CALMET 99 - Workshop C: Web-based instruction (introduction)

4. Multimedia - how the web handles sound and movies

Sound, video, animations and special programs can all be handled on the web but there are three distinctly different ways in whuich they are used:

  1. In the Browser: Although different browsers have different capablities it is usually best to assume a simple common denominator - virtually all browsers support text and images in JPEG or GIF format. Anything else should not be assumed to work.
  2. Using Plug-ins: Plug-ins are additional programs that can be downloaded and installed so that they add new capabilities to your browser. Each plug-in usually supports only a single media type. Although browsers are usually platform-independent, very few plug-ins will work on more than one platform although the exceptions are well worth having.
  3. Using Helpers: Helpers are similar to Plug-ins but they do not work so closely with the browser. When a media file is selected on the web the browser downloads it but then hands it over to the Helper which is a separate application to play the media. Usually installing helpers requires some MIME types to be set in the browser's "helper applications" menu.

Guides to Multimedia

Practice

Try to find examples of each of the following media types and play them. If you can't play them try to identify their plug-ins.

Audio
Video
Streaming Audio
Streaming Video
MIDI
3D Virtual Reality (VRML)
Shockwave Animation