Will Video Surfing Become Reality?

alinv writes "Australia's CSIRO has developed a multi-media browsing tool callled CMWeb, which makes surfing audio and video content as esy as text (view a screenshot here). The tool, called Continuous Media Web (CMWeb), enables user to activate a link within a video or audio file,and be taken to a related clip in another file, and then return to the original or follow further links into other subject areas, in much the same way they currently do with Web pages."

Comments

Joke bait

[fruey]

This is rather like flash, but for video content rather than animated vector graphics. Maybe not even that. More like a video file + markup much like something which could be played in a specialised player, but superimposing links? Doesn't seem that revolutionary to me, the DVD format already allows for something like this - albeit in a more rigid form.

However, the reason this is particularly interesting to the Slashdot crowd is that

• Provides loads of possibilities for pr0n jokes
• Screenshot will probably be more exciting for MacOS fans than pr0n itself, look at that lovely Aqua...

MPEG-4

[mericet]

I don't see anything here I didn't already saw in the MPEG-4 specifications years ago.

User-Interface?

[Advocadus Diaboli]

enables user to activate a link within a video or audio file

How do I activate a link in an audio file?
On a visible interface (video or GUI) I can think about something that I can activate by a sort of "point & click" interface. But on an audio stream?
Especially since audio is depending on time. Just think that you want to follow a link on the "bottom" of an audio file... should I wait until the link somehow passes by?

Or do I have to think of something interactive with sppech input like
Computer: "This article was first posted on Slashdot..."
Me: "Stop here and tell me more about that slashdot thing"

Sounds a little bit like "Star Trek" to me.

Parallel surfing

[heikkile]

I don't know about Joe Sixpack, but when I surf the net, I have a couple of browsers open, each with multiple tabs. Interesting links are opened in another tab, which may (or may not) get quickly closed again, when I get around to looking at it. No website can expect to get my full undivided attention!

This would really suck with video, where you have to notice the links at the right time. And what about audio? Will the other pages continue making noises quietly in the background? Wait for their turn? overpower anything else I may be listening?

human brain's capacity?

[stonebeat.org]

i am sure we will have enough advance technology to making video surfing a reality, but what about human brain's capacity to process and digest the information given to us in this mode. we are already facing a Information Overload as it is. Moreover the brain's capacity is becomming smaller, due to in-digestion of information (your brain and stomach work in a similar fashion,to process and retain information), and less time for thinking and comptemplation.
A good book to read about mind and information processing is Steven Pinker's "How Mind Works"
And I for one do not wanna see any pop-up banners in video surfing. :)

Re:Audio games!

[twifkak]

Sorry to reply to a Funny with a serious comment, but just FYI, places do make videogames for the blind. Not like you should be expected to know that.. except gamegirladvance is required reading for any videogame enthusiast.