Multimedia refers to using multiple mediums or types of media to present information, including text, audio, images, video, and animations. It allows for information to be understood more easily by presenting it through various media formats simultaneously or sequentially. Multimedia objects can be static, like images in print media, or dynamic and interactive, like videos. Common multimedia components include text, graphics, audio, video, animation, hypertext, and hypermedia. Multimedia finds various applications in business, marketing, education, banking, hospitals, and entertainment.

1. Literal meaning of
multimedia
Multi – many or more than one
Medium – it is singular and it means intermediary or mean.
Eg. In which medium sound travels fastest: air, water or steel?
Media – it is plural form of medium and it means conveying the information.

2. If a system presents, some information through more than two
media is know as multimedia.
For example, TV presents audio and video; book presents text,
images and graphs etc.
The information presented through multimedia has better quality
and capability, as it can be understood easily.

3. Multimedia Objects

4. Static
• Static media—this refers to content that doesn't change. For
example, an advertisement in a newspaper or magazine is
static, because it remains as printed. It will be the same every
time we view it. Static media can also refer to those parts of
your website that rarely change.

5. Text
• Text is an important component used in many multimedia
applications. They are characters that are used to create
words, sentences and paragraphs. Text alone provide just one
source of information. Yet, text is good at providing basic
information.

6. Graphics
• In general terms, the word “graphic” refers to any visual
representation of data and includes a variety of forms
including drawings, photographs, line art, graphs, diagrams,
numbers, symbols, geometric designs, maps, and engineering
drawings.

7. Dynamic
• Dynamic media—content that is constantly updated and is
interactive.

8. Video
• Video- The term video refers to the moving picture,
accompanied by sound such as a picture in television. Video
element of multimedia application gives a lot of information in
small duration of time. Digital video is useful in multimedia
application for showing real life objects.

9. Audio
• Audio is sound that is within the acoustic range of human
hearing. It is the audible portion on the spectrum of sound
frequencies, distinct from inaudible sounds heard by certain
animals or used In science and medicine.
• Sound is important because it engages audiences: it helps
deliver information, it increases the production value, it
evokes emotional responses, it emphasises what's on the
screen and is used to indicate mood.

10. Animation
• Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated
to appear as moving images.
• Animation allows you to slide scales and bend the laws of
nature. With animated videos, you're free to do whatever you
want. Let your imagination run wild! It gives you the ability to
bring any concept, no matter how complex or out of this
world, to life with ease.

12. Hyper text
• Hypertext is text displayed on a computer display or other
electronic devices with references (hyperlinks) to other text
that the reader can immediately access. Hypertext
documents are interconnected by hyperlinks, which are
typically activated by a mouse click, keypress set, or screen
touch.

13. Hypermedia
• Hypermedia is an extension to what is known as hypertext, or
the ability to open new Web pages by clicking text links on a
Web browser. Hypermedia extends upon this by allowing the
user to click images, movies, graphics and other media apart
from text to create a nonlinear network of information.

14. DifferencebetweenHypertextandHypermedia
Hypertext involves only text. It involves graphics, image, video,
audio etc.
Here only text becomes the part of
link.
It is enhanced version of hypertext
here along with text other multimedia
also becomes the part of link.
Hypertext is the part of hypermedia
means it comes under hypermedia.
Hypermedia is the superior entity
which is the advanced version of
hypertext.

15. Applications of Multimedia

16. • Multimedia in Business- Multimedia can be used in many
applications in a business. The multimedia technology along
with communication technology has opened the door for
information of global wok groups. Today the team members
may be working anywhere and can work for various
companies.

17. • Multimedia in Marketing and Advertising- By using
multimedia marketing of new products can be greatly
enhanced. Multimedia boost communication on an affordable
cost opened the way for the marketing and advertising
personnel. Presentation that have flying banners, video
transitions, animations, and sound effects are some of the
elements used in composing a multimedia based
advertisement to appeal to the consumer in a way never used
before and promote the sale of the products.

18. Multimedia in Education- Many computer games with focus on
education are now available. Consider an example of an
educational game which plays various rhymes for kids. The child
can paint the pictures, increase reduce size of various objects
etc apart from just playing the rhymes.Several other multimedia
packages are available in the market which provide a lot of
detailed information and playing capabilities to kids.

19. Multimedia in Bank- Bank is another public place where
multimedia is finding more and more application in recent
times. People go to bank to open saving/current accounts,
deposit funds, withdraw money, know various financial schemes
of the bank, obtain loans etc. Every bank has a lot of information
which it wants to impart to in customers. For this purpose, it can
use multimedia in many ways. Bank also displays information
about its various schemes on a PC monitor placed in the rest
area for customers. Today on-line and internet banking have
become very popular. These use multimedia extensively.
Multimedia is thus helping banks give service to their customers
and also in educating them about banks attractive finance
schemes.

20. • Multimedia in Hospital- Multimedia best use in hospitals is for
real time monitoring of conditions of patients in critical illness
or accident. The conditions are displayed continuously on a
computer screen and can alert the doctor/nurse on duty if any
changes are observed on the screen. Multimedia makes it
possible to consult a surgeon or an expert who can watch an
ongoing surgery line on his PC monitor and give online advice
at any crucial juncture.

21. • Multimedia in Entertainment
Multimedia is heavily used in the entertainment industry,
especially to develop special effects in movies and animations
(VFX, 3D animation, etc.). Multimedia games are a popular
pastime and are software programs available either as CD-ROMs
or online.