Multimedia Communications

Multimedia Communications
TEXT BOOK:
Fred Halsall, ―Multimedia Communications‖, Pearson education, 2008 ISBN
MODULE 1
Introduction,
Multimedia information representation,
Multimedia networks,
Multimedia applications,
Application and Networking Terminology.
1.1 INTRODUCTION:
Multimedia Communication embraces a range of applications and

networking infrastructures.
 Multimedia is used to indicate that the information / data relating to an
application may be composed of a number of different types of media
which are integrated together.
 The different media types are Text, images, speech, audio and video and
some example applications are video telephony (speech and Video).
 Multimedia electronic mail(text, images and audio for example),

interactive television (Text, audio and video), electronic commerce (Text,
images, audio and video), Web TELEVISION(Text, audio and Video) and
many others.
There are number of different types of networks that are used to provide the networking
infrastructure.
 normally referred to as broadband multiservice networks – but also networks that were designed initially
to provide just a single type of service and it is as a result of advances in various technologies that these can
now support a range of other (Multimedia)services.
 For example, public and private switched telephony service but they are now used in the different media
types.
 Similarly, computer networks such as the internet, which were designed initially to provide general data
communication services such as electronic mail and file transfers, can now support a much richer set of
Multimedia applications.
 In terms of the different types of media, Text and images are generated and represented in a digital form.
 Speech, audio and video, however, are generated in the form of continuously varying – normally referred
to as analog signals.
 Hence in order to integrate all of the different media types together, it is necessary to first convert the
various analog signals into a digital form.
Definition1: The term "multimedia" is used to indicate that the information/data being
transferred over the network may be composed of one or more of the following media
types:
1. Text: Includes both Unformatted Text - comprising strings of characters from a

limited character set and Formatted Text - comprises strings as used for the
structuring, access, and presentation of electronic documents.
2. Images: Includes Computer Generated Image - comprising lines, curves, and circles,
and Digitized Images of documents and pictures.
3. Audio: Includes both low-fidelity speech - as used in telephony and high fidelity
speech - stereophonic music as used with compact discs.
4. Video: Includes short sequences of moving images (also known as video clips) and
complete movies/films
 Definition2: Multimedia is any combination of text, art, sound, animation, and video. It
is delivered to the user by electronic or digitally manipulated means. A multimedia project
development requires creative, technical, organizational, and business skills.
 Definition3: Multimedia is the presentation of a (usually interactive) computer
application, incorporating media elements such as text, graphics, video, animation and
sound on computer.
 Multimedia applications may involve either of the following:
o Person-to-Person communications or
o Person-to-System communications
Person-to-Person communicates using suitable Terminal Equipment (TE)
Person-to-System communications:
o Person interacts with the system using suitable Digital device like workstation or
multimedia personal computer (PC).
o These Digital device are located either in homes or offices.
o Basically system is a server containing a collection of files or documents - each
comprising digitized text, images, audio, and video information either singly or integrated
together in some way alternatively It may also contain - a library of digitized
movies/videos.
User interacts with the server by means of a suitable selection device connected to the Set-top box (STB) associated with
Networking infrastructure
Two types
o Designed initially to provide just a single type of service due to advances
in various technologies these networks can now provide a range of different
other services.
o a. Ex 1:PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) or GSTN (General
Switched Telephone Network) – designed initially to provide the basic
switched telephone service but due to the Advances in digital signal
processing hardware and associated software PSTNs/GSTNs now provide a
range of more advanced services involving - text, images, and video.
o b. Ex 2: Data network: designed initially to support basic data
applications - e-mail, file transfers, and others now support a much richer set
of applications - which involve images, audio, and video.
o Designed from the outset to provide multimedia communication
services. Ex 1: ATM networks.
1.2 Multimedia Information Representation:
Applications involving text and images - comprise blocks of digital data units.
o Text data - typical unit is block of characters with each character represented by,
fixed number of Binary digits (bits) or Code word.
Digitized image data - comprises a 2-D block of pixels (picture elements) with each
pixel represented by a fixed number of bits
o Applications involving text and images: comprise the short request for a file.
o Ex.: file contents being returned, the duration of the overall transaction is relatively
short.
o Applications involving Audio and Video Signals: Vary continuously with time as
the amplitude of the speech, audio, or video signal varies.
o Ex.: Typical telephone conversation can last for several minutes and Movie
(comprising audio and video) can last for a number of hours.
o Applications involves of single type of media: Basic form of representation
of the particular media type is often used.
o Applications involving either text-and-images or audio-and-video: Their
Basic form is often used since the two media types in these applications have the
same form of representation.
o Applications involving of different media types: We integrated together in
some way as it's necessary to represent all 4 media types in a digital form.
o For text and images: This (digital) is their standard form of representation.
o For audio and video: since, their basic forms of representations are analog
signals - these must be converted into a corresponding digital form - before they
can be integrated with the two other media types.
o Digitization of an audio signal: produces a digital signal with amplitude of
the signal varies continuously with time and is of relatively high bit rate, is
measured by bps (bits per second) and for speech signal a typical bit rate of 64
kbps.
o Applications involving audio can be of a long duration: this bit rate must
be sustained for an equally long time period
o Digitization of video signal: the same applies as that of audio signals but,
except that the much higher bit rates and longer time durations are involved.
o In general, the communication networks that are used to support
applications that involve audio and video cannot support the very high bit rates
that are required for representing these media types in a digital form hence we
go for compression
Compression: It's a technique first applied to the digitized signals in order to
reduce the resulting bit rate to a level which can be supported by various
networks.
o Compression to text and images: To reduce the time delay between a
requests being made for some information and the information becoming
available on the screen of a computers or over others.
1.3 Multimedia Networks:
 Five basic types of communication networks
are used to provide multimedia communication
services:
o 1. Telephone networks.
o 2. Data networks.
o 3. Broadcast television networks.
o 4. Integrated services digital networks.
o 5. Broadband multiservice networks.
o 1. Telephone networks: telephony
o 2. Data networks: data communications
o 3. Broadcast television networks: broadcast television
o Technological developments enabled these networks to

provide additional services.
o 4, and 5 networks: Designed from the outset to provide

multiple services.
1.3.1 Telephone networks:
General scheme of MODEM is shown in the Fig below
Figure below shows the general scheme in which such applications need bit
rates in excess of 1.5 Mbps.
2. Data Networks
Designed to provide basic data communication services such as
e-mail and general file transfers.
 User equipment’s - connected to data networks: are the
computers such as a PC, a workstation, or an e-mail/file server.
 Two widely deployed types of data networks: 1. X.25
network and 2. Internet.
 X.25 network: operational mode is restricted to relatively
low bit rate data applications. Hence, unsuitable for most
multimedia applications.
Internet: Made up of a vast collection of interconnected networks
all of which operate using the same set of communication protocols.
 Communication protocol: an agreed set of rules that are
adhered to by all communicating parties for the exchange of
information.
 Rules define the sequence of messages that are exchanged
between the communication parties and the syntax of these
messages.
 By using, the same set of communication protocols: all the
computers that are connected to the Internet can communicate freely
with each other irrespective of their type or manufacturer this is the
origin of the term "open systems interconnection".
 User at home or in a small business access to Internet is through an intermediate: ISP
(Internet Service Provider) network normally
 Business user - obtain access through a site/campus network if, the business comprises only a
single site or obtain access through an enterprise-wide private network if, it comprises
multiple sites.
 Colleges and Universities In the case of a single site/campus: network is known as a
(private) LAN (Local Area Network),
 Enterprise network (Intranet): all internal services are provided by using the same set of
communication protocols IBN (Internet Backbone Network): different types of network are
all connected to it through an interworking unit called gateways.
 Gateways (Router): an interworking unit connects IBN and the different types of network
responsible for routing and relaying all messages to and from the connected network hence, also
called as a router.
 Packet mode: all data networks operate in this mode.
 Packet: container for a block of data and has head in which, address of the intended recipient
computer (which is used to route the packet through the network).
 Multimedia PCs: have become available that support a range of other applications.
3. Broadcast television networks.
 Designed to support the diffusion of analog television and radio programs throughout wide
geographical areas.
 Cable distribution network sued as broadcast medium, normally in large town or city.
 Satellite network (Terrestrial broadcast network): broadcast medium for large areas
digital television services have become available.
 Low bit rate return channel for interaction purposes - with digital television services
provide a range of additional services (like games, home shopping, and etc.,).
 General architecture of a cable distribution network: Consist of set top box : attached
to the cable distribution network Provides:
1. Control of the television channels - that are received.
2. Access to other services.
 Ex.: Cable modem: integrated into the STB provides a low bit rate channel and a high bit
rate channel from the subscriber back to the cable head end.
 Low bit rate channel: used to connect the subscriber to a PSTN.
 High bit rate channel: used to connect the subscriber to the Internet.
 Cable distribution network: provide basic broadcast radio and
television services access to the range of multimedia
communication services that are available with both PSTN and
Internet.
 Satellite and terrestrial broadcast networks: integrated into
the STB provides the subscriber with an interaction channel hence,
enhancing the range of services is the origin of the term
"interactive television".
 Figure below shows the general architecture of the satellite and
terrestrial broadcast networks
4. Integrated services digital networks
ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network which provide

access at a higher bit rate).

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Multimedia Communications

Multimedia Communication embraces a range of applications and

 Multimedia electronic mail(text, images and audio for example),

1. Text: Includes both Unformatted Text - comprising strings of characters from a

o 2. Data networks: data communications

o 3. Broadcast television networks: broadcast television

o Technological developments enabled these networks to

o 4, and 5 networks: Designed from the outset to provide

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network which provide

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