There are several categories of interMedia new features in Oracle Database 10g including:

• A new image interface that complies with an emerging SQL standard.
• Native support for new media formats.
• Support for new image processing operators.
• New and updated demonstration code.

In addition to the image support offered via the ORDImage object type, in this version Oracle interMedia provides support for the first edition of the ISO/IEC 13249-5:2001 SQL/MM Part 5: Still Image Standard. This standard defines object relational types for images and image characteristics. Each object type includes attributes, methods, and associated SQL functions and procedures. Note that the SQL/MM standard does not provide support for all the features currently offered by the ORDImage object type. Use of the SQL standard interface may make some applications more portable across various vendor databases. For a list of differences, please refer to "Oracle interMedia Reference".

The following object types are defined by SQL/MM Still Image.

• SI_StillImage—holds digital images with inherent image characteristics such as height, width, format, etc.
• SI_AverageColor—describes the average color feature of an image.
• SI_Color—encapsulates color values of a digitized image.
• SI_ColorHistogram—describes the relative frequencies of the colors exhibited by samples of an image.
• SI_PositionalColor—describes the positional color feature of an image.
• SI_Texture—describes the texture feature of the image.
• SI_FeatureList—describes an image that is represented by a composite feature based upon up to four basic image features and their associated feature weights.

See the "Oracle interMedia Reference" for detailed information on SQL/MM Still Image support.

Oracle interMedia now supports the MPEG2 and MPEG4 file formats. The ORDVideo and ORDDoc object types now support the setProperties() method for extracting metadata information from MPEG2 video streams. The ORDVideo, ORDAudio, and ORDDoc object types now support the setProperties() method for extracting metadata from MPEG4 (.MP4) files.

Oracle interMedia now supports the ASF file format for ORDAudio, ORDVideo and ORDDoc objects. Windows Media files from Microsoft (.WMV, .WMA and .ASF) use the ASF file format. With this feature, the setProperties() method can extract metadata from ASF files.Ê This feature is available only through a separate download from the interMedia section of the Oracle Technology Network (http://otn.oracle.com/products/intermedia).

After downloading the component, consult the accompanying README file for instructions on configuration and use.

Oracle 10g Release 1 incorporates JAI 1.1.1_02. ORDImage methods can take advantage of the performance improvements and new functionality provided with this version of JAI

New processing verbs have been added to the ORDImage process() and processCopy() methods:

• Contrast—adjusts contrast by upper/lower bounds or percentage.
• Flip—scan lines are swapped from top to bottom.
• Gamma—corrects the brightness of an image.
• Mirror—swaps pixel columns from left to right.
• Page—allows page selection from a multi page input image (TIFF only).
• Quantize—indicates how any resulting reduction in number of colors will be performed when changing the bit depth of an image via the contentFormat verb.
• Rotate—rotates an image within the image plane by the angle specified.

See "Oracle interMedia Reference" for more information on these new image processing verbs.

The earlier OrdImage, OrdAudio, OrdVideo, and OrdDoc Java demos have been replaced with a single new Oracle interMedia Java Demo that illustrates the use of the Oracle interMedia Java Classes for Image, Audio, and Video data using the Sample Schema.

See the demo README.txt file for more information:

<ORACLE_HOME>/ord/im/demo/java/README.txt (on UNIX)

<ORACLE_HOME>\ord\im\demo\java\README.txt (on Windows)

A new Oracle interMedia ASP/VBScript Photo Album Demo has been added to illustrate how to upload and retrieve media data with an ASP/VBScript application.

The Oracle interMedia Photo Album Demos have been unified to ensure that they all have similar functionality. This makes it easier to compare the various mechanisms for Web access to Oracle interMedia data.

In addition, the Photo Album Demos have been enhanced to make them accessible with good usability to the disabled community. Features have been added to make the Demos available to users of assistive technology such as screen readers.

See the "Oracle interMedia User's Guide" for more information on Photo Album Demos.