Developer's Digital Media Reference

Book description

Designed for media professionals working across a broad range of formats, Developer's Digital Media Reference is an excellent reference guide for those keeping pace with this dynamic industry. As "convergence" between the World Wide Web, multimedia, and television production communities continues, there is an increased demand for professionals to familiarize themselves with the many new delivery contexts, including hybrid DVD (where digital video content and computer data live on the same disc), interactive TV, and streaming media.




Developer's Digital Media Reference covers essential technologies such as SVG (scalable vector graphics), SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language, a markup language for creating animations on the web), MPEG-4 (compression standard for streaming audio/video), and Dynamic Web Applications. In addition to serving as a quick-look-up guide, this text is organized to explain today's major media: server-based architectures, disc-based architectures, distribution architectures, and merging/shared architectures. Each topic is discussed in terms of the technological background-evolution, current tools, and production tips and techniques.

Table of contents

  1. Front Cover
  2. Half Title
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. Contents
  8. List of Tables
  9. List of Figures
  10. Introduction
    1. Multimedia Redefined
    2. The Future Is Here! Well, Almost
    3. Next-Generation Tools
  11. Section I Server-Based Architectures
    1. Chapter 1 Introduction
      1. From Static to Dynamic Content
      2. Next-Generation Internet: News from the Frontlines
        1. History Repeats
        2. Rapid Progress
        3. The Pipes
        4. The Services
      3. Internet 3?
      4. Resources
    2. Chapter 2 Streaming Video
      1. Part A: Background
        1. Streaming Content Explosion
        2. The Storage Challenge
        3. It’s All in the Protocols
        4. HTTP Streaming: The First Step
        5. Real-Time Streaming Protocols
        6. Beyond TCP
        7. Beyond IP
        8. Problems with Unicasting
        9. Taking It to the Edge
        10. Multicasting to the Rescue
      2. Part B: Tools
        1. Introduction
        2. General Comparisons
        3. Basic Features
        4. Windows Media Technologies
          1. Quick Review
          2. Tools and Tasks
          3. Windows Media Encoder
          4. Windows Media Resource Kit
          5. PowerPoint Conversion Tools
          6. Microsoft Producer
          7. Windows Media Services
          8. Windows Media Rights Manager
          9. Additional Microsoft Resources
          10. Third-Party Tools
        5. RealNetworks RealSystems
          1. Quick Review
          2. Video and Audio Codecs
          3. Tools and Tasks
          4. RealSystem Producer Plus
          5. RealSlideshow
          6. RealPresenter
          7. RealServer
          8. RealText, RealPix, and RealFlash
          9. Additional RealNetworks Resources
          10. Third-Party Tools
        6. QuickTime
          1. Quick Review
          2. Import File Formats
          3. Export Formats
          4. Video Effects
          5. Tools and Tasks
          6. QuickTime Pro
          7. iMovie
          8. Final Cut Pro
          9. QTVR Authoring Studio
          10. Additional Apple Resources
      3. Part C: Methods
        1. Choosing Your Technologies
          1. Which Encoding Technologies?
          2. Which Players and Platforms?
          3. Audio only or Audio and Video?
        2. Short Form or Long Form?
        3. Which Market: Business, Education, or Entertainment?
        4. On-demand, Near-live, Or Live Webcasting?
        5. Video Preparation Tips
        6. Encoding Methods
          1. On-Demand Encoding Workflow
          2. Live Encoding Workflow: Similarities and Differences
          3. Effective Encoding Environments
          4. Encoding Target Rates
          5. Tips for Creating Low Bit Rate Video
          6. Tips for Creating High Bit Rate Video
          7. Setup of Multiple Bit Rate Video
        7. Late-Stage Editing
          1. Creating QuickTime Reference Movies
          2. Hinting QuickTime Movies
        8. Deployment with HTML
          1. Enhancing Players with Scripting
          2. Deployment Challenges
          3. The Server
          4. The Client
          5. Using Distributed Networks
    3. Chapter 3 Motion Graphics
      1. Part A: Background
        1. Introduction
        2. The Importance of Parsing
        3. Compiled Versus Uncompiled Applications
        4. Browser-Native Technologies: GIF Me a Reason
        5. The Virtues of Vectors
        6. Raw Text Versus Vector or Bitmapped Text
      2. Part B: Tools
        1. General Comparisons
        2. DHTML and CSS
          1. Quick Review
          2. Authoring Tools
          3. Resources
        3. Macromedia Flash and Shockwave
          1. Authoring Tools
          2. Resources
        4. Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)
          1. Authoring Tools
          2. Viewers
          3. Server-Side Generators
          4. Resources
      3. Part C: Methods
        1. Choosing Your Design Architectures
          1. Audience
          2. Compiled or Uncompiled Applications?
          3. Open-Standards-Based or Proprietary Playback Technologies?
          4. Scripting Considerations
          5. Raw Text, Vector Text, or Bitmapped Text?
        2. Deconstructing Your Favorite Site
        3. Streaming Issues
        4. Scaling Up, Not Down
        5. Keeping It Simple
    4. Chapter 4 Dynamic Web Applications
      1. Part A: Background
        1. Introduction
        2. Static Versus Dynamic Web Content
        3. DHTML and CSS
        4. JavaScript and Beyond
        5. The Arrival of ASP and JSP
        6. The Database as Lingua Franca
        7. The Role of XML
      2. Part B: Tools
        1. General Comparisons
        2. Adobe GoLive
          1. Quick Review
          2. Resources
        3. Apple WebObjects
          1. Quick Review
          2. Resources
        4. Macromedia Dreamweaver
          1. Quick Review
          2. Resources:
        5. Macromedia ColdFusion
          1. Quick Review
          2. Resources
        6. Macromedia JRun
          1. Quick Review
          2. Resources
        7. Microsoft FrontPage
          1. Quick Review
        8. Enterprise-Level Content Development Tools
      3. Part C: Methods
        1. Client-Side Versus Server-Side Processing
        2. Choosing Tools and Technologies
        3. Template Creation Tips
        4. Database Integration Tips
    5. Chapter 5 Synchronized Media
      1. Part A: Background
        1. Introduction
        2. Why Embed Media?
        3. Moving From Player to Browser
        4. Elements of the Synchronized Presentation
        5. State of the Industry
        6. Proprietary Solution Providers
        7. Disadvantages of Proprietary Solutions
        8. Open Standards-Based Solutions
        9. Synchronizing Technologies
          1. The HTML Frames-Based Presentation
          2. The SMIL-Scripted Presentation
      2. Part B: Tools
        1. Media Preparation Tools
          1. Quick Review
        2. Late-Stage Editing Tools
          1. Quick Review
        3. Interface Authoring Tools
          1. Quick Review
        4. SMIL Tools
          1. Quick Review
          2. Authoring Tools
        5. SMIL Players
        6. QuickTime SMIL Extensions
        7. All-in-One Authoring Packages
      3. Part C: Methods
        1. Technology Decisions
          1. Audio Only, or Audio and Video?
          2. User-Driven, or Time-Driven?
          3. Compiled, HTML Frames-Based, or SMIL-Scripted?
        2. Interface Considerations
        3. Embedding Video and Audio
          1. Windows Media Technologies
          2. QuickTime
          3. RealMedia
        4. Tips for Video-Based Synchronization
  12. Section II Disc-Based Architectures
    1. Chapter 6 Introduction
      1. Brief History of the DVD Future
      2. CD and DVD Compared
        1. DVD Playback Formats Compared
      3. The Role of MPEG
        1. DVD Recording Formats Compared
        2. Enter DVD Multi
      4. About the DVD Forum
      5. Additional DVD Resources
    2. Chapter 7 DVD-ROM
      1. Part A: Background
        1. TIntroduction
        2. Universal Disc Format: A New File Standard
        3. CD-ROM Versus DVD-ROM
        4. DVD-ROM Myths and Facts
        5. DVD-ROM Specifications
      2. Part B: Tools
        1. DVD-ROM Authoring Tools
        2. Tools for Integrating MPEG-2 and DVD Video
        3. DVD Recorders
        4. DVD Premastering Software
      3. Part C: Methods
        1. Choosing Your Technologies
        2. Taking Advantage of Capacity
        3. Handling Hybrid Content
        4. Using the UDF/ISO Bridge Format
    3. Chapter 8 DVD Video
      1. Part A: Background
        1. Introduction
        2. Some Comparisons
        3. DVD Video Development Timeline
        4. DVD Video Specification
        5. About DVD Video and Audio Streams
      2. Part B: Tools
        1. Introduction
        2. Entry-Level Tools
        3. Mid-Range Tools
        4. High-End Tools
      3. Part C: Methods
        1. Choosing Your Development Architectures
          1. Target Audience
          2. Windows or Mac
          3. Migration Paths
        2. DVD Production Workflow
          1. Step 1: Preproduction and Information Design
          2. Step 2: Preparing Source Materials
          3. Step 3: Organizing the project
          4. Step 4 (Optional): Encoding in Advance
          5. Step 5: Authoring
          6. Step 6: Testing (Doing Quality Assurance)
          7. Step 7: Recording and Mastering
          8. Note on DVD Media Types and Replication Requirements
        3. Guerrilla Authoring: Creating DVDs on a shoestring
          1. The Matrix
          2. Free Assets
          3. Cheap Encoding Solutions
          4. Lite DVD Authoring Tools
          5. Burners on the Cheap
    4. Chapter 9 DVD Audio
      1. Part A: Background
        1. Introduction
        2. What Is DVD Audio?
        3. The DVD Audio Difference: Meridian Lossless Packing (MLP)
        4. The DVD Audio Difference: Longer Playing Time
        5. The DVD Audio Difference: Special Interactive Features
        6. CD Versus DVD Audio
        7. Flavors of DVD Audio
        8. CD, DVD Audio, and DVD Video Compatibility Chart
        9. DVD Audio Speaker Systems
        10. DVD Audio Specifications
      2. Part B: Tools
        1. Introduction
        2. MLP Encoding Tools
          1. Meridian MLP Encoder
        3. DVD Audio Authoring Tools
          1. SADiE DVD-A Direct
          2. SonicStudio HD
      3. Part C: Methods
        1. Managing Player Compatibility Issues
        2. DVD Audio Production Workflow
          1. Step 1 : Preparing the Content
          2. Step 2: Downmixing Multichannel Audio
          3. Step 3: Encoding MLP Audio Tracks
          4. Step 4: Testing the Audio
          5. Step 5: Authoring
          6. Step 6: Encrypting
          7. Step 7: Testing
          8. Step 8: Mastering
  13. Section III Distribution Architectures
    1. Chapter 10 Introduction
      1. A Shifting Landscape
      2. The Challenge
      3. The Media Industry in Transition
      4. What Will Drive the Leaders of the Digital Media Industry?
        1. Six Forces Driving the Transition
        2. The Killer App — Integration Efficiencies
        3. Digital Distribution Architectures: Both the Reigning Fad and Our Ultimate Future
        4. The Evolution to Digital — An Evolution of the Enterprise
        5. Virtual Organizations in the Digital Media Transition
        6. New Digital Media Supply Chains: Routes to Build-to-Order Content
      5. Conclusion
      6. Additional Resources
        1. Change Management in the Enterprise
        2. Workflow Modeling
        3. Impacts in the Media Industry
        4. Technical Libraries
        5. Articles of Interest
    2. Chapter 11 Metadata for Digital Media Distribution
      1. Part A: Background
        1. Introduction
        2. The Digital Media Life Cycle
        3. Role of Metadata in Digital Media Supply Chains
        4. Using Metadata to Manage Digital Content Distribution
        5. Database Systems for Metadata Repositories
        6. Role of XML in Metadata
      2. Part B: Tools
        1. Standards and Organizations
        2. Research Projects
        3. Automated Media Analysis, Metadata Creation, and Cataloguing
          1. Text Analysis
          2. Speech Analysis
          3. Image Analysis
        4. Manual Metadata Generation and Editing
        5. Multimedia Search and Retrieval
      3. Part C: Methods
        1. Metadata Model
        2. Metadata Analysis
        3. Metadata Extraction
        4. Metadata Store
        5. Creating Your Own Metadata Tools
      4. Additional Resources
        1. Digital Geospatial Metadata
        2. National Information Standards Organization (NISO)
        3. Dublin Core
        4. Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) (Social Science Metadata)
        5. IEEE Computer Metadata Conferences
        6. World Wide Web Consortium (W3C.Org)
        7. Digital Libraries
        8. Library of Congress
        9. Other Metadata Links
    3. Chapter 12 Asset and Content Management Tools and Standards
      1. Part A: Background
        1. Introduction
        2. Asset Versus Content Management
          1. From Creation to Distribution
          2. Content on Schedule
          3. Content on Demand
          4. Build-to-Order Content
        3. Lessons from Other Industries
          1. Universal Requirements
        4. Workflow and Rules
        5. The Warehouse
        6. Asset Management Requirements for Digital Media Content
          1. High-Level Requirements
          2. Functional Requirements
          3. Miscellaneous Requirements
        7. Content Management Requirements for Digital Media Content
      2. Part B: Tools
        1. Digital Asset Management Vendors
          1. Building Block Solutions
          2. Middleware Solutions
          3. Complete Solutions
        2. Content Management Vendors
          1. Building Block Solutions
          2. Mid-Level Solutions
          3. Complete/High-End Solutions
          4. Standards Organizations
      3. Part C: Methods
        1. Implementation of DMAM and CM Systems
          1. Server and Storage
          2. Databases
          3. Access Tools
          4. Security
          5. Media Archiving and Management
        2. One or Many Warehouses
        3. Network Choices for Creation and Management of Content
          1. Internet
          2. Private Networks
          3. Extranets
          4. Wireless
        4. Transaction and Commerce Planning
        5. Legacy Concerns
        6. Outsourcing the Process
        7. Updating and Managing DMAM and Content Management Systems
        8. Number One Gotcha — Interoperability
        9. Metrics for Success
      4. Resources
    4. Chapter 13 Digital Rights Management
      1. Part A: Background
        1. Introduction
        2. Three Fundamental Principles of DRM
          1. Intellectual Property in a Digital World
          2. Trust
          3. Identity
        3. DRM — A Strategic Program
      2. Part B: Tools
        1. Standards for Digital Rights Management
        2. Managed Assets Collections
        3. Encryption Technologies
        4. Authentication
        5. Access Control
        6. Other DRM Technologies
      3. Part C: Methods
        1. DRM in the Content-Creation (Repurposing) Process
        2. DRM in Digital Media Distribution
        3. Built-in DRM
        4. Handling of Content with Different Rights Systems
        5. Limelight Demands: Digital Rights Metadata for All Authors and Creative Contributions
        6. Protection Methods for Distribution
        7. Workflow Issues
        8. Complexities of Media Assembly
        9. Using Risk Management and Insurance
        10. Global Issues
        11. DRM — Not a Complete Solution for Content Protection
        12. Resources
        13. Bibliography
  14. Section IV Merged Architectures
    1. Chapter 14 Introduction
      1. Convergence or Divergence?
      2. Two Illustrations
      3. Evolution of Cross-Media Content Creation
      4. Convergence Tools
        1. Adobe Systems (Print, Web, Video, Disc)
        2. Apple Computer (Web, Video, Disc)
        3. Macromedia (Web, Disc, iTV)
        4. Avid Technology Inc. (Web, Video, Disc, iTV)
        5. Media 100 (Web, Video, Disc)
        6. Pinnacle Systems Inc. (web:disc:video)
      5. Cross-Media Practices
        1. Everything’s Relative
        2. Naming Schemes
        3. Capture Size and Resolution
        4. Authoring Technology
    2. Chapter 15 All About MPEG
      1. Part A: Background
        1. Introduction
        2. Flavors of MPEG
          1. MPEG-1
          2. MPEG-2
          3. MPEG-4
          4. MPEG-4 Rich Media Capabilities
          5. MPEG-4 Profiles
          6. Visual Profiles
          7. Synthetic and Synthetic/Natural Hybrid Visual Content
          8. Audio Profiles
          9. Graphics Profiles
          10. Scene Graph Profiles
          11. MPEG-J Profiles
          12. MPEG-7
          13. MPEG-21
        3. MPEG Timeline
        4. MPEG Specifications and Resources
          1. Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
          2. MPEG-4 Industry Forum (M4IF)
          3. Internet Streaming Media Alliance, Inc. (ISMA)
      2. Part B: Tools
        1. Software MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 Encoding Tools
        2. Hardware MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 Encoding Tools
        3. MPEG-4 Development Tools
    3. Chapter 16 Interactive Television
      1. Part A: Background
        1. Introduction
        2. What Is iTV?
        3. Competing Systems
        4. Specifications to the Rescue
          1. The ATVEF Specification
        5. What Does iTV Look Like?
          1. Two iTV Formats
          2. iTV Content Options
          3. iTV Navigation
          4. iTV Vocabulary
        6. How Does It Work?
          1. How Do iTV Links Work?
      2. Part B: Tools
        1. iTV Authoring Tools
          1. Avid Technology
          2. Chyron Lyric iTV
          3. Chyron CGInteractive
          4. Mixed Signals Technologies
          5. OpenTV Tools
          6. SpinTV
        2. VBI Video Encoding Software and Hardware
          1. EEG Enterprises, Inc. iTV Xpress
          2. Leapfrog Productions CCaption
          3. Microsoft ATVEF Player
          4. Norpak Corporation
      3. Part C: Methods
        1. iTV Development Workflow
        2. Web-Side Authoring: Thinking Inside the Box
          1. Design Tips for Television Display
          2. Adding Real-Time Broadcasts to the Mix
          3. Implementing Interactive Overlays
          4. Implementing Reduced Picture Enhancements
          5. Exiting Interactive Overlay or Reduced Picture Viewing
          6. Using Style Sheets for Hybrid Content
          7. Adding Animation
        3. Authoring on the Broadcast Side
          1. About iTV Links
        4. Distribution, the Old-Fashioned Way
    4. Chapter 17 Hybrid DVDs
      1. Part A: Background
        1. Introduction
        2. WebDVD
          1. Players and PCs
          2. Specs and Speculation
          3. WebDVD Today
        3. DVD Video (or DVD Audio) on a PC
          1. The Secret Convergence Race
      2. Part B: Tools
        1. WebDVD Tools
          1. General Comparisons
          2. DVD@ccess (Apple Computer Inc.)
          3. eDVD (Sonic Solutions Inc.)
          4. InterActual Technologies
          5. MSWebDVD and Windows Media Player (Microsoft Corporation)
          6. OnStage DVD for ActiveX (Visible Light Holdings, Inc.)
        2. DVD-ROM Hybrid Tools
          1. OnStage DVD for Director and Authorware (Visible Light Holdings, Inc.)
          2. OnStage DVD for ActiveX (Visible Light Holdings, Inc.)
          3. Xtra DVD
          4. Active DVD (Zuma Digital Inc.)
      3. Part C: Methods
        1. Choosing Your Hybrid DVD Technologies
        2. WebDVD Workflow
        3. WebDVD Authoring Tips
        4. Working with Proprietary Tools
        5. Working with MSWebDVD
          1. MSWebDVD Methods and Properties
          2. MSWebDVD Events
          3. Embedding the MSWebDVD Object
          4. Embedding a Custom DVD Controller
          5. Handling DVD Event Notifications
          6. Handling User Operations
          7. Working with DVD Menus
          8. Working with Multiple Streams and Other Features
          9. Working with LCIDs
          10. Synchronizing HTML Content with the Video
          11. Saving and Restoring Bookmarks
        6. Working with Windows Media Player
          1. Seeking in DVD with Windows Media Player
          2. Methods, Properties, and Events with Windows Media Player
          3. Using the Windows Media Player Object to View DVD in a Web Page
        7. Integrating DVD into PowerPoint
        8. Preparing a DVD-ROM Master Disc
          1. Create an Autorun File
          2. Use the Correct Recording Software
          3. Using Optional Microsoft’s DVD-ROM Boilerplate Video
  15. Appendix Additional Resources
  16. Bibliography and List of Internet Sources
  17. Index

Product information

  • Title: Developer's Digital Media Reference
  • Author(s): Curtis Poole, Janette Bradley
  • Release date: April 2013
  • Publisher(s): Routledge
  • ISBN: 9781136042737