Tool Support for the Synchronization and Presentation of Distributed Multimedia

Synchronization of multiple media is a major issue in multimedia applications; in distributed systems, this problem is aggravated further. We present tools for the creation, editing, and presentation of synchronized multi­media objects. In particular, we describe a graphical Synchronization Editor for the specification of synchroniz­ation schemes and a Synchronizer for the execution of multimedia presentations. We emphasize the require­ments imposed by an underlying distributed hetero­geneaus environment, as weff as support for interactive user control. The tools described are not restricted to a fixed set of media, but support the incfusion of arbitrary user-defined media. The Synchronization Editor and Synchronizer are part of the Mode project, which in turn covers the 'distributed multimedia object support' part of NESTOR, an authoring//earning environment deve/oped jointly by the Universities of Karlsruhe and Kaiserslautern and the Digital Equipment CEC, Karlsruh