Glossary

 

Aspect Ratio

This is the ratio between the width and the height of a picture. A standard TV picture (also know as fullscreen) is 1.33:1 (1.33 wide by 1 high) or more easily put, 4 wide by 3 high.

• Common Aspect Ratios

Betamax

The Betamax video system was developed by Sony for recording and playing home video. This standard first came out in 1975 but eventually lost out to JVC's VHS format early 1980's.

Capacitance Electronic Disc (CED)

This is a video format that uses a grooved 12" PVC disk and a diamond stylus with a titanium electrode to produce video and audio signals.

Computer Generated Imagery (CGI)

Used in the media industry for special effects mainly with the use of 3D computer graphics. There are many techniques used in CGI to build images, such as Ray Tracing.

Constant Angular Velocity (CAV)

Constant Angular Velocity is a term describing how a media disk rotates throughout playing. The motor speed of the media player stays the same throughout the path of the read / write head.

Constant Linear Velocity (CLV)

Constant Linear Velocity is a term describing how a media disk rotates throughout playing. The motor speed of the media player diminishes as the read / write head moves from the centre to the outside or increases if the read / write head moves from the outside to the centre.

Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB)

The Digital Video Broadcasting Project (DVB) is an industry-led consortium of over 270 broadcasters, manufacturers, network operators, software developers, regulatory bodies and others in over 35 countries committed to designing global standards for the global delivery of digital television and data services.

Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc (DVD)

This is an optical disk storage system that is used for storing large volumes of data such as high quality video and audio. There are different capacities and there are many types of recordable and pre-recorded DVD's. When pre-recorded, read only, by a media corporation they are divided into regions for language, subtitling and mercenary commercial aims.

• DVD Regions

European Region 2 DVD's may be sub-coded "D1" through "D4." "D1" identifies a UK-only release. "D2" and "D3" identify European DVD's that are not sold in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. "D4" identifies DVD's that are distributed throughout Europe.

• DVD Types

• Writable DVD Types

Note: When manufacturers calculate between megabytes and gigabytes for the size of DVD's they use 1.000 instead of the correct number which is 1.024, the actual size in brackets is the correct size.

 

 

 

High Definition TV (HDTV)

High Definition TV has a aspect ratio of 1.78:1. This device is becoming more common in homes especially in the U.S.A.

Industrial Light and Magic (ILM)

A motion picture special effects company who specialise in CGI, founded by George Lucas and owned by Lucasfilm Ltd.

 

 

LaserDisc (LD)

This is an optical disk storage system that is used for storing large volumes of data such as high quality video and sound, also known as LaserVision (LV) and CD Video (CDV).

Laser Rot

See: Metal Layer Oxidation

Metal Layer Oxidation (Laser Rot)

Metal Layer Oxidation or Laser Rot is a deterioration of the aluminum layer due to oxidation. This can happen to a laser disc due to age causing glitches to the sound or picture and can sometimes render the disk unusable. This mainly affects laser discs because of their size and the glues used to hold the two sides of the laser disc together, it may also affect DVD's but this is rare due to the newer manufacturing methods and the fact it's a newer media.

Motion Capture

Motion capture is a technique that uses real life movement for use within a computer for such applications as CGI animation. E.g. In the making of Lord of the Rings a human actor (Andy Serkis) acted out the movements for Gollum, these movements were then used within a computer environment to animate the movements of the 3D CGI Gollum.

National Screen Service (NSS)

A company that at one time produced most of the paper advertising media, posters, lobby cards etc for movie corporations. NSS media has an NSS number e.g. NSS 70/320 for identification.

National Television Systems Committee (NTSC)

This is the television system used in the United States and many countries on the American continent as well as some Asian countries including Japan. The picture consists of 480 lines of vertical resolution out of 525 lines (the rest are for sync and other data) and operates at 60 Hz vertical refresh rate.

 

PAL Speedup

Theatrical movies are recorded at 24 fames per second but the PAL system uses 25 frames per second. Generally when moves are transferred onto a PAL system this incurs a 4% difference in the running time and a 4% difference in sound pitch (one semitone).

Personal Video Recorder (PVR)

A device that plays TV, Radio, DVD and other input signals digitally, it records onto a Hard Disk or onto DVD.

Phase Alternating Line (PAL)

This is the television system used in the United Kingdom and many other countries in Europe (except France), Asia and Africa etc. The picture consists of 576 lines of vertical resolution out of 625 lines (the rest are for sync and other data) and operates at 50 Hz vertical refresh rate.

 

RCA SelectaVision

See: Capacitance Electronic Disc

RCA Videodisc

See: Capacitance Electronic Disc

Sepia Tone

Is a photographic process that uses sepia to tone a print with shades of orangey brown instead of black and white. Sepia is pigment made from the ink sac common cuttlefish.

Standard Definition TV (SDTV)

Standard Definition TV has a aspect ratio of 1.33:1. It is the most common TV in use today.

 

 

Video Cassette Recorder (VCR)

A video recording device developed by the Japanese company JVC which came onto the market in 1979 and uses VHS tapes.

Video Home System (VHS)

The VHS video tape system was developed by JVC for recording and playing home video. This standard first came out in 1976.