Multimedia
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Examples

    Multimedia has become so commonplace in today's society that we, most often, take it for granted. If you were to make a list of all the various types of multimedia and the mediums through which it is presented, the task would be exhausting. With that in mind, I now present a few examples of popular forms of multimedia among consumers today with tidbits of consumer information to accompany them.

    With so many forms of multimedia out there, where was I to start my list of examples. Common sense told me to start with the form featured as the medium with the highest capacity for storage.
  •     CD-ROM                                            
  • The CD-ROM is the form of multimedia that holds the highest capacity for storage. Containing read-only memory (ROM), CD-ROMs can service many needs and options. These include education, instruction, and entertainment among others.  A common size of storage on a CD-ROM is 650 megabytes which is the equivalent of 700 floppy discs and enough memory to accommodate 300,000 text pages. They are particularly formatted to save information that has a large storage capacity, which includes large documents, graphics, sound and video.
  • Above is a picture of a CD-ROM disc and a CD-ROM disc drive. All CD-ROMs are formatted to a standard size so any CD-ROM can be read in any CD-ROM drive. CD-ROM drives also have the capability to read audio discs. CD-ROMs and their drives have now become commonplace among consumers everywhere. It is almost impossible to find a computer made now-a-days without a CD-ROM drive built in. CD-ROM discs are not too expensive since drives have become easily attainable. Most fall in the price range of about $20 - $30.
  • Information about CD-ROMs was provided in part by Webopedia.com

  •     DVD                                                    
  • When you begin to talk about the most popular new innovation in multimedia, how could you not engage the DVD in your argument? The number of options that can be found on a DVD, or "Digital Video Disc" far surpasses the capabilities of a VHS tape, and makes them seem primitive in nature. The DVD has similar technology to CD-ROM, in that it, by nature, is an optical disc that has the capability to store large amounts of information. At minimum, it has a capacity of 4.7 gigabytes of storage, large enough to store a full-length movie which is compressed using MPEG-2 technology.
  • Above are pictures of a DVD and the devices which are used to play them. First and more common is the DVD player (pictured top right). The DVD player is becoming a staple in households everywhere as consumers crave the digital sound and picture quality that a DVD has to offer, as well as special features. Many of the major players in audio and video have been in full swing mass producing DVD players due to their rise in popularity. Among the many are Philips, Panasonic, Sony, Toshiba, JVC, and Samsung to name a few. There is a wide range in price variance among DVD players. Some may be found as low-priced as $50 while more extravagant players can top the $1000 plateau. While there is great variance in the price of the players, the DVDs themselves are not so much the case. DVDs can be found in a price range of around $10 - $20, some higher pending the number of discs included. Information concerning price comparison and popularity could be found at Epinions.com as well as links to other sites.

  • PS2 and X-Box                               
  • Since the conception of the original PlayStation in 1995, Sony's popularity has soared to great heights, placing them at the foreground of digital interactive entertainment. Then in 2000 when devoted gamers everywhere thought that nothing could possibly top the PlayStation, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) topped their own plateau when they released the PlayStation 2, or more commonly known as "PS2". Taking multimedia to a new level, the PS2 converged virtually all one could ask for in a single unit; the ability to play games, music, and movies. The addition of the DVD player made it possible for animations to be smooth and lifelike as they are displayed in real-time.
  • Pictured above left is the PS2 console stood upright in the vertical stand. As mentioned, the PS2 system and games are managed by Sony Computer Entertainment America. With about four million people enjoying the fruits of the PS1 by 1997, even more by 2000 wanted to experience the newest creation by Sony making the Sony family of gaming the most popular gaming family. Prices have come down since the 2000 release and can generally be found hovering around $200 while newly released games can be found at around $60 - $70 per selection.
  • Sony recently, however, encountered competition with the release of Microsoft's X-Box late in 2001. Hyped by Microsoft as the "future-generation video game system", the X-Box is said to "deliver the most powerful video game experiences ever". The X-Box also features DVD and audio capability along with gaming to provide a second option to the PS2 in the complete multimedia experience. The X-Box also houses the capability for internet connection so gamers around the world can play against each other for the ultimate bragging rights. Being a new system, the X-Box has not provided the upmost of competition to the PS2 as of yet, but as more games are developed, the X-Box will soon live up to its potential.
  • Pictured above right is the X-Box system manufactured by Microsoft. Since its release in late November 2001, its price has also come down, as one could find an X-Box around a comparable price to the PS2 at around $200. Games can also be found around $60 - $70 per selection.

These three examples represent three of the more popular, if not most popular, forms of multimedia that can be found in households around America today, and you wouldn't go too far in saying households around the world.