This paper synthesizes speculation in the professional literature about the future impact of multimedia. Many experts believe that multimedia will soon become the major focus of entertainment dollars and time because its versatility gives it the potential to be a very powerful way to communicate ideas and search for information. In its current state multimedia's quality cannot always measure up to individual media at their best, but it does allow information to be experienced with the senses and emotions as well as the intellect. Multimedia is causing a revolution in instructional methods by making learning interactive and self-paced. The video game and entertainment industry is being changed by multimedia, too, albeit more slowly. Film history stretches back for a century, but only recently have there appeared a variety of ways to access films: in the cinema, on videotapes, on premium cable, or on broadcast television. Even though the financial market for multimedia seems poised to explode, this paper suggests that computer multimedia may not emerge as another significant choice in visual entertainment because the computer screen is not large enough to captivate large groups or offer social events in the same way that television and movie screens do. (Contains 12 references.) (BEW)