ECE4146 Multimedia technologies
Faculty of Engineering
ECE4146 Multimedia technologies is a level 4, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Engineering, offered in 2025 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It needs ECE2041 or ECE3141.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2025
- Semester 1
- Clayton
- Assessment
- Exam 60%
- and 3 other tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2025 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
Reviews
No reviews yetNo reviews yet. Be the first to review ECE4146.
Requisites
Before ECE4146
Prerequisites
Pass these before you enrol.
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
After ECE4146
No unit lists ECE4146 as a prerequisite in the 2025 handbook.
Equivalent units
The same content under another code. Only one of them counts.
Overview
This unit provides an understanding of the nature and limits of processing of media (image, video, audio) for telecommunications, storage, interpretation and analysis. It includes compression of multimedia from basic information theoretic concepts through to advanced video (e.g. MPEG), image (JPEG, JPEG2000) and audio (CELP, MP3, AAC, Dolby Digital) coding. XML-based metadata systems are used to illustrate concepts of content characterisation and discovery. The ability of modern network protocols to support media streaming is related directly to service requirements such as error and delay tolerance. Where media is intended for human consumption, the characteristics of human perception of image and sound determine minimum quality requirements, but also reveal limitations that can be exploited when compressing media data. Machine interpretation and analysis of multimedia is also investigated. Case studies in media analysis (e.g. Shazam), delivery (video on demand) and consumption (digital cinema) are used to illustrate the technologies investigated.
Offerings in 2025
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Laboratory exercisesDemonstrationThreshold hurdle25%
- Mid-semester progress testQuiz / TestThreshold hurdle10%
- Weekly lecture content quizzesQuiz / TestThreshold hurdle5%
- Final assessmentExaminationThreshold hurdle60%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Identify the limits of human visual and aural perception, and how they can be exploited for bit rate reduction.
- 2
Describe the structure of modern multimedia compression systems, and how they exploit the characteristics of both the media itself and human consumers of the media.
- 3
Explain how media can be characterised and described, including methods that allow similarities to be automatically identified (e.g. music matching services).
- 4
Compute the end-to-end delay performance of modern Internet protocols supporting media streaming, and relate this to service requirements for on-demand and communicative multimedia services.
- 5
Explain the methods of digital rights managements systems, including the role of encryption and key management, and the importance of such systems to enable high-value digital content retrieval services such as movies-on-demand.
- 6
As part of a team, research and investigate an area of interest beyond lecture material, involving software simulations and analysis of results.
Workload and teaching
- Laboratories36 hours
- Workshops24 hours
- Teaching approachPeer assisted learning
- Teaching approachProblem-based learning
- Teaching approachActive learning
The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of 3-6 hours of scheduled learning activities and 6-9 hours of independent study per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher-directed learning, peer-directed learning and online engagement. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities.
Learning resources
Recommended resources
Textbook: Ze-Nian Li, Mark S. Drew & Jiangchuan Liu, “Fundamentals of Multimedia”, 2nd Edition, Springer, 2014. (Electronic version via library)
Where it fits
ECE4146 is part of 3 areas of study in the 2025 handbook.
- ECSYSENG04Core List BElectrical and computer systems engineeringNo reviews yet
- NTWCONTY02Studying electrical and computer systems engineering specialisationNetworks for connectivityNo reviews yet
- ROBMCTRN04Robotics and mechatronics engineering technical electivesRobotics and mechatronics engineeringNo reviews yet
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Gayathri Kongara
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Gayathri Kongara
Common questions
When is ECE4146 offered?
In 2025, ECE4146 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
How much work is ECE4146?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ECE4146 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 60% of the final mark, alongside 3 other tasks.
Which majors and minors include ECE4146?
ECE4146 is part of Electrical and computer systems engineering; Networks for connectivity; and Robotics and mechatronics engineering.