Quality criteria for multimedia

Abstract

Almost every piece of multimedia software is extolled by those who developed it and those who publish it as being of the 'highest quality'. In practice, most multimedia packages contain content and software errors, and do not realize their full potential in terms of communicating a message that endures. This does not mean to say that the users are disappointed with their multimedia. They may not realize that the communication could be more effective, they may not notice some of the errors, or they may have been led to believe that this is the natural order of things. The accepted meaning of the term quality as used by workers 'in the field' has become devalued. Discussions with typical purchasers and users over recent months indicate that they are still remarkably tolerant of low quality. In this respect, multimedia lags behind much of the IT industry, and it is unlikely that the tolerance will last much longer. As users expectations and demands increase, those multimedia developers who have quality processes in place and are able to assure the quality of their products will have a clear business advantage