Digital Media Chapter: Types, Uses and Manipulation Techniques

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11
CHAPTER
11
313 ISTech Chapt 11.3pp
Digital
media
Syllabus outcomes
5.2.1
5.2.2
5.2.3
Describes and applies problem-solving processes when

creating solutions.
Designs, produces and evaluates appropriate solutions to a
range of challenging problems.
Critically analyses decision-making processes in a range of
information and software solutions.
Overview
This chapter examines the purpose of digital media and the types
of digital media products. It explains different manipulation
techniques and the digitisation process of data types. The chapter
concludes by outlining how to display and distribute digital media
products.
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11. 1 Digital media

Digital media refers to text, graphics, audio, animation and video
processing. It is focused on the editing of digital data. Each data
type is edited in many different ways, such as cropping a graphic or
trimming a video clip. Application software is available to create,
edit and display each data type.
Interactive
Purpose of digital media

People are using digital media at a great rate. We are living in a
digital revolution. Data is represented digitally because it can be
used by information technology. This allows the data to be
processed faster and more easily than ever before. Some examples
of the use of digital media include the following:
Figure 11.1 Macintosh iTunes
Digital television
broadcasting
started in Australia
on 1 January 2001,
using the DVB-T
(Digital Video
Broadcasting
Terrestrial)
standards. People
are adopting
digital television at
an increasing rate.
240
E-music is audio accessed from the Internet. It has been made

possible using compressed file formats such as MP3. E-music
has allowed people to easily download music from the Internet
and copy music from a CD onto a magnetic disk. However, it
has also allowed people around the world to make illegal copies
of music. E-music can be played back using a media player on
the computer or using an MP3 playback device (see Figure 11.1).
Digital newspapers provide information on stories of special
interest from the Internet. They provide the latest news, as the
stories are being constantly updated. Digital newspapers can
email subscribers a page of news headlines on the areas they
nominate. Each item of text is linked to the full story on a website.
H I Te c h : I n f o r m a t i o n a n d S o f t w a r e Te c h n o l o g y
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Digital television provides interactive television. It merges

communication, television and computer technologies. Digital
television offers more channel choices, a higher resolution
screen and greater control over the program the user is
watching. For example, a user watching a football match could
choose to watch a particular football player rather than
decisions made by the producer.
Electronic games are played using a game machine (or game
console) displayed on a television or using gaming software on
the computer. The latest games have different levels and are
becoming more realistic. Games are also designed for multiple
players, who can interact and compete with each other. The
Internet is commonly used to play games.
Digital media products

There is a range of digital media products:
Desktop publishing magazines are
created using desktop publishing
software (DTP). This is specialised
software to combine text and graphics
on the screen. DTP enables the user
to have precise control over objects
on the page. It easily creates
magazines and newspapers using
layout tools such as multiple columns
and wrapping text around images
(see Figure 11.2). DTP documents are
often saved in PDF format and
Figure 11.2 Microsoft Publisher
transmitted via the Internet.
Bit-mapped graphics are created and edited using a painting
program. It stores and manipulates each pixel rather than
shapes and lines. Bit-mapped graphics produce good quality
images where shading and fine detail are needed such
as in photographs. Some common file formats for bit-mapped
graphics include BMP, JPEG, GIF, TIFF and PICT.
Vector graphics are created and edited using a drawing program.
This stores pictures as a collection of objects such as shapes and
lines. Each object is defined by its characteristics such as
position, line width and pattern. These characteristics are stored
as mathematical expressions and displayed on the screen as
pixels. Some common file formats for vector graphics include
CDR, WMF, EPS and PICT.
11 Digital media
Tutorial
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Audio is captured using a microphone. Sound travels through

the air in waves with a particular amplitude, wavelength and
frequency. Editing a sound wave involves changing these
characteristics. A short piece of sound is often referred to as a
sequence. Some common file formats for audio include WAV,
MP3 and WMA.
MIDI sequence is a file containing the note information and not
the details of the sound wave. MIDI (Musical Instrument
Digital Interface, pronounced middy) is a standard connection
for computers and electronic music instruments. MIDI allows
up to sixteen instruments to be played simultaneously. A
musician uses a MIDI instrument to play music and the
computer to store and edit the music. MIDI sequences require
less storage than audio files as they only contain the note
information and are easier to edit. The quality of the sound in
MIDI sequence is dependent on the synthesiser used to play it.
Animation sequence is the movement of an object. It is the result
of a series of graphics or frames presented in rapid succession.
When creating an animation sequence the user needs to
consider the size of the graphic and the speed of the movement.
Some common file formats for animation include SWF, MOV
and animated GIF.
Video productions are created using video clips (or video
sequences) from a digital video camera and video editing
software. It involves adding video clips, audio or pictures to a
timeline or storyline. Each video clip is made up of frames that
contain individual images. When the video is played, the frames
are displayed in sequence. Some common file formats for video
are MPEG, AVI, DivX, WMV and MOV.
Exercise 11.1
1
242
True or false?
a E-music has been made possible using compressed file formats
such as WAV.
b Electronic games are commonly played over the Internet.
c Animation is the result of a series of graphics presented in
rapid succession.
d AVI is a common file format for animation.
Copy and complete the following sentences:
a Digital _______ refers to text, graphics, audio, animation and
video processing.
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_______ graphics are created and edited using a drawing

program.
c MIDI sequence requires less storage than an _______ file.
d A video clip is made up of _______ that contain images.
What am I?
a It provides information on stories of special interest from the
Internet.
b Specialised software to combine text and graphics on the screen.
c A file containing note information and not the details of the
sound wave.
d It involves adding video clips, audio or pictures to a timeline.
a Why are people using digital media?
b List uses of digital media.
c Why is it appropriate to use DTP to create a magazine?
d Why are photographs stored as bit-mapped graphics?
e What are the characteristics of a sound wave?
f How do you create a video production?
Development
5
Draw a personal computer using a drawing program. Alter the

graphic using different line sizes, colours and patterns. Group all the
objects to make the graphic appear as a single object. Move and
copy the graphic. Make the graphic larger (4x) and smaller (1/4).
Open a digital photograph of a personal computer in a graphics
program. Reduce and enlarge the digital photograph and compare
the results with Question 5. Write a brief report to explain your
investigation.
Create an advertisement for a personal computer using a DTP
program. The advertisement should contain a banner heading,
column text, graphics and different fonts.
Do research into one current application of digital media. Prepare a
brief report that summarises the result of your investigation.
11. 2 Manipulation
techniques
Digital media involves the processing of digital data. Processing
involves editing the data using manipulation techniques for each
data type.
Graphics
Graphics are created using a graphics program or captured using a
scanner, digital camera or video camera. There are two types of
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graphics: bit-mapped graphics and vector graphics. Editing a

graphic involves the following techniques:
Cropping removes unwanted parts at the side of a graphic. In
some programs the cropped parts of the image are permanently
deleted. In other programs the cropped parts are simply hidden
and the picture can be restored to the original state.
Resizing makes a graphic smaller or bigger. It can keep the
proportions the same so that the picture will not be distorted.
Resizing a bit-mapped graphic at an object level is often a
problem. It is difficult to select an object in a bit-mapped
graphic. Enlarging the graphic enlarges each pixel and creates a
staircase pattern along a diagonal or curved line called jaggies.
Size and position moves the graphic or object to another
location. It includes flipping, rotating and moving objects
forward or backwards.
Rendering converts the graphic into a more realistic image. This
involves adding 3D qualities such as shadows and textures to
surfaces. A common technique for rendering is ray tracing. Ray
tracing sends a ray of light to each pixel on the screen. The ray
is reflected depending on the surface and colour of the object.
Colour effects change the colour, brightness and contrast of a
graphic. Adjusting the brightness and contrast makes a dull
object lighter and a bright object darker. The colour of a
graphic can be changed using a palette of colours and patterns.
Red eye is a common problem in photographs of people and is
easily removed.
Special effects change the proportions of a graphic. This includes
distorting, making part of the image transparent, blurring and
sharpening the focus (see Figure 11.3).
Figure 11.3 Special effects
Audio
Audio signals from a computer are converted into analog sound
waves for transmission through speakers. Each sound wave has an
amplitude, wavelength and frequency. The amplitude is the height
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of the wave. It gives the sound

its volume. The wavelength is
the distance between the ends
of one complete cycle of a wave.
It gives the sound its pitch or
note. The frequency of the wave
is the number of wavelengths in
one second and is measured in
hertz (Hz). Sounds are edited in
many different ways and affect
the amplitude, wavelength and
Figure 11.4 Audio software
frequency of the wave (see
Figure 11.4).
Amplify increases or decreases the volume of sound by changing
the height of the wave. Amplifying ensures the audio will be
clearly heard or not heard. Mute does not play the audio.
Equalisers or filters are used to make adjustments to the
strength of sounds at different frequencies.
Stretch changes the frequency (pitch) and duration of the audio
signal. For example, you can use stretch to change a song to a
higher key.
Noise removal reduces background noise with minimal
reduction in sound quality. It is often used to reduce the
background noise of the microphone.
Delete silence is used to remove periods of silence between
words or other sounds.
Echo is used to add an echo to a sound. For example, you can
create the echo Hello-ello-llo-lo-o.
Fading is used to change from one audio to the next. Fade-in
gradually increases the audio volume and fade-out gradually
decreases the audio volume.
Animation
Animation is created using path-based and cel-based animation.
Cel-based animation creates an animation by using a sequence of
individual still images each displayed in a frame or cel. Path-based
animation creates an animation by displaying the movement of an
animated object onto a fixed background in a particular sequence
or path (see Figure 11.5). Animation software uses different
animation techniques such as tweening and morphing.
Tweening creates the intermediate frames between two objects
that are to be animated. The animation software enables the
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Figure 11.5 Animation
Morphing is short
for the word
metamorphosis.
Metamorphosis is
a complete change
of physical form,
structure, or
substance such as
when a caterpillar
changes into a
butterfly.
Lit 4.2
246
user to identify specific objects in an image and define how they

should move and change during the tweening process. The
computer then processes the data to calculate what should be
displayed in each intermediate frame.
Morphing is the smooth change between two different images. It
involves transforming the shape, size, dimension and colour of
one image so it appears to merge into another image. For
example, you could morph your own image into a movie star.
Morphing programs work by marking the main points of the
before and after images. These points are used to calculate the
movements from one image to the other. Morphing requires
large amounts of memory and fast processing speeds.
Video
Video is captured using a digital video camera and edited using
video editing software. After each video clip is captured it is
displayed as a thumbnail. Creating the video production involves
adding video clips, audio or pictures to a timeline or storyline. A
timeline is an area that shows the timing and arrangement of clips
or files that make up a video production. Editing a video involves
the following techniques.
Trimming (or splicing) a clip changes the start and end point of
the video clip. It allows the user to hide unwanted material.
Trimming does not remove the information. The user can delete
the trim points and return the clip to its original state if required.
Splitting a clip divides a video clip into two clips. It is often used
to insert a picture or place a transition in the middle of a clip.
Combining a clip joins two or more video clips. It is useful if the
user has several short clips and they want to view them as one clip.
Video effects are special effects that change how a video clip or
the video production will be displayed. For example, you might
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want a video effect to change the clip into black and white or be
given an old-aged look (see Figure 11.6).
Transitions are special effects used to change from one video
clip to the next. Before the one clip ends the other clip starts to
play. There are many different types of transitions such as a fade
effect. Transitions are placed between the video clips on the
timeline.
Adding a picture involves importing a graphic file or capturing
a picture from a video clip. The graphic file is displayed as a
thumbnail and is dragged onto the timeline. The user
determines the duration of the picture.
Adding audio involves a narration or
background music. A narration is
added by talking into a microphone
when viewing the timeline of the
video. To include background music,
import the music file and drag it
onto the timeline that specifies
audio.
Titles and credits provide the
finishing touches to your video by
adding text. Information displayed as
text is usually the title of the movie, the
date the movie was produced and the author
of the movie. Text can be formatted and animated
in many different ways.
Figure 11.6 Video effects
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Exercise 11.2
1
Explain the difference between:

a cropping and resizing a graphic
b amplitude and wavelength of a sound wave
c trimming and splitting a video clip.
True or false?
a Enlarging a vector graphic creates a staircase pattern called
aliasing.
b Ray tracing is a common technique for rendering.
c Tweening is the smooth change between two different images.
d A graphic file can be dragged onto the timeline of a video
production.
What am I?
a It converts a graphic into a more realistic image.
b Increases or decreases the volume of sound.
c Audio command that adjusts the strength of sounds at
different frequencies.
d Special effects used to change from one video clip to the next.
a What are some of the colour effects for editing a graphic?
b List some of the ways a sound wave can be edited.
c How is path-based animation created?
d What is morphing?
e What is a timeline in a video production?
f Describe the information displayed in the titles and credits
of a video production.
Development
5
248
Open a digital photograph in a

graphics program. Perform the
following manipulation
techniques: cropping, resizing,
rotating, distorting, rendering
and changing the colour. Save
each manipulation as a
separate file.
Open a piece of music in an
audio program. Perform the
following manipulation
techniques: amplifying,
using a filter, fading and
adding an echo.
Open a video clip in a video
editing program. Perform the
following manipulation techniques: splitting,
trimming, adding atransition, using a video effect
and inserting a title.
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11. 3 Digitisation and file

sizes
Digitising is the process of generating digital data. Digital data is
represented using the binary number system. It consists of one of two
digits, 0 and 1 (bit). The fact that all data is represented as a series of
bits means that a computer can organise and transmit data of any
type. It deals with data as 0s and 1s irrespective of the original format
of the data. There is a different process to digitise each data type.
Text
Text is digitised using a standard method of conversion such as ASCII.
It works by assigning each character with a decimal number and
converting this number into binary code (see Chapter 3). A scanner
creates digital data from any printed page of text. However, unless
instructed otherwise it will represent this text as an image. Optical
character recognition (OCR) software converts text on paper into
digital data that can be edited. The software matches the image
from a scanner to the shapes of individual characters. Characters
that are read are stored using ASCII codes and characters that
cannot be read are usually indicated with a tilde (~).
Graphics
Graphics are digitised using a process called bit-mapping. Bit-mapping
is the relationship between the graphic on the screen and the bits in
memory. All graphics are made up of tiny dots called pixels. Each
pixel in a graphic is assigned one or more bits. The number of bits per
pixel is called the bit depth (or colour depth). At the simplest level,
a graphic with a bit depth of one would have two colours. The 0 bit
would be white and the 1 bit would be black. To determine the file
size of a graphic in kilobytes we use the following formula:
File size = Horizontal pixels Vertical pixels Bit depth (in KB)
8 1024
The file size is affected by the resolution of the graphic. The resolution
is the total number of pixels on the screen. It is calculated by
multiplying the horizontal and vertical dimensions in pixels. This is
shown in the formula. The division in the formula is used to convert
bits to bytes (8 bits = 1 byte) and bytes to kilobytes (1024 B = 1 KB).
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Example: What is file size in KB of a black and white image (1 bit per
pixel) with a resolution of 300 by 180?
8 1024
= 300 180 1
8 1024
= 6.59 KB
Colour and greyscale (shades or tones) increase the number of

bits per pixel and require more storage (see Table 11.1). For example,
if two bits are used to represent one pixel, four shades will be possible,
since two bits results in four binary numbers: 00, 01, 10 and 11.
Colour graphics are obtained from an RGB (redgreenblue) screen
that uses a combination of red, green and blue colours. The minimum
number of colours is eight; red only; green only; blue only; red and
green (yellow); red and blue (magenta); blue and green (cyan); red,
green and blue (white); and no colour (black). The number of
colours and tones are multiplied together. For example, a bit depth
of 8 allows a graphic to contain 256 colours, or 64 colours each
with 4 tones (64 4 = 256), or 32 colours each with 8 tones (32 8
= 256). Graphics with a higher bit depth are better quality.
Table 11.1 Relationship between bits and colours or tones
Bit depth
Relationship
Number of colours or tones
21 = 2
22 = 4
23
=8
24
= 16
16
26 = 64
64
28 = 256
256
16
216 = 65 536
65 536
24
224 = 16 777 216
16 777 216
32
232
4 294 967 296
= 4 294 967 296
Example: What is file size in KB of a 250 by 192 graphic with 256 colours
(8 bits per pixel)?
8 1024
= 250 192 8
8 1024
= 46.88 KB
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The above calculation applies to a raw image. Compression formats

such as JPEGs can be used to reduce the file size.
Audio
Sound is digitised using a method called sampling. Sampling converts
a sound wave to audio. It has three important characteristics called
the sampling rate, bit resolution and the number of channels:
Sampling rate is the number of times a sample (slice) is taken
from the sound wave. During a sample the amplitude of the
wave is measured and converted to a number. The higher the
sampling rate the better the sound but the larger the file size
(see Table 11.2).
Bit resolution (or sample size) is the number of bits per sample.
The most common sampling sizes are 8-bit, 16-bit or 24-bit
sound. The larger the bit resolution the better the quality sound.
Voice is often produced using 8-bit sound. CD quality stereo
sound requires at least 16-bit resolution and larger file sizes.
Channels used by the sound. Mono uses one channel and stereo
uses two channels (left and right) of sound. Stereo sound results
in better sound.
Lit 4.3
Table 11.2 Sampling rates and their uses
Sampling rate
Bit resolution
Best use for audio files
11.025 kHz
8-bit
Low qualityacceptable for voice
22.05 kHz
8-bit
Acceptable quality with low file sizes
44.1 kHz
16-bit
CD qualityminimum for serious

audio production
48 kHz
16-bit
Standard for most digital systems

such as DAT recorders
96 kHz
24-bit
Serious music productionpresent

recording standard
192 kHz
32-bit
Standard under development
To determine the file size of audio in kilobytes we use the following

formula:
File size = Sample rate Bit resolution Time (s) Channels
8 1024
Example: Calculate the file size in MB of an audio file that

uses a sample rate of 44.1 kHz with 16-bit resolution and that
lasts for 2 minutes in stereo.
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File size
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= Sample rate Bit resolution Time (s) Channels

8 1024
= 44 100 16 120 2
8 1024
= 20671.88 KB
= 20.19 MB (divide by 1024)
Video
Video is made up of frames that contain individual images. To
satisfactorily play a video we need to consider the speed at which
the image can be shown. The speed of a video or animation is
called the frame rate. It is measured by the frames per second (fps).
The higher the frame rate the smoother the video or animation
(see Table 11.3).
Table 11.3 Comparison of frame rates
Frame rate
Examples
30
Screen refresh rate of monitors
25
Video speed for the PAL system
24
Film speed for motion pictures
12
Cartoon animation speed
Minimum speed for the illusion of motion
To calculate the file size of a video we need to first calculate the

total number of frames. This is determined by multiplying the
frame rate by the length of the video in seconds. Each frame will
contain a graphic that has to be digitised. For this reason a formula
to determine the file size of a graphic is required. The formula
below calculates the file size of a video in kilobytes:
File size = Frame rate Time (s) Horizontal pixels Vertical pixels Bit depth (in KB)
8 1024
Example: Calculate the file size in GB of a 15 minute video at 25 fps. Each

frame is 352 by 288 pixels at 24 bits per pixel.
File size = Frame rate Time (s) Horizontal pixels Vertical pixels Bit depth (in KB)
8 1024
= 25 900 352 288 24
8 1024
= 6 682 500 KB
= 6.37 GB (divide by 1 048 576)
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A frame grabber captures and digitises graphics from a video.

If a video has a frame rate of 25 fps then the freeze frame operates
by grabbing an image that lasts for 1/25th of a second.
Data compression
Data compression reduces the number of bits required to represent
the information. It allows the user to store more data and makes
data transmission faster. The amount a file is compressed is
measured by the compression ratio. The compression ratio
compares how much larger the uncompressed file is to the
compressed file. If a compressed file is half the size of the
uncompressed file, the compression ratio is 2 to 1 (2:1). A higher
compression ratio indicates greater compression of data. High
compression ratios can be achieved with graphic, audio and video
files. For example, an MPEG file can provide a compression ratio
up to 200:1. However, some quality may be lost at very high
compression ratios. Data compression is either lossy or lossless
compression. These concepts were examined in Chapter 3.
Exercise 11.3
1
What am I?
a Relationship between the graphic on the screen and the bits in
memory.
b Digitising process that converts a sound wave to audio.
c The number of bits per sample in an audio file.
d The speed of a video or animation.
a What is optical character resolution?
b List the minimum number of colours in a colour graphic.
c What is the sampling rate?
d Identify the sampling rate and bit resolution for serious music
production.
e What is a frame grabber?
f Explain the compression ratio.
Calculate the file size of the following graphics (answer to the
nearest KB):
a 8-bit colour graphic with a resolution of 530 by 510
b 16-bit colour graphic with a resolution of 620 by 800
c colour graphic with a resolution of 490 by 420 and 64 colours
d colour graphic with a resolution of 232 by 185 and 65 536
colours each with 256 tones.
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Calculate the file size of the following audio files (answer to the
nearest MB):
a sampling rate of 11.025 kHz with an 8-bit sound for 5 min 07
sec in mono
b sampling rate of 44.1 kHz with a 16-bit sound for 2 min 35 sec
in stereo
c sampling rate of 48 kHz with a 16-bit sound for 3 min 40 sec in
stereo
d sampling rate of 96 kHz with a 24-bit sound for 2 min 41 sec in
stereo.
Calculate the file size of the following video files (answer in GB
correct to one decimal place):
a frame rate of 25 fps, 25 min, frame resolution of 352 by 288
pixels with 24-bits per pixel
b frame rate of 25 fps, 5 min 28 sec, frames resolution of 340 by
260 pixels with 16-bits per pixel
c frame rate of 30 fps, 10 min, frames resolution of 400 by 320
pixels with 24-bits per pixel.
Development
6
ICT 11.1
Pia has scanned a picture taken on her holiday. She wants to

display the photograph using 24-bit colour. Is 24-bit colour suitable
bit depth? The picture has a resolution of 500 by 700. Calculate the
file size of this picture. What would be a suitable compressed file
format for this picture? Give reasons for you answer.
Investigate the properties of at least three different graphic, audio
and video files on your computer. Write a summary of your
investigation. Your answer should contain references to file format,
resolution, bit depth, sampling rate, bit resolution and frame rate.
11. 4 Display and

distribution
Displaying and distributing digital media products involves the
presentation of that product using a range of devices.
Displaying
The media used to display digital media products is dependent on
the data type, the audience and the hardware requirements of the
product. Display devices include screens, printers and speakers.
A screen is a display surface that provides immediate feedback
about what the computer is doing. It can display text, graphics,
animation and video data. The screen displays data using pixels.
The space between the pixels is called the dot pitch. Screens that
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allow more pixels to be displayed and have a

smaller dot pitch will provide a clearer image.
The most common type of screen is a monitor.
It uses CRT technology. Images are produced
by firing a beam of electrons onto the inside of
the screen containing a coating of phosphor.
The phosphor glows when struck by the
electron beam. Colour monitors use three
Figure 11.7 A data projector
beams to strike red, green and blue phosphor.
LCD is a flat-panel display that uses liquid crystal display
technology. Data projectors use LCD technology to project images
onto a larger screen. A data projector accepts video inputs and can
easily create an image three or four metres in size.
A printer is an output device that produces a paper copy of any
required data. It can display text and graphic data. Inkjet printers
produce text and images by spraying very fine drops of ink onto the
paper. The print head of an inkjet contains a nozzle with anywhere
from fifty to several hundred small holes. The ink is propelled
through a combination of nozzle holes to form the characters.
Laser printers use a rotating disk to reflect laser beams onto the
paper to produce text and images. A laser printer converts data
from the computer into movements of a laser beam that are
directed to a positively charged revolving drum. When the drum is
touched by the laser beam it attracts toner.
A speaker is a device used to present sounds. A small speaker is
usually located in most personal computers inside the system unit.
However, high quality stereo speakers are often connected to the
computer using a port and a sound card. A speaker generates
sounds electromagnetically. A coil of wire is attached to a cone. The
coil is magnetised and causes the cone to vibrate. The movement of
the cone makes the air near the cone vibrate and this creates sound
waves.
Distribution
The media used to distribute digital media products is also
dependent on the data type, the audience and the hardware
requirements of the product. Distribution involves optical disks,
the Internet and streaming.
Optical disks are a storage medium used to distribute digital
media. Data is read and written using laser technology. Optical
disks have the capacity to store large amounts of data. CDs and
DVDs are optical disks.
11 Digital media
Laser is an
acronym for Light
Amplification by
Stimulated
Emission of
Radiation. It is a
narrow beam of
light in a single
wavelength.
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CD (compact disc) is a polycarbonate disk whose surface is

coated with a reflective layer of metal. The standard CD is 12
centimetres in diameter and can store up to 800 MB. There are
many kinds of CDs such as CD-ROM, CD-R, and CD-RW.
DVD (digital versatile disk) is similar in appearance to a CD. It
can store in excess of 17 GB. There are many kinds of DVDs
such as DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, DVD-R and DVD-RW. DVDROM drives can play DVD movies, read DVD data disks, read
computer CDs, and play audio CDs.
The Internet is a network of computers used to display and
distribute digital media. Websites present information using all the
data types. A user visits a website and digital data is displayed from
powerful computers called servers. Websites are available on a range
of topics and display text, graphics, animation, audio and video.
The Internet also allows digital media products to be distributed.
For example, you can download audio files or digital photographs.
Streaming is a method of displaying audio and video across a
network (see Figure 11.8). It occurs when a computer begins to
receive content from a server and plays the content before the entire
file has been transferred. Streaming uses the bandwidth efficiently
as it sends data at the speed the computer can play the content. The
bandwidth is the quantity of information that can be sent through
a transmission medium. Streaming is widely used on the Web. A
streamed video is played within a few seconds but the data is not
permanently stored on the computer.
Figure 11.8 Streamed video is available on the Web and also now
available on Mobile phones
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Project: Australian Music

Lorenzo is a graphic designer who has been contracted to design a
magazine called Australian Music. The manager of FM Records is
responsible for developing the concept of the magazine. Lorenzo
solved the problem using the four stages in project development.
Define and analyse the problem: Lorenzo discussed the proposed

features of the magazine with the manager. He examined current
music magazines. A project plan was written and submitted for
approval to the manager.
Design possible solutions: Lorenzo sketched possible designs for the

cover, contents, articles, headings and body text. A feasibility report
was written and presented to the manager. The recommendation
from the feasibility report was accepted by the manager. The
manager provided text and graphic data for the first issue.
Produce the solution: Lorenzo created the design using Adobe

InDesign. He completed the page layout for each feature in the
magazine. This involved positioning headings, the number of
columns for text, the borders and the placement of graphics. The
text and graphics were imported into the publication. The
magazine was formatted and edited. A draft copy was printed and
used to check the publication.
Evaluate the solution: The manager was excited about the

appearance of the magazine. FM Records is preparing an Audio CD
to be attached to the magazine.
ICT 11.2
Tasks
1
Design an appropriate cover for the magazine Australian Music.
Do research into the features of the latest desktop publishing

programs. Write a brief report that summarises your investigation.
Exercise 11.4
1
Copy and complete the following sentences:

a _______ use LCD technology to project images onto a large
screen.
b The print head of an _______ printer contains a nozzle to spray
fine drops of ink.
c _______ is a storage medium where data is read and written
using laser technology.
d The Internet is a network of _______ used to display and
distribute digital media.
11 Digital media
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Page 258
Copy and complete the following by replacing the letter in brackets

with a suitable term:
The screen displays data using (a). The space between the pixels is
called the (b). The most common type of screen is a (c). It uses (d)
technology.
Unjumble these words:
a odt ictph
b sapeekr
c seatrnmig
a How are images produced using CRT technology?
b Describe the way a laser printer produces text and images.
c How does a speaker generate sounds?
d Describe a DVD.
e How is digital data displayed on a website?
f What is streaming?
Development
5
258
The display and distribution of

digital media is constantly
changing. Do research into
the latest innovations to
display digital media.
Write a report that
summarises your
investigation.
Digital media should
only be distributed using
the Internet. Outline the
advantages and
disadvantages of using the
Internet to distribute
digital media.
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Page 259
Part A: Multiple choice questions

Select the alternative (a), (b), (c) or (d) that best answers each question.
1 What are text, graphic, audio,
animation and video processing
called?
a Digital data
b Digital media
c Digital revolution
d Digitisation
2 What is a MIDI sequence?
a Sound wave with a particular
amplitude, wavelength and
frequency
b Audio file that uses WAV as the
file format
c A file containing the note
information and not the details of
the sound wave
d The result of a series of graphics
presented in rapid succession
3 Which of the following transforms
one image so that it appears to
merge into another?
a Morphing
b Transforming
c Tweening
d Rendering
4 Which of the following describes
cropping?
a Changes the proportions of a
graphic
b Changes the start and end point
of a video clip
c Converts the graphic into a more
realistic image
d Removes unwanted parts of a
graphic
5 Which of the following determines
the volume of a sound wave?
a Amplitude
b Wavelength
c Frequency
d Fading
6 Which of the following does not
affect the size of an audio file?
a Sampling rate
b Bit resolution
c Channels
d Memory mapping
7 Which of the following describes the
speed of a video or animation?
a Frame grabber
b Frame rate
c Frame size
d Frame speed.
8 What is bit resolution?
a Relationship between the graphic
on the screen and the bits in
memory
b Number of bits per sample
c Total number of pixels on the
screen
d Converts a sound wave to audio
9 Which of the following is a device
that can display text, graphic,
animation and video data?
a Screen
b Printer
c Speaker
d Optical disk
10 Which of the following is a method
of displaying audio and video across
a network?
a Video production
b Video clip
c Streaming
d Digitising
11 Digital media
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Part B: Match the term

For each of the following statements (1 to 10), select from the list of terms (a to j)
the one that most closely fits the statement.
Statements
1 It refers to text, graphics, audio,
animation and video processing.
6 The relationship between the graphic

on the screen and the bits in memory.
2 Removes unwanted parts of a graphic.
7 It converts a sound wave to audio.
3 Converts the graphic into a more

realistic image such as adding 3D
qualities.
8 The speed of a video or animation.
4 Creates the intermediate frames

between two objects that are to be
animated.
10 Display surface that provides

immediate feedback about what the
computer is doing.
5 The smooth change between two

different images.
Terms
a Bit-mapping
b Cropping
c Data compression
d Digital media
e Frame rate
f
g
h
i
j
9 Reduces the number of bits required

to represent the information.
Morphing
Rendering
Sampling
Screen
Tweening
Part C: Extended response questions

Write at least one paragraph for each of the following:
1 Describe the main features of one
digital media product. Where appropriate, illustrate your answer with an
example of the digital media product.
2 Editing a graphic involves techniques
such as cropping, resizing and
rendering. Explain the differences
between these techniques.
3 What are the steps in creating a video
production? List four techniques
commonly used to edit a video.
4 List formulas to determine the file

size of a graphic, audio and video.
5 Graphics with a higher bit depth are
better quality. Explain this statement.
What other factors affect the file size
of a graphic?
6 The presentation of digital media is
important. Outline the main
features of three display
devices for digital media.
e Tester
Project: DigitMedia
DigitMedia is a business that specialises in personal computers and
digital media. It aims to expand into your local community. Visit local
information technology businesses to obtain an outline of their
services. Create a promotional campaign for DigitMedia. The solution
should include advertising brochures, business cards, advertisements
for newspapers, a monthly newsletter for clients and a video to be
streamed through their website. This is a group project to be developed
using the four stages in project development.
260
Project 4.1
Project 4.2
Project 4.3
Cross project 1
Cross project 2
Cross project 3
Cross project 4

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313 ISTech Chapt 11.3pp

Describes and applies problem-solving processes when

313 ISTech Chapt 11.3pp

11. 1 Digital media

Purpose of digital media

Figure 11.1 Macintosh iTunes

E-music is audio accessed from the Internet. It has been made

313 ISTech Chapt 11.3pp

Digital television provides interactive television. It merges

Digital media products

313 ISTech Chapt 11.3pp

Audio is captured using a microphone. Sound travels through

313 ISTech Chapt 11.3pp

_______ graphics are created and edited using a drawing

Draw a personal computer using a drawing program. Alter the

313 ISTech Chapt 11.3pp

graphics: bit-mapped graphics and vector graphics. Editing a

Figure 11.3 Special effects

313 ISTech Chapt 11.3pp

of the wave. It gives the sound

313 ISTech Chapt 11.3pp

Figure 11.5 Animation

user to identify specific objects in an image and define how they

313 ISTech Chapt 11.3pp

Figure 11.6 Video effects

313 ISTech Chapt 11.3pp

Explain the difference between:

Open a digital photograph in a

313 ISTech Chapt 11.3pp

11. 3 Digitisation and file

313 ISTech Chapt 11.3pp

Colour and greyscale (shades or tones) increase the number of

Number of colours or tones

224 = 16 777 216

4 294 967 296

= 4 294 967 296

313 ISTech Chapt 11.3pp

The above calculation applies to a raw image. Compression formats

Table 11.2 Sampling rates and their uses

Best use for audio files

Low qualityacceptable for voice

Acceptable quality with low file sizes

CD qualityminimum for serious

Standard for most digital systems

Serious music productionpresent

Standard under development

To determine the file size of audio in kilobytes we use the following

Example: Calculate the file size in MB of an audio file that

313 ISTech Chapt 11.3pp

= Sample rate Bit resolution Time (s) Channels

Screen refresh rate of monitors

Video speed for the PAL system

Film speed for motion pictures

Cartoon animation speed

Minimum speed for the illusion of motion

To calculate the file size of a video we need to first calculate the

Example: Calculate the file size in GB of a 15 minute video at 25 fps. Each

313 ISTech Chapt 11.3pp

A frame grabber captures and digitises graphics from a video.

313 ISTech Chapt 11.3pp

Pia has scanned a picture taken on her holiday. She wants to

11. 4 Display and