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Desktop Video AGOCG Report

ABSTRACT

The interest in video on the desktop has exploded. Consequently, nearly every computing magazine has featured the use of video, either as a product survey or as a feature article on how to get the best from a particular DTV configuration.

The main area of coverage for this report is the use of video material and how it is incorporated into a desktop display. The source of such video material is unspecified since it could come from a variety of sources. It can be integrated with digitised sounds and sophisticated graphics, thus becoming the familiar multimedia `video in a window' approach. There are a variety of uses for this approach in training and education.

The report begins with an explanation of the technical aspects of DTV, including a consideration of compression techniques and standards and how they relate to networking issues.

There is then a survey of existing hardware platforms and low level software support. This identifies the most common manufacturers and models, with a description of each. The advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed in the context of different applications. Included in this section is a section on CD-ROM.

The next section looks at some of the myriad applications for DTV and multimedia equipment, including videoconferencing, video editing, presentations and the integration of TV into the desktop.

Finally the report presents the results of a questionnaire administered to DTV users, giving an insight into the state of multimedia and its proliferation in the market.

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Graphics Multimedia Virtual Environments Visualisation Contents