Intro to Media Production Tech Test 1

What is bit depth (sample resolution) range

8-32

Why are programming languages an important type of software?

A defined system of syntax and semantics to write computer programs

What is a synthesizer?

A device that creates sound electronically based on commands

Identify and explain the three major components of basic MIDI sound system.

A digital musical instrument- to generate MIDI messages based on the performer's actions A sound synthesizer- to interpret the messages and produce the corresponding analog waveforms An amplifier/speaker system- to output the analog sound

What did Theodore Nelson hope to achieve with his Xanadu proposal?

A dynamic, ever-expanding, hypertext library available to everyone. Support collaborative editing, track text changes, and provide of means of crediting authors and distributing royalties.

What is sound?

A form of mechanical energy transmitted as vibrations in a medium

What is clipping? How does is affect a sampled sound?

A form of sound distortion that happens when the amplitude of a sampled sound exceeds the range of digital values able to encode it; can produce harsh, distorted sound

What is virtual memory and when is it helpful to a developer?

A method to expand the amount of memory available for processing tasks; helpful to run several programs concurrently

Digital Signal

A noncontinuous system of discrete states: high or low, on or off, 1 or 0.

Analog Signal

A signal having the characteristic of being continuous and changing smoothly over a given range, rather than switching suddenly between certain levels.

What are the main advantages and disadvantages of synthesized sound?

Advantages- editing, small files, Disadvantages- expertise, playback consistency, natural sound

What are the main advantages and disadvantages of sampled sound?

Advantages- high quality, ease of creation, ease of editing, consistent playback quality, Disadvantages- large files, editing limitations

Why is the operating system critical to a computer system?

Allow access to hardware, applications, and data. A collection of programs that provide a user interface, manage the computers resources, and execute application programs.

Identify and define the three essential features of sound that are captured by a sine wave?

Amplitude, frequency, and duration

Why is the transfer speed of the hardware interface important to a multimedia user and developer?

As the processing speed of CPUs increases hardware needs to increase as well because it allows for better performance

Why is an 8-bit code to designate the characters in the English language effective? Is it efficient?

Because an 8-bit code allows for 256 distinct data items and an effective code is one that can represent each desired data item with a unique combo of symbols; not efficient because an efficient code is one that does not waste processing, storage or transmission resources

Why is "Imagineering" significant to multimedia?

Because by imagining a multimedia that could one day exist, it allows for multimedia revolution to take developments further and transform them into something real. It creates an inspiration that continues to advance multimedia.

Why is virtual reality called immersive multimedia?

Because immersive media draws its users into an alternate world, engaging them intellectually, emotionally, and viscerally

Why does the V in DVD currently stand for versatile?

Because of it's potential to store all forms of digital data

Why is sample rate often referred to as spatial resolution?

Because sample rates for images are defined spatially

What is sample resolution also known as?

Bit depth

What are the three computer display technologies? Identify a major distinction of each.

Cathode ray tube (CRT)- monitors use raster scanning to generate a display; an electronic signal from the video card controls an electron gun that scans the screen with a bean Thin film transistor (TFT)- displays assign a single transistor to each liquid crystal cell to control the color and light that compose a pixel

How do clock speed and word size determine the performance of a CPU?

Clock speed- the rate at which the CPU carries out its basic instructions Word size- the group of bits that a processor can manipulate as a unit in one machine cycle

What is a native file format? Give an example of such a format.

Coding conventions used by specific computer applications; contain info specific to the application that created them (ex. Photoshop is PSD)

Why are media professionals building their careers with digital technology?

Computers can now create media that is much more efficiently and economically feasible and powerful than the traditional way it used to be done.

What are the three main sets of transistors on a microprocessor chip? Identify the main purpose of each set.

Control unit- directs the flow of data and instructions Arithmetic logic unit- performs mathematical and logical calculations Registers- store data and instructions

What is the difference between data and information?

Data- the givens of experience—measurements, observations, facts, beliefs Information- data made useful, date interpreted and applied to produce understanding

What are the three ways formatting prepares a storage disk for data?

Defines track and sector addressing on the disk platter Defines a logical storage unit called a cluster Defines the file system for the disk

Identify and explain two main strategies for delivering sound on the internet.

Downloaded audio- transfers a complete audio file from one computer to another according to a set of file transfer protocols Streaming audio- a real time sound that is heard after being delivered and is not saved to a client computer

Alan Kay

Dynabook (notebook sized computer) •early PC's

What did Alan Kay mean by "personal computer"?

Dynabook- a computer that wasn't personally owned, but rather intimate and closely tied to the mind and interests of its user.

What are the two types of mics?

Dynamic and Condenser

Why shouldn't you change a file named ziplt.exe to ziplt.jpg?

File extensions are used by a computers operating system to identify and launch an appropriate program to the file

What are magnetic storage options for portable media?

Floppy disks, zip cartridges, USB flash sticks, hard drives

Why do CD-Audio discs contain redundant data on the disc?

For lossless compression and faster download rates; MP3 files compress the information and produce a file 12x smaller

What are the three types of user interface presented by an operating system?

GUI- functions of the operating system as a series of icons, pull-down menus, and dialogue boxes NUI (natural user interface)- offers more intuitive control of the operating system Multitouch- method of input that allows one finger to manipulate the computer interface

What are the two main components of a computer system?

Hardware and software

What are two features of adaptive multimedia?

Have the ability to embody aspects of intelligence and decision making (ex. an online tutorial that changes based on the user's knowledge)

Steve Jobs

He developed the very first Apple computer from his garage.

Why did Bush propose his Memex I and II?

He wanted to create a machine that would make the work of scientists more efficient and to make more effective use of huge and growing mountains of research. It would fix human errors.

How does cache memory improve the overall performance of a processor?

High-speed electronic storage optimizes microprocessor speed by storing frequently used data and instructions close to the processor; reduces time and has high capacity

Why is hypermedia a more advanced form of interactive multimedia?

Hypermedia is a more advanced form because it has the ability to provide a structure of related information and means for the user to access information. It allows the user to interact more advanced with the material they are provided. (ex. an online tutorial)

What are the three main considerations for file maintenance?

Identification- files should be clearly identified in terms of their contents, type, and program Categorization- grouping related files Preservation- preparation and storage of backup copies as well as distribution of work to others

Why should a multimedia developer be concerned about cross-platform compatibility?

If you want to reach a wide market the ability of an application to run on different hardware and operating systems is important

What is the essential difference between interactive and noninteractive multimedia?

In interactive users can control the flow of information; in noninteractive the user has no control over the flow of information.

What is an advantage and disadvantage of each of the following printer categories- inkjet printer, laser printer, photo printer, and color laser printer?

Inkjet- affordable, quiet, versatile; high cost for print cartridges Laser- use copier-like technology to fuse text and image to paper Photo- color printer specifically designed to produce photos Color laser- high quality color output as it scans each color separately

What three types of hardware are there? Examples?

Input: keyboard, mouse Output: screen display, speakers Storage: SD card

What is software?

Instructions for the computer

What features did the WWW introduce to the internet?

Interactive multimedia, web pages

Give an example of each type of interactive/noninteractive multimedia

Interactive- Menu selection buttons; Noninteractive- A movie

What is the difference between an interpreter and compiler?

Interpreter- translate one line of the program into the machine code, execute that line of code, and proceed to the next line in the program Compiler- converts the entire source code program into machine code

Tim Berners-Lee

Invented the World Wide Web

What Is the advantage of a 64-bit address bus over a 32-bit bus?

It can manipulate 64 bits of data at one time rather than 32

Why was Tim Berners-Lee's development of the World Wide Web significant in the evolution of multimedia?

It created a space where anyone could add info, a system that could incorporate and interrelate multiple media and take on a life of its own. It distributed information instantaneously.

Why is multimedia interdisciplinary?

It draws on multiple tradtions, talents, and perspectives of text, graphics, sound, video, and animation.

Why is the internet a special form of WAN?

It is a network that uses transmission control protocol and internet protocol to send data from one computing device to another

Amplitude

It is the loudness, power, and intensity of sound. It is a measure of sound pressure or the amount of energy associated with sound; measured in decibels

Why is lossy compression better for sound files than text files?

Lossy discards some of the original information and music often remain recognizable and usable when large amounts of info are discarded

What is the essential distinction between low-level and high-level programs?

Low level- program language that is dependent on a specific computer; not portable to another High level- independent of a specific computer's machine instruction set; more English-like and easier to code, but must be converted

What are two ways to reduce the file size of a sampled sound?

Lowering the sample rate and reducing sample resolution

Why must all programs be translated to machine code?

Machine code- program commands are directly coded in binary digits to control specific computer systems; machine code is the only language a computer can directly execute

Why was the Macintosh a turning point in multimedia computing?

Macintosh allowed users to control the computer with icons rather than having to learn the interface of a computer. It was the first mass-produced personal computer with built-in sound support

Why might a developer rely on media utility applications?

Media programs add functionality to media-specific applications and productivity features; enhance sound and video

What are distinctive features of Memex I and II?

Memex I- storing memory and date (also known as the memory extender) through a microfilm assist in data recording through a vocoder and Cyclops camera. time-consuming repetitive thought processes such as arithmetical calculations through associated create a trail of associations of data that could be preserved. Memex II- Usage of magnetic tape as a storage medium Large, professionally maintained databases Could be used with a computer

Why can DVDs store more data than CDs?

More precise laser light, multilayer storage, new video compression algorithms, improved error detection and correction code

Why is multitasking important for multimedia developers?

Multitasking- the ability of the operating system to manage more than one application concurrently; to keep speeds up to par

What does MIDI stand for?

Musical Instrument Digital Interface

What three directions can mics pick up sound?

Omnidirectional, Bidirectional, Unidirectional (cardioid)

What are the three main categories of software?

Operating systems- software that control hardware devices and basic system operations (Mac, Windows) Applications- programs that perform specific tasks (Adobe creative cloud) Programming language- software is used to create other software programs (Java)

What is the difference between a paint and draw application?

Paint programs- contain tool sets to create graphics as well as editing tools for digital photos or scanned images Draw programs- contain set of tools for creating basic shapes, logos, designs, and graphics

How do pits and lands on an optical disc store digital data?

Pits scatter light and lands reflect light. Binary data once encoded as positive/negative magnetism is now read as variation in light reflection

How did MIDI change the nature of music composition?

Placing control over a virtually unlimited range of instruments and musical scores in the hands of a single individual

What is the distinction between procedural and nonprocedural approaches to programming?

Procedural- follows a series of computational steps that focus on a specific result; divides complex tasks into routines in a single program where each step is linked Nonprocedural- languages maximize programmer productivity by recycling modules from one application to another, less emphasis on how to achieve something

What is downsampling? Why would a developer convert a 44.1 kHz file to 11.025 kHz?

Process of reducing the sample rate in an audio file in order to reduce the size of the file to that required to capture the frequency range of the desired sound

What are directories and how can they be used to manage media files effectively?

Provides a common storage label for collections of data files and program files; organize in a hierarchical pattern with folders

What are the differences between and uses of RAM and ROM?

RAM- random access memory consists of addressable storage areas for data and instructions in electronic format, volatile storage, not long-term ROM- read-only memory special form of nonvolatile electronic storage that contains frequently used instructions for the CPU; hardwired in the chip

What is quantization? How does it affect a sampled sound?

Rounding a sample to the closest available value; excess can produce background hiss or grain

Why is RLE compression lossless?

Run length encoding used to compress bitmapped image files; generates a code to flag the beginning of a line of pixels of the same color; tells the computer to repeat a color for a given number of pixels rather than repeating the same info for each pixel therefor reducing the file size while preserving all of the original data

What is the difference between sampled and synthesized sound applications?

Sampled sound- a digital recording of previously existing analog sound waves Synthesized sound- sound generated by the computer

What are three input devices that would be useful for a graphics artist?

Scanners- capture text or images using a light-sensing device Optical character recognition (OCR)- the process of converting printed text to a digital file that can be edited in a word processor Digital camera- eliminate need to develop or scan a photo or slide

Why is the client/server arrangement an efficient use of the server's processor and the network's bandwidth capacity?

Server computers store and send data to a client computer which have software to open and process data files downloaded from the server

How is the simple Turing machine different from a universal Turing machine?

Simple Turing machine- an imaginary device with three main components- an infinitely long tape consisting of a single row of squares; a read-write head that can move along the tape one square at a time; a set of instructions; the machine can read and write a number of symbols and be changed to another "state" then it scans the squares and compares content of the squares to instructions and performs the operation Universal Turing machine- able to accept a description of another machine and imitate the behavior, a single machine that can carry out any effective procedure

What waves represent analog?

Sine

What is the purpose of authoring software?

Specifically designed to facilitate the creation of multimedia products; assemble media elements, synchronize content, design interface, provide user interactivity

What waves represent digital?

Square

What is a codec?

Stands for COmpressor/DECompressor; changes the original file to the smaller version and then decompresses it to again present the data in a usable form

What are the differences between a supercomputer, mainframe, and microcomputer?

Supercomputer- most advanced, powerful, and expensive computers of the day; fastest processing speeds and most complex calculations Mainframe- advanced multiuser machine used to manage databases, financial transactions, and communications or large organizations (ex. banks, hospitals) Microcomputer- computer based on a microprocessor and designed to support a single user

What is a symbol? Why is a bit considered a symbol?

Symbols are representations or stand-ins for something else; groups of letters often serve as symbols of words; a bit is considered a symbol because it stands for binary digit

What are the two main categories of computer hardware? Explain the function of each.

System unit- the electronic components used to process and temporarily store data and instructions Peripheral devices- hardware used for input, auxiliary storage, display, and communication

How does psychoacoustics assist in lossy compression strategies?

Testing one, two, three to establish proper distance and speech level when recording

What is the difference between a text editor and a word processing application?

Text editor- generates ASCII text files and is compatible with any platform/application Word processing- make it possible to readily create text in different font and style, check spelling, import and export text in file formats

What is contemporary multimedia?

The development, integration, and delivery of any combination of text, graphics, animation, sound or video through a digital processing device.

What is aliasing? How does affect the quality of a sampled sound?

The false representation of high frequencies as low frequencies; when frequency is being sampled greater than one-half the sample rate being used

Why is the system board an essential component of the system unit?

The motherboard is the main circuit board or the electrical foundation of the computer

What is sample resolution? How does it affect the quality of sampled sound?

The number of bits used to encode amplitude; affects the range of amplitudes that will be heard

What is sample rate? How does it affect the quality of a sampled sound?

The number of samples taken in a fixed interval of time; determine the range of frequencies that can be represented in a digital recording

What is sample rate?

The number of samples taken in a given unit of time or space.

What is hardware?

The physical components of a computer.

What are two important considerations when naming a data file?

The prefix should clearly indicate the contents of the file and the file extension should define the property of the file

What is sampling?

The process of analyzing a small element of an image or sound and representing that element in a digital code

What is quantization?

The process of rounding off the value of a sample to the closest available value in the digital code being used

What is pitch? How is it related to frequency?

The psychological perception of sound frequency; what frequency is perceived as

How does the operating system control access to the processor by multiple users?

Timesharing- each user given a slice

Why is file compatibility important for multimedia development?

To ensure that a computer can process the instructions or data that are encoded in a particular file format across all variations and software. Make sure operating systems are compatible with the programming and applications. Cross-platform compatible and whether or not application programs on a given platform can process the format.

What are microphones?

Transducers

What are the similarities and differences between USB and IEEE 1394 interfaces?

USB- an input/output bus to transfer data at higher speeds; swapped from system to system IEEE 1394- high-speed serial interface standard with data-transfer rates of 400Mbps; has its own bus system; twice the transfer speed

What are the similarities of .aiff and .wav files?

Uncompressed, high-quality sound files that can be played on both Mac and Windows

What is the distinction between a WAN and a LAN?

WAN- connects computers over a wide geographic region using the communication lines of an outside service provider such as a telephone or cable company, LAN- a series of computers connected within an organization; can be connected using a twister pair cable

What are the essential similarities and differences between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth?

Wifi- transmission rate of 11Mbps up to 300 feet away from AP Bluetooth- transmission rate of 1Mbps up to 30 feet away

What is one advantage and one disadvantage of the CLV method of data storage?

constant linear velocity stores pits and lands as closely together as possible in a uniform, continuous spiral from the center to the outside edge and produces highest storage capacity; cannot achieve random access, the ability to quickly read data from any location on a storage device, because of the diameter of the disc

Vannevar Bush

created first analog computer

Alan Turing

father of computer science

Douglas Engelbart

invented the mouse

phonograph

record player

Diamond Sutra

the earliest known printed book

What is sample resolution?

the number of bits used to represent a digital sample (ex. 8-bit sample resolutions assigns 8 bits to each sample, 256 possible colors can be represented)

Frequency

the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time; measured in Hertz

How is analog sound sampled?

the original analog waveform is broken up into individual snapshots called samples; analog-to-digital conversion (ADC)

Gutenberg Printing Press

used movable type to print, increased literacy and helped spread the Reformation