Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language

SMIL the Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language, is a W3C recommended

W3C recommendation

A W3C Recommendation is the final stage of a ratification process of the World Wide Web Consortium working group concerning a technical standard. This designation signifies that a document has been subjected to a public and W3C-member organization's review. It aims to standardise the Web technology...

XML

Extensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....

markup language

Markup language

A markup language is a modern system for annotating a text in a way that is syntactically distinguishable from that text. The idea and terminology evolved from the "marking up" of manuscripts, i.e. the revision instructions by editors, traditionally written with a blue pencil on authors' manuscripts...

for describing multimedia

Multimedia

Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...

presentations. It defines markup for timing, layout, animations, visual transitions, and media embedding, among other things. SMIL allows the presentation of media items such as text, images, video, and audio, as well as links to other SMIL presentations, and files from multiple web servers. SMIL markup is written in XML, and has similarities to HTML

HTML

HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....

SMIL 2.0

SMIL 2.0 became a W3C Recommendation in August 2001. SMIL 2.0 introduced a modular language structure that facilitated integration of SMIL semantics into other XML-based languages. Basic animation and timing modules were integrated into Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG

Scalable Vector Graphics

Scalable Vector Graphics is a family of specifications of an XML-based file format for describing two-dimensional vector graphics, both static and dynamic . The SVG specification is an open standard that has been under development by the World Wide Web Consortium since 1999.SVG images and their...

) and the SMIL modules formed a basis for Timed-Text

Timed Text

Timed Text refers to the presentation of text media in synchrony with other media, such as audio and video.Typical applications of timed text are the real time subtitling of foreign-language movies on the Web, captioning for people lacking audio devices or having hearing impairments, karaoke,...

. The modular structure made it possible to define the standard SMIL language profile and the XHTML+SMIL

XHTMLplusSMIL

XHTML+SMIL is a W3C Note that describes an integration of SMIL semantics with XHTML and CSS. It is based generally upon the HTML+TIME submission. The language is also known as HTML+SMIL....

language profile with common syntax and standard semantics.

SMIL 2.1

SMIL 2.1 became a W3C Recommendation in December 2005. SMIL 2.1 includes a small number of extensions based on practical experience gathered using SMIL in the Multimedia Messaging System on mobile phones.

SMIL 3.0

SMIL 3.0 became a W3C Recommendation in December 2008. It was first submitted as a W3C Working draft on December 21, 2006. The last draft revision was released on October 6, 2008.

SMIL documents

A SMIL document is similar in structure to an HTML

HTML

HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....

document in that they are typically divided between an optional section and a required section. The section contains layout and metadata information. The section contains the timing information, and is generally composed of combinations of three main tags - sequential ("", simple playlists), parallel ("", multi-zone/multi-layer playback) and exclusive ("", event-triggered interrupts). SMIL refers to media objects by URL

Uniform Resource Locator

In computing, a uniform resource locator or universal resource locator is a specific character string that constitutes a reference to an Internet resource....

s, allowing them to be shared between presentations and stored on different servers for load balancing

Load balancing (computing)

Load balancing is a computer networking methodology to distribute workload across multiple computers or a computer cluster, network links, central processing units, disk drives, or other resources, to achieve optimal resource utilization, maximize throughput, minimize response time, and avoid...

. The language can also associate different media objects with different bandwidth

Bandwidth (computing)

In computer networking and computer science, bandwidth, network bandwidth, data bandwidth, or digital bandwidth is a measure of available or consumed data communication resources expressed in bits/second or multiples of it .Note that in textbooks on wireless communications, modem data transmission,...

requirements.

For playback scheduling, SMIL supports ISO-8601 wallclock date/time specification to define begin/end events for playlists.

File extension

SMIL files take either a .smi or .smil file extension. However, SAMI

SAMI

SAMI is a Microsoft accessibility initiative released in 1998. The structured markup language is designed to simplify creating captions for media playback on a PC, i.e. not for broadcast purposes....

files also use .smi, which creates some ambiguity at first glance. As a result, SMIL files commonly use the .smil file extension to avoid confusion.

SMIL+SVG

SMIL is one of two means by which SVG animation

SVG animation

Animation of Scalable Vector Graphics, an open XML-based standard vector graphics format, is possible through various means:*Scripting: ECMAScript is a primary means of creating animations and interactive user interfaces within SVG....

can be achieved (the other being JavaScript

JavaScript

JavaScript is a prototype-based scripting language that is dynamic, weakly typed and has first-class functions. It is a multi-paradigm language, supporting object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming styles....

, which also offers better user interface capabilities than SMIL).

SMIL+RSS or other web syndication methods

While RSS

RSS

-Mathematics:* Root-sum-square, the square root of the sum of the squares of the elements of a data set* Residual sum of squares in statistics-Technology:* RSS , "Really Simple Syndication" or "Rich Site Summary", a family of web feed formats...

and Atom

Atom (standard)

The name Atom applies to a pair of related standards. The Atom Syndication Format is an XML language used for web feeds, while the Atom Publishing Protocol is a simple HTTP-based protocol for creating and updating web resources.Web feeds allow software programs to check for updates published on a...

are web syndication

Web syndication

Web syndication is a form of syndication in which website material is made available to multiple other sites. Most commonly, web syndication refers to making web feeds available from a site in order to provide other people with a summary or update of the website's recently added content...

methods, with the former being more popular as a syndication method for podcast

Podcast

A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...

s, SMIL is potentially useful as a script or playlist

Playlist

In its most general form, a playlist is simply a list of songs. They can be played in sequential or shuffled order. The term has several specialized meanings in the realms of radio broadcasting and personal computers.-In radio:...

that can tie sequential pieces of multimedia together and can then be syndicated through RSS or Atom. In addition, the combination of multimedia-laden .smil files with RSS or Atom syndication would be useful for accessibility to audio-enabled podcasts by the deaf through Timed Text

Timed Text

closed captions, and can also turn multimedia into hypermedia that can be hyperlinked to other linkable audio and video multimedia.

SMIL+VoiceXML and SMIL+MusicXML

VoiceXML

VoiceXML is the W3C's standard XML format for specifying interactive voice dialogues between a human and a computer. It allows voice applications to be developed and deployed in an analogous way to HTML for visual applications. Just as HTML documents are interpreted by a visual web browser,...

can be combined with SMIL to provide a sequential reading of several pre-provided pages or slides in a voice browser

Voice browser

A voice browser is a web browser that presents an interactive voice user interface to the user. In addition, it typically provides an interface to the PSTN or a PBX. Just as a visual web browser works with HTML pages, a voice browser operates on pages that specify voice dialogues...

, while combining SMIL with MusicXML

MusicXML

MusicXML is an open, XML-based music notation file format.It was developed by Recordare LLC, deriving several key concepts from existing academic formats . It is designed for the interchange of scores, particularly between different scorewriters.Version 1.0 was released in January 2004...

would allow for the creation of infinitely-recombinable sequences of music sheets. Combining SMIL+VoiceXML or SMIL+MusicXML with RSS or Atom could be useful in the creation of an audible pseudo-podcast with embedded hyperlinks, while combining SMIL+SVG with VoiceXML and/or MusicXML would be useful in the creation of an automatically audio-enabled vector graphics

Vector graphics

Vector graphics is the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygon, which are all based on mathematical expressions, to represent images in computer graphics...

animation

Animation

Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...

with embedded hyperlinks.

Status of SMIL

SMIL is being implemented on handheld and mobile devices and has also spawned the Multimedia Messaging Service

Multimedia Messaging Service

Multimedia Messaging Service, or MMS, is a standard way to send messages that include multimedia content to and from mobile phones. It extends the core SMS capability that allowed exchange of text messages only up to 160 characters in length.The most popular use is to send photographs from...

(MMS) which is a video and picture equivalent of Short Message Service

SMS

SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...

(SMS).

SMIL is also one of the underlying technologies used by HD DVD

HD DVD

HD DVD is a discontinued high-density optical disc format for storing data and high-definition video.Supported principally by Toshiba, HD DVD was envisioned to be the successor to the standard DVD format...

for advanced interactivity.

The field of Digital Signage

Digital signage

Digital signage is a form of electronic display that shows television programming, menus, information, advertising and other messages. Digital signs can be found in public and private environments, such as retail stores, hotels, restaurants and corporate buildings.Digital signage Displays are most...

is embracing SMIL as a means of controlling dynamic advertising in public areas.

The internet video site Hulu

Hulu

Hulu is a website and over-the-top subscription service offering ad-supported on-demand streaming video of TV shows, movies, webisodes and other new media, trailers, clips, and behind-the-scenes footage from NBC, Fox, ABC, and Obstacle on October 20th 2011 Nickelodeon and CBS and many other...

uses SMIL as part of its media playing technology.

Software

Adobe Media Player
Adobe Media Player
Adobe Media Player was a desktop media player that allowed users to manage and interact with their media content, and allowed content publishers to define branding and advertising in and around their content. The Adobe Media Player was one of the first Adobe AIR applications from Adobe Systems. It...
Amarok
Helix Player
Helix (project)
Helix DNA is a project to produce software that can play audio and video media in various formats, aid in producing such media, and serve them over a network. It is intended as a largely free and open source digital media framework that runs on numerous operating systems and processors and was...
K-Multimedia Player
K-Multimedia Player
K-Multimedia Player is a media player software for Microsoft Windows which can play a large number of formats including VCD, DVD, AVI, MKV, Ogg, OGM, 3GP, MPEG-1/2/4, WMV, RealMedia, FLV and QuickTime...
QuickTime Player
RealPlayer
RealPlayer
RealPlayer is a cross-platform media player by RealNetworks that plays a number of multimedia formats including MP3, MPEG-4, QuickTime, Windows Media, and multiple versions of proprietary RealAudio and RealVideo formats.-History:...
Totem
Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices...

(Playlist Files)
Zune
Zune
Zune is a digital media brand owned by Microsoft which includes a line of portable media players, a digital media player software for Windows machines, a music subscription service known as a 'Zune Music Pass', music and video streaming for the Xbox 360 via the Zune Software, music, TV and movie...

(Playlist Files)

In order to view a SMIL presentation, a client will need to have a SMIL player installed on his/her computer. Currently, Apple's Quicktime player, Windows Media Player (WMP) and RealNetworks RealPlayer are among the most popular media players.

It would be convenient to be able to show these SMIL files natively in web browser, eliminating the requirement of a separate SMIL player or plug-in. Currently, Microsoft's Internet Explorer has limited support for SMIL features. The open-source Mozilla project is gradually incorporating SMIL and other XML-related technologies such as SVG and MathML into their browsers, but progress is slow.

Hardware

IAdea XMP-300 media player
SpinetiX
SpinetiX
SpinetiX is a Swiss hardware manufacturer of professional hardware devices aimed at providing an open platform for digital signage applications based on standard web-technologies. Their products are called 'Hyper Media Players' and work with W3C standards such as SVG, SMIL, JavaScript, PHP et cetera...

HMP100 Hyper Media Player
SpinetiX
SpinetiX
SpinetiX is a Swiss hardware manufacturer of professional hardware devices aimed at providing an open platform for digital signage applications based on standard web-technologies. Their products are called 'Hyper Media Players' and work with W3C standards such as SVG, SMIL, JavaScript, PHP et cetera...

HMP200 Hyper Media Player
Thomson/Grass Valley MediaEdge-3 player
ViewSonic
ViewSonic
ViewSonic Corporation is a manufacturer and provider of visual technology, specifically CRT monitors, liquid crystal displays, projectors, plasma displays, HDTV technology, and mobile products, including Mini and All-in-One PCs and wireless monitors....

NMP-550 media player
ViewSonic
ViewSonic
ViewSonic Corporation is a manufacturer and provider of visual technology, specifically CRT monitors, liquid crystal displays, projectors, plasma displays, HDTV technology, and mobile products, including Mini and All-in-One PCs and wireless monitors....

EP1020r wireless display+player (supporting a subset of SMIL)
Innes DMC200 media player
Innes DME204 media player with HD H264 encoder embedded

Media player boxes based on dedicated 1080p decoder chips such as the Sigma Designs 8634 processor are getting SMIL players embedded in them.

Embedding SMIL files into XHTML web pages

As mentioned, SMIL is not yet native to web browsers, so in order to put SMIL in a web page, one must embed it and open it in a plug-in such as Apple Quicktime or Microsoft's Windows Media Player

Windows Media Player

Windows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices...

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.