Audio and Video Definitions

12-volt relay trigger (also 5-volt): A jack on the projector or receiver that acts as an electronic switch to trigger an event, like lower a screen or raise a platform.

15 Pin D-Sub: Common computer monitor connection.

16:9: Widescreen, or “Letterbox”. Designed to accommodate a large variety of widescreen content. Native aspect ratio for HD.

1x1 Pixel Mapping: One pixel on the source tape equals one pixel on your display.

24FPS: 24 frames per second. Film standard.

25FPS: 25 frames per second. Interlaced PAL standard.

3:2 Pulldown: 3:2 Pulldown is the process of transferring film to video. Film is natively shot at 24 frames per second while video is 30 frames, or 60 fields per second. 3:2 Pulldown, in the simplest explanation, changes four frames of film to ten frames of video. Although it may sound simple, this is a complicated process that results in a fairly clean video format conversion.

30FPS: 30 frames per second. Interlaced NTSC video standard.

4:3: Typical TV aspect ratio.

5.1: 5 speakers and a subwoofer.

6.1: 6 speakers and a subwoofer.

60FPS: 60 frames per second. Progressive DT standard

7.1: 7 speakers and a subwoofer.

75 Ohm: Optimal electrical resistance for video applications.

8 Ohm: Typical electrical resistance for speakers.

Anamorphic: Generally, this term applies to material created with the highest possible resolution for an encoded aspect ratio that’s not the intended viewing aspect ratio – consider: a 16:9 movie burned to DVD for use on a 16:9 display, An anamorphic burn will stretch the 16:9 to 4:3. The movie is then resized to 16:9 at the display. You’re able to send more picture information than, say, a standard letterbox, which has black bars at the top and bottom of the picture.

ANSI Lumens: A standardised test for projector luminance developed by the American National Standards Institute.

ANSI: American National Standards Institute

Articulating Mount: A type of display mount with several pivot points that extends from the wall.

Aspect Ratio: The relationship between vertical and horizontal screen dimensions – 16:9 is 16 units wide for every 9 units tall, for example.

ATSC Antenna: Antenna used to gather off-air HD signals. Not to be confused with the satellite dish. Routed to ATSC receiver, which displays the signals on an HD ready video display.

ATSC: Advanced Television Systems Committee. Governing body for off-air HD standards.

ATTC - The Advanced Television Technology Center is a private, non-profit corporation organized by members of the television broadcasting and consumer products industries to test and recommend solutions for delivery and reception of a new U.S. terrestrial transmission system for digital television (DTV) service, including high definition television (HDTV).

Banana Plug: A type of speaker cable connector.

BNC: A type of connector named after the inventors: Bayonet Neill-Concelman. Typically used in professional video applications.

Broadcast Flag - A broadcast flag is a set of digital bits sent with a TV program to prevent digital copying of the content on the consumers end. It will not change the way you see a program, but instead will be hidden to the viewers eye. Broadcast Flags were initially created by Fox, but soon thereafter adopted as a part of the ATSC standards. The MPAA is pushing the FCC to implement broadcast flags so they can allow stations to broadcast their content without the fear of people making their own personal, digital copies.

C Band - This is a part of the electromagnetic spectrum that is used for satellite transmission. Uplink frequency is 6 GHz and downlink frequency is 3 GHz. C Band dishes typically are very large and costly. C Band is used for voice communications, videoconferencing, broadcast TV and broadcast radio.

Cable Card: A credit card like decryption key for QAM encrypted digital cable signals. Does not support on screen menus, video on demand, or pay per view.

CD/M2: Candelas per meter squared. A measure of brightness for video displays.

Center Channel: Center front speaker in a surround sound system.

Coaxial cable: A type of cable with a central conductor and a secondary conductor running all the way around the circumference of the cable.

Comb Filter - A comb filter is used to get the most resolution possible out of digital TV sources such as DVDs and HD signals. You will only benefit from a comb filter if you are using low quality transports such as composite video between the devices in your home theater. It is highly recommended that you use component, DVI or another higher quality type of cable for connecting the equipment in your home theater as the resulting picture will be much better!

Component (Y, CB, CR): An interlaced video signal in three parts; red, blue, and luminance. Green is infererred.

Component (Y, PB, PR): A progressive video signal in three parts; red, blue, and luminance. Green is infererred. Highest standard of analog video.

Composite: A video signal in two parts – luminance and chrominance, carried through a single cable.

CRT: Cathode ray tube. Older TV technology typified by a large glass tube.

Db: Decibel. A measure of sound intensity.

DCDi: Faroujda scaling technology - Directional Correlational Deinterlacing

Digital Cable: Digital content provided by your cable provider using a typical cable connection.

Digital Coaxial: Cable, or interconnect, used for single line transmission of surround sound information.

D-ILA: Direct Drive Image Light Amplifier (Hughes/JVC projector technology)

DLP: Digital Light Processing

Dolby: A leader in sound processing technology. Most often associated with surround sound standards.

DTV: Digital television. Comprised of 480P, 720P and 1080i.

DVD: Digital video disc.

DVI: Digital video interface. Used for PC and Digital HD devices (with HDCP)

ED: Enhanced definition 480P.

F-Type: A type of cable connector. Used in typical cable and digital cable installations.

HD, HDTV: High Definition. Always 16:9, and 1280x720P or 1920x1080i.

HDCP: High definition copy protection. Used with DVI and HDMI ports to prevent unauthorized copying of copy righted materials.

HDMI: High definition multi-media interface. Same video protocol as DVI but adds several channels of digital audio.

HT Receiver: See also Surround Sound Receiver. Accepts audio and video signals and routes them to the speakers and monitor.

Interconnect: Fancy word for audio and video cable.

Interlaced: A type of video display that shows even numbered pixel rows, then alternates the odd numbered rows, in 1/60^th of a second intervals (30FPS). The two fields, or half frames, optically combine to form one frame.

Keystone: The ability to correct a projected image that is off center axis from the screen.

Lamp: A light source for video projectors and projection televisions.

LCD: Liquid crystal display.

Monitor: A video display with optional speakers. Requires an external tuner, like a digital cable box or satellite receiver.

NTSC: National Television System Committee. Governing standards for SD video.

Ohm: Measure of electrical resistance.

Orbiter: Anti-aging technology for plasmas. Waves the pixels slightly and reduces phosphor burn.

PAL: Phase Alternation Line (European TV format)

PaP: Picture and picture.

PC: Personal computer.

PDP: Plasma display panel.

Phone or “Jack” connector: A “plug” type connector used typically with headphones and some microphones.

Phosphor Burn: Ghosting, or image persistence, on a PDP.

PIP: Picture in picture.

Pixel: Individual picture element of a video display.

Plasma: An electrically charged mixture of gasses.

Powered Subwoofer: A low frequency speaker with it’s own amplifier and power source.

Progressive: All pixels rows shown at the same time. Plasmas and LCDs are progressive displays, as are most computer monitors.

RCA Connector: A type of connector used for most video applications.

RCA: Radio Corporation of America

RG6, RG56: Grades of cable used in cable and satellite installations.

RGB: Red, Green and Blue - Three primary colours used to create all visible colours.

RS-232C: Control interface. Used to access factory settings and controls.

Satellite Dish: Satellite signal receiver.

Satellite Receiver: Decodes and packages satellite signals for use with a video display.

SD: Standard definition. Typical NTSC broadcast.

SECAM: Séquentiel Couleur Avec Mémoire (French Color TV Standard)

SMPTE: Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers

Stud: A vertical support in your wall.

Surround Sound Receiver: See also HT Receiver. Routes signal to the surround sound speakers.

Surround Sound: An envelope of sound created by placing several speaker pairs around the outside of a space.

S-Video: A video signal in two parts. Similar to composite video, except that the luminance and chrominance are carried on separate wires.

Television: A complete “turn-key” system. Includes a video display, tuner, and speakers.

TFT: Thin film transistor. Used with LCD displays.

Toslink: Optical audio cable, not to be confused with fiber optic. Used for single line transmission of surround sound information.

VCR: Video cassette recorder.

XGA: 1024x768. A 4:3 aspect ratio used primarily for computer monitors. Also used with rectangular pixels in 42 and 43 inch HD plasma displays.

XLR: Cannon X Series, Latch, Rubber. A professional grade balanced audio connector.