV) • Developed by Apple Computer • Built into the Macintosh operating system • PCs run QuickTime files using a special driver • Supports Cinepak, JPEG, and MPEG encoding • Audio Video Interleave (.AVI) • Developed by Microsoft Corporation • Limited to 320 x 240 resolution, and 30 frames per second • Does not require any special hardware; lowest common denominator for multimedia applications

Common Object Types • Animations/Video • MPEG: Moving Picture Experts Group (MPG) • Family of digital video compression standards and file formats developed by the group • Generally produces better-quality video than competing formats • Stores only the changes from one frame to another • Use DCT encoding and a type of lossy compression

Common Object Types • Animations/Video • Flash • Known as FutureSplash until 1997, when Macromedia Inc. bought the company that developed it • Bandwidth friendly, browser independent vector-graphic animation technology • Using the necessary plug-ins, Flash animations look the same regardless of browser • Users can draw their own animations or import other vector-based images • Can only be created using the Flash animation application from Macromedia Inc.

Common Object Types • Streaming • Technique for transferring data such that is processed as a steady and continuous stream • Client browser or plug-in can start displaying the data before the entire file has been transmitted

Common Object Types • Streaming • RealAudio (.RAM, .RM) • De facto standard for streaming audio data over the World Wide Web • Developed by RealNetworks • Supports FM-stereo-quality sound • Requires RealAudio player or plug-in (freeware) • RealVideo • Developed by RealNetworks • For transmitting live video over the Internet • Uses a variety of data compression techniques

Adding Objects Objects can be added by … • Including a link to a specific file (resource) • Embedding the object within a webpage

Embedded Objects <EM SRC=“_url_”> • _url_ is the object’s address

Sounds, Images & Other Objects