The death of CD-ROM was predicted in the mid-nineties. The Internet spelt its doom. Everybody said so, but it still hasn’t happened. What has happened is the advent of DVD and memory sticks to take us beyond the 700MB barrier set by CDs. Now that every computer has a built-in CD/DVD writer, plus three or four USB ports, it’s easier than ever to distribute interactive media.
I’ve been fascinated by interactivity since 1992, when I first began developing click-to-explore productions on floppy disk. In those days we were limited to 1.44MB and sixteen colours, so you needed a fearless attitude to quarts and pint pots. Since then I’ve architected and developed retail multimedia for the likes of FlagTower, Marshall Cavendish and BBC Worldwide, as well as countless corporate productions.
The great aspect of locally-stored multimedia is its richness and flexibility. Just about all of those bandwidth restrictions and security limitations that surround Web-based communication just disappear. So full-screen video can be broadcast quality. Graphics can be large and detailed, and animations and 3D visualisations are limitless. And there are no download times or network limitations to worry about.
One criticism that we hear levelled at off-line multimedia is that it's fixed, making it expensive to update. This needn't be the case. Using our Configurative technology it's possible and practical to dynamically update content - even when it's been distributed on CD or DVD.
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Listers - Demonstrating the Difference The Listers CD-ROM was put together to introduce Listers' approach to supplying its market place. It's a classic example of the interactive CD, with video demonstrations of how the products perform, and lots of areas to explore. The blooper reel, featuring the out-takes from the Managing Director's introduction, has proved immensely popular. We think this is a good thing... |
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Virtual Visit to Raleigh Coatings Raleigh Coatings has an impressive set-up. In addition to their state-of-the-art coating lines, they've invested in their laboratory set-up. This actually extends to a fully equipped test coating line, allowing them to bring their customers' products to market faster and more cheaply than just about anyone else. They asked us to develop a CD-based virtual visit to their premises to give prospective customers a a persuasive reason for visiting in person. |
