A Biography of the Pixel

Alvy Ray Smith

158 ratings by Goodreads

Language: English

Published by The MIT Press Aug 2021, 2021

0262542455 / 9780262542456

Series: Book 27 of 28 - Leonardo

  • Softcover
  • New
See all details

Seller: Books-by-Floh, Paderborn, GermanyBooks-by-Floh

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since March 13, 2026

Softcover

Condition: New

US$ 63.96

US$ 119.39 shipping 
Ships from Germany to U.S.A.

Quantity: 2 available

Add to basket
Free 30-day returns

Item description from seller

Neuware -The pixel as the organizing principle of all pictures, from cave paintings to Toy Story.The Great Digital Convergence of all media types into one universal digital medium occurred, with little fanfare, at the recent turn of the millennium. The bit became the universal medium, and the pixel--a particular packaging of bits--conquered the world. Henceforward, nearly every picture in the world would be composed of pixels--cell phone pictures, app interfaces, Mars Rover transmissions, book illustrations, videogames. In A Biography of the Pixel, Pixar cofounder Alvy Ray Smith argues that the pixel is the organizing principle of most modern media, and he presents a few simple but profound ideas that unify the dazzling varieties of digital image making. Smith's story of the pixel's development begins with Fourier waves, proceeds through Turing machines, and ends with the first digital movies from Pixar, DreamWorks, and Blue Sky. Today, almost all the pictures we encounter are digital--mediated by the pixel and irretrievably separated from their media; museums and kindergartens are two of the last outposts of the analog. Smith explains, engagingly and accessibly, how pictures composed of invisible stuff become visible--that is, how digital pixels convert to analog display elements. Taking the special case of digital movies to represent all of Digital Light (his term for pictures constructed of pixels), and drawing on his decades of work in the field, Smith approaches his subject from multiple angles--art, technology, entertainment, business, and history. A Biography of the Pixel is essential reading for anyone who has watched a video on a cell phone, played a videogame, or seen a movie. 400 pages of annotations, prepared by the author and available online, provide an invaluable resource for readers. Englisch.…

Seller Inventory # 9780262542456

Title
A Biography of the Pixel
Author
Alvy Ray Smith
Publisher
The MIT Press Aug 2021
Publication year
2021
Condition
Neu
Binding
Taschenbuch
Language
English
ISBN 10
0262542455
ISBN 13
9780262542456
Item weight
1,186 grams
Dimensions
226x176x28 mm
Series
Book 27 of 28: Leonardo

Books-by-Floh

Paderborn, Germany

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since March 13, 2026

Shipping rates from Germany to U.S.A.

Item60 to 60 business days60 to 60 business days
First itemUS$ 119.39US$ 147.82
Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.

Payment methods

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay

Store description

Books-by-Floh steht für ein breites, kuratiertes Buchsortiment aus einer Hand. Unser Fokus liegt auf Qualität, Vielfalt und zuverlässiger Abwicklung. Wir führen Romane, Krimis, Thriller, Liebesromane, Lyrik, Anthologien, Mythologie, Fachbücher sowie Werke der Gegenwartsliteratur – für Leserinnen und Leser mit Anspruch. Alle Artikel werden ausschließlich aus Deutschland versendet. Das garantiert kurze Lieferzeiten, transparente Prozesse und einen verlässlichen Service. Unser Anspruch: unkomplizierter Einkauf, Bücher, die man gerne liest – heute und morgen. Books-by-Floh – Bücher. Klar. Verlässlich. …

Specialty

Belletristik

Seller's business information

Books-by-Floh

Germany