Part 6: Games and Multimedia

Chapter 20: How Multimedia Sound Works

How Sound Cards Work
How MIDI and FM Synthesis Work

• FM synthesis not as realistic as a MIDI wavetable

How Digital Sound Tricks Your Ear

• AC3=Dolby Digital 5.1 5 speakers + subwoofer, 6 channel sound (5 @ 3Hz-20kHz, 1 @3Hz-120Hz low frequency effects channel)

MP3 and Digital Audio Compression

• Just Noticable Difference (JND)

How 3D Audio Works

• Interaural intensity differences, interaural time difference, pinnae positional clues

How iPods Dish Out Media To Go

Chapter 21: How Multimedia Video Works
How the Digital Camcorder Captures Future Memories
How A Digital Camera Squeezes Video Down to Size

• MPEG Motion Pictures Expert Group
• Standard TV 4:3 720w x 576h, 30 fps

How TiVO Unites TVs and Computers

Chapter 22: How Game Hardware Puts You in the Action
How Video Cards Break the Game Barrier

• ATI crossfire
• NVidia GPU Scalable link interface
• Scissors rendering and supertiling
• Shaders, double anti-aliasing

How a Joystick Puts You at the Controls

• Potentiometer