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Animation Showcases There are a lot of people creating collections of cool, creative animations that they want to share on the Net. Here are some showcases where you can browse through a large number of homemade animations and marvel at the work of all the talented, witty people who have so much time on their hands. Web:
CD-RW Drives A CD-RW (CD-rewritable) drive is a wonderful addition to your PC. I have one and I love it. A CD-RW drive can not only read CDs, it can write to them in two different ways. First, it can make exact copies of music CDs and CD-ROMs, and it can make custom music CDs (using the songs you want). Second, CD-RW drives can use special blank CDs (CD-RWs) as rewritable storage devices. Once you format a CD-RW, you can access it like a regular disk. CD-RW discs are inexpensive and can hold up to 530 MB of data (after formatting). Thus, once you have a CD-RW drive, you can have as much extra storage as you want, which makes it great for backups. Hints: (1) When it comes to buying a CD-RW drive, faster is better. (2) If the drive is not built into your computer, have someone else install it for you. Web:
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DVD DVD (Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage system that is faster and more powerful than regular CD technology. A DVD disc holds a lot more data than a CD, and a single disc can store both video and audio, as well as computer data. DVDs are widely used to distribute movies and, as such, will soon replace videotapes and laserdiscs. One day, DVDs may also replace audio CDs, CD-ROM discs and video game cartridges. Web:
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Flash Flash is a product from Macromedia that allows you to create Web presentations using video, audio, animation and graphics. If you know what you are doing, you can do some awesome things. These resources can help you learn what you need to know to be the flashiest person on your virtual block. (The macromedia.com page is the home of the official Macromedia Web site.) Web:
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MIME Format MIME (Multi-purpose Internet Mail Extensions) is the system used to attach various types of files to email messages. It is MIME that allows you to send and receive pictures, video, documents, and so on. For the most part, MIME works behind the scenes. To send a file, you tell your mail program to "attach" the file to an outgoing message. When you receive such a file, your mail program should "detach" it automatically (if not, you can tell the program to do so explicitly.) If you would like to find out more about how MIME works, here is the information. Web:
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MPEG Video Resources and Software The name "mpeg" (named after the Moving Picture Experts Group) refers to a family of standards used for encoding audio-visual information in a digital compressed format. At these Web sites you can find an overview of mpeg, as well as news, software, a FAQ, installation guides, and much more. Web:
Multimedia File Formats As an Internet user, you are going to encounter all different kinds of files. So what do you do when you find something your browser doesn't understand? Suppose you download a file named harley.au from the Web, but you are not sure whether you should look at it, listen to it or eat it. All the answers and more are in this wonderful, comprehensive guide to strange but true file formats. Web:
Multimedia Resources No doubt about it. Multimedia is a frontier, and a lot is happening all at once. In order to stay where you are, you need to read as fast as you can. In order to keep up, you need to read twice as fast as that. So start here, with news, features, reviews and tech talk -- enough info to keep you in the multimedia groove indefinitely. Web:
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Multimedia Talk and General Discussion This is the Usenet group for general discussion of computers and multimedia. People come here to talk about all manner of multimedia topics, including communications, user interfaces, tools, animation, and so on. Usenet:
PC Video Hardware When it comes to using a PC, what you get is what you see. The video hardware you use has a lot to do with how much you enjoy using your computer and the Internet. This Usenet group is where people discuss any topic related to PC video hardware: monitors, computers, video cards, flat-panel displays, video accelerators, video capture cards, and more. The Web site contains the FAQ (frequently asked question list) for the group. Web:
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Streaming Audio and Video Streaming is a system in which audio or video data is sent to your computer as a continuous stream. The data is played as it arrives, making for an uninterrupted presentation. These resources provide sources for streaming audio and video broadcasting, as well as information about the tools you need to listen and watch. Web:
Video Creation The difference between an entertaining video and one that no one wants to see is usually in the care and skill that went into the creation of the video. If you have mounds of videos collecting neglect, take a few moments to read this information and see if the idea of planning and editing your videos to create something real special appeals to you. If so, it won't be long before you are the envy of your family and friends, enjoying the respect that, as one of my readers, you firmly deserve. The only bad part is you will have to put up with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas dropping by all the time to beg you for ideas. (If this happens, do what I do, and tell them you don't see anyone without an appointment.) Web:
Video Glossary The world of video, especially computer video, has a lot of specialized terminology. However, you need never feel lost. If you read or hear a word you don't understand, check the glossaries at these Web sites. Before you know it, you will be talking like a pro. ("What do you mean the machine doesn't have a flying erase head? I need to make a telecine transfer.") Web:
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