The focus of this category, or its subcategories, is on the software used in multimedia, that being audio, video, and both animated and still graphics.
Strictly speaking, text is a form of multimedia as well but, for the sake of categorization here, we will reserve this category for audio, video, and graphics, as we deal with text in several other categories. Other forms of multimedia, such as graphics games, may be found in other categories, such as the computer games section, because it is a more specific category for such content.
Keep in mind also, that this category is about the software used to produce, manipulate, or participate in multimedia, rather than on the multimedia itself, which may be found in our Arts & Literature category or elsewhere in the directory.
Multimedia is the presentation of information using sound, pictures, animation, and video. Multimedia programs are computer applications that use a variety of media, such as video, sound, still images, animated graphics, special effects, as well as those used to create some or all of the media elements.
Multimedia software generally requires more memory and processing power than is required of textual information. Some multimedia software could be classified as system software, while others are authoring or editing tools used to create or manipulate images, audio, or video.
Early home computers were used mostly to deal with text and numbers., but today's computers have to be able to handle photographs, audio recordings, and video. While early webpages consisted almost solely of text, most webpages today include some form of multimedia, and many are heavily dependent on multimedia. Streaming video services, like Netflix and Hulu, are responsible for a large portion of Internet traffic today.
In fact, we are so heavily dependent on multimedia today that it is difficult to categorize it. Multimedia software tools are involved in the creation of websites, educational software, games, and pretty much every category of software. The lines may be blurred, but appropriate topics for this category, and its subcategories, include software applications used in creating, editing, or presenting graphics, audio, or video. Some applications may fit into more than one category.
Categories
Audio & VideoGraphics |
Recommended Resources
The audio-video application supports Microsoft Windows platforms with DirectX and other requirements that are listed here. The application offers audio and video conversions, to and from a variety of formats, an audio editor, flash editor, a CD burner, and digital video editor. Its full features are outlined, and it may be downloaded for a 15-day trial. Upon ordering online, activation details will be delivered within 24 hours, fax orders within 48 hours.
http://www.blazemp.com/
MediaHuman offers a YouTube to MP3 converter for Linux, macOS, and Windows, as well as other multimedia programs, such as a YouTube downloader, audio, and video converters, a lyrics finder, music converter, a voice recording application, a collage maker, and others, many of them free. The features and a description of each are given, along with system requirements, step-by-step instructions for using the programs, and more comprehensive user manuals and guides.
https://www.mediahuman.com/
MediaPortal is an open-source (GNU General Public License) media player and digital video recorder software project for Microsoft Windows platforms, often thought of as a replacement for Windows Media Center. Running on basic PC hardware, it connects to a television and displays TV series, movies, photos, and music. The requirements for operation are posted to the site, along with a feature list, a FAQ, user documentation, plugins and skins, and a user support forum.
https://www.team-mediaportal.com/
Offering multimedia software programs for Mac and Windows machines, the company offers a video editor in three editions, a video suite, business video suite, video converter, slideshow maker, PPT converter, a screen recorder, photo editor, photo manager, photo focus, and photo de-noise, as well as multimedia programs for businesses and schools, each of which are highlighted here, and made available in its only store. Support information, instructions, and a blog are included.
https://www.movavi.com/
Established in 1988, MPEG is a working group of ISO/IEC, charged with developing standards for coded representation of digital audio, video, 3D graphics, and other data. Standards developed by the organization in the more than thirty years that it has been in operation are published to the site, along with information about the technologies behind media and non-media coding, composition coding, description coding, systems support, and IPMP. Meeting schedules are posted.
https://mpeg.chiariglione.org/
Headquartered in Australia, with a US office in Colorado, NCH Software is a computer software company that mostly sells to individuals through its website, and focuses on applications for audio, video, dictation, and transcription, telephony, graphics, business, and other computer utilities. Its products are sorted by software type, platform, and popular downloads, and programs are available for macOS, Windows, Android, and iOS, as well as some for Kindle devices.
https://www.nchsoftware.com/
Based in California, Roxio is a software development company that specializes in consumer digital media products, including tools for setting up digital media projects, media conversion software, and content distribution systems. Roxio is now a subsidiary of Corel Corporation. Its consumer products include an all-in-one multimedia suite with applications for editing photo, video, and audio, while its chief business products are its Creator Enterprise for Windows and Toast Enterprise for Mac.
https://www.roxio.com/
StarBurn Software is an international provider of optical media storage software. Its flagship products are StarBurn and StarBurn SDK, both of which are designed for CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, and HD-DVD recording and mastering, both made for the Windows operating systems, the latter being a software development kit. Both may be purchased from the site, which also features an introduction, licensing guide, FAQ, and user manual, and support forum.
https://www.starburnsoftware.com/
Founded in 2004, Xilisoft Corporation is a software application company focused on developing multimedia and mobile device software. It has released nearly two hundred products, including those used in video converting, device management, online video collecting, video editing, audio editing, and disc creating and burning. Its Media Toolkit Deluxe includes fourteen multimedia software programs and is available for Windows and Mac. Its available programs are highlighted.
http://www.xilisoft.com/
