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Multimedia, Digital Delivery

Course Description:

This course is designed teach the basic technology of displaying pictures and of streaming video and audio on the Web.

All assignments are delivered on the web, within web pages constructed for this course.

You will need to write code at a basic level (but not like a programmer). Consider it more like the difference between changing your oil versus remaking your car engine.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course students should be able to write just enough HMTL code to stream media for the Web and to manage online media. Although not designed for the programmer level, this course is designed to give you just enough of a taste of coding HTML so that you won't be buffaloed by your programmers.

Prerequisite:

A previous course in creating web pages.

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Course Outline:

Introduction to Multimedia on the Web:

• Media and the Web
• The Internet (timeline to 2000)
• The World Wide Web
• Transport: Using the Internet
  • Downloads
  • Progressive Downloads
  • Streaming
  • Live Streams
• Connections from Page to Files
  • Playlists
    • Static: formats for each player
    • Dynamic: using databases
    • Inserting Ads and Promo
  • HTML Links in General
  • HTML Links and Embeds
    • Direct Links to Media Files
    • HTML-5 <video><audio>
      • Multi-file links
    • Links for Exterrnal Players
    • How to Embed Players in Page
  • MIME Types
• Media Delivery Mechanisms *
  • Servers, Browsers, Players and Devices
    • Servers: web, database
      • Server side
      • Content Producers
    • Browsers
      • Client side
      • Content Users
    • Content Delivery
      • Media players
        • QuickTime
        • RealPlayer
        • Windows Media Player
        • Adobe Flash Player
        • DivX
        • OEM Players
      • Digital Cinema Theaters
      • Devices & Services
        • HDTVs
        • Settop Boxes
        • Web Video, VOD and IPTV
        • Web Radio
        • Podcasting
        • Apps
        • Personal Computers
        • Cell phone
        • iPod
        • Tablet devices
        • Personal video/audio players
        • eReaders
        • Satellite
        • Cable
        • FedEx / Netflix
• Encoding Media Files
  • Codecs
  • Understanding File Compression
  • Recommended Audio and Video Settings for the Net
  • Choosing & Creating Media Formats
• Media Production Programs
  • Real Producer
  • QuickTime Pro
  • Windows Producer
  • Flash
  • Video and Audio Editors
    • NLE's such as Vegas Video
    • Best Video For the Net
    • Recording and Editing Audio
    • Best Audio for the Net
    • Understanding Audio Compression
    • Recommended Audio and Video Settings for the Net
• Legal
  • Copyright
  • Copyleft
  • Transcopyright
  • Creative Commons
  • DMCA
  • Fair Use
  • Linking
  • SOPA and PIPA``
• Broadband - Failed Promises
• Net Neutrality at The Post Office in 1792

Assignment Page

Your Assignment Page
Writing your own HTML Code to set up sets of links and players for various versions of a file:

Resources:

Delivery of media via download
http://www.youtube.com
http://revision3.com
http://blip.tv
http://vimeo.com
http://www.netflix.com

Information about media
http://www.thewrap.com
http://iwantmedia.com

Suggested Textbook:

A book is not necesssary for this class but these two are suggested for reference. At present (or I should say, even now) there are very few multimedia books with useful sets of tech tips. If this is your job they are worth the bucks, otherwise, the information on this site will suffice.

Streaming Media Bible - by Steve Mack - Depending on your interest this is either a huge and intimidating boat anchor or an informative and great technical resource you will put under your pillow. In other words, if you are a tech head in terms of arranging details of your productions then by all means get this $50 book. Get it. Get it. Get it. This is one of those top 5% of really useful tech books on the shelf. You will use it for a long time.
If you are in multimedia to learn enough to understand how it goes together but your interest is more in terms of content than technical delivery, and you are really trying to learn enough tech to respect the needs of the technology, then this is a nice book to look at but you probably won't get your $50 out of it. Either way it isn't required by the course. Pubished by Hungry Minds Inc. (www.hungryminds.com) ISBN: 0-7645-3650-8
http://www.streamingmediabible.com

Web Developer.Com Guide to Streaming Multimedia
by Jose Alvear , ISBN: 0072296615, Publisher: Wiley, John & Sons, Pub. Date: March, 1998