HDTV 101: Audio/Video Glossary

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Audio/Video Glossary

There are many technical terms used along with HDTV technology. Here are the most common:

Glossary

0-9

1080i	Ten-eighty-i is an HDTV resolution. It means that there are 1,080 horizontal lines of resolution and they are shown in an interlaced format. This is the format currently used by CBS, NBC, UPN, WB, HDNet, Discovery-HD, TNT-HD, Showtime-HD, and HBO-HD.
1080p	Ten-eighty-p is an HDTV resolution. Like 1080i, there are 1,080 horizontal lines of resolution, but they are show in a progressive format. There currently is no 1080p programming, however a 1080p set will likely look better than a 1080i set (all things being equal) for faster motion and smoother video.
1440p	An HD presentation format consisting of 1,440 vertical lines of display resolution in a progressive scan. Currently, this level of resolution is limited to PC applications (i.e. QXGA displays), but future generations of HDTVs may feature 1440p capability.
16 X 9	“Widescreen” TV screen format that is closer to a movie screen than traditional TV.
4 X 3	Traditional TV “aspect ratio,” that is, the screen’s width as compared to its height.
480i	A non-HD presentation format consisting of 480 vertical lines of display resolution in an interlaced scan. Terrestrial and satellite TV providers – analog and digital – still transmit the majority of their programming in 480i format.
480p	Four-eighty-p is an EDTV resolution. It means that there are 480 horizontal display lines and they are shown in a progressive format. 480p is not an HDTV format.
720p	Seven-twenty-p is an HDTV resolution. It means that there are 720 horizontal display lines and they are shown in a progressive format. This is the format currently used by ABC, Fox and ESPN-HD.

AC-3	Adaptive Transformer Code 3. This is another name for Dolby Digital, the standard 5.1 channel sound system commonly used in home theater systems.
AC-3	The digital audio format used for DTV broadcasts in the United States.
Analog television	Technology used for the past 50 years to transmit conventional TV signals to consumers. Most current television transmissions are received through analog television sets. Analog signals vary continuously, creating fluctuations in color and brightness.
Anamorphic widescreen	A technique commonly used to store video on DVD in such a way that the picture automatically expands to fill widescreen TVs with optimum resolution. This is different from the standard letterbox format. When a standard letterbox DVD is shown on a widescreen TV, the image appears small in the center of the frame, surrounded on all sides by black bars.
Artifact	Visible abnormality in video picture. Can be caused by transmission or processing problems.
Aspect Ratio	The ratio of screen width to screen height. For television monitors it is either 4:3 (“standard”) or 16:9 (“widescreen”). NTSC analog TV systems use a 4:3 aspect ratio, while ATSC uses the wider 16:9 aspect ratio. Movie theaters use a number of different aspect ratios, some even wider than 16:9.
ATSC	Advanced Television System Committee, or the DTV system used today. ATSC currently uses MPEG-2 compression for the signal and can take up to 19.39 Megabits-per-second of bandwidth. An ATSC tuner is a digital tuner.
ATSC tuner	A tuner that can receive a U.S.-compliant digital television signal.

Bandwidth	The carrying capacity of a data interconnect. High-bandwidth connections are also called high-speed connections, because they can transmit large quantities of data very quickly. HDMI has extremely high bandwidth capacity: up to 10.2 gigabits per second.
Barn doors	A term used in television production to describe the effect that occurs when a 4:3 image is viewed on a 16:9 screen. When this happens, viewers see black bars on the sides of the screen or "barn doors."
Bit depth	See Color Depth.
Bit rate	The speed at which audio or visual data can be processed in a unit of time. It is most commonly expressed as megabits per second.
Black level	The brightness of the blackest areas of the picture on a TV screen. A screen calibrated to display pure black shows the best picture. Some televisions can only display dark gray, not pure black, resulting in a washed-out image. The black level is adjusted with the brightness control.
Blu-ray Disc	One of two potential successor technologies to the DVD, using multi-layer disc technology and a blue laser to deliver feature-length movies in HD resolution HDMI is the interconnect standard for Blu-ray Disc players. (See also HD-DVD).
Brightness	A measurement of the light output that can be displayed. The lower the brightness, the more that ambient room light will interfere with a display. Measured in nits. Common term for the black level of an image.
Burn-in	The tendency for a static image displayed for a long period of time to leave a permanent faint, ghostly impression on the pixels of a television monitor.

Cable Equalization	A technology used in many HDMI receiver chips to boost the incoming signal, allowing the sink device (TV, projector, monitor, etc.) to compensate for weaker signals. Components employing cable equalization technology can be connected with longer cable runs than might otherwise be practical.
CAT-5/CAT-6 Cable	Category 5 and Category 6 cabling is used in Ethernet and Fast Ethernet networks, and has also been adapted to transmit an HDMI signal. Both cables feature four twisted-pair copper wires and an RJ-45 connector, with the main difference being that CAT-6 has tighter tolerances for line noise and crosstalk. CAT-5/CAT-6 has been successfully used to transmit HDMI over extremely long cable runs, i.e. 40-50 meters.
Category 1 HDMI Cable	See Standard HDMI Cable
Category 2 HDMI Cable	See High Speed HDMI Cable
CEC	See Consumer Electronics Control.
Coaxial RF input	This is the traditional "cable" connection, carrying composite video and audio on a single line. It is usually used for cable television, VCRs and antennas. It cannot carry high-definition signals.
Codec	Abbreviation for "coder-decoder." A codec is a device that converts analog video and audio signals into a digital format for transmission. It also converts received digital signals back into an analog format.
Color Banding	A symptom of insufficient color depth, color banding occurs when a monitor is unable to render smooth color gradients, and instead presents stripes or bands of color, especially in very light or very dark areas of an image. This occurs because the human eye is extraordinarily sensitive to color gradations, and can detect the change from one shade to another when color depth is limited.
Color Depth	A measurement of the number of bits used to represent the color of a single pixel. Greater color depth gives a larger number of distinct colors, i.e. millions or billions of colors, allowing for smoother color gradients. (See also: Deep Color)
Color gamut	measure of the ability of the screen to reproduce a balanced and wide range of colors, is becoming important. In the CRT era, things were simpleCRTs displayed 72% of the full National Television System Committee (NTSC) television color gamut.
Color Striping	See Color Banding.
Compliance Testing Specification (CTS)	Manufacturers who license HDMI technology are required to put their products through a formal testing process defined in the HDMI CTS. Compliance testing under the CTS includes both manufacturer self-testing and submission of products to an Authorized Testing Center, or ATC.
Component Video	An analog cable interface that is capable of transmitting digital HDTV signal. The video signal is sent in three piecesone cable is used for luminance while the other two are used for color. This is the lowest quality interface for an HDTV signal.
Composite video input	Connection for a single video jack, typically colored yellow. This is a compressed version of component video - all three parts of the signal are combined into one (audio signals are carried on separate cables). The composite signal is then uncompressed by the television set and split back into three parts for display. This process diminishes picture quality, resulting in a soft picture and muted colors. It is usually used for VCRs, video game systems, DVD players and 8mm camcorders. It cannot carry high -definition signals.
Consumer Electronics Control (CEC)	One of the channels in an HDMI connection is dedicated to a set of advanced control functions, collectively known as CEC. When enabled by the manufacturer, CEC functionality allows connected devices to control each other in useful ways. For instance, a single command on a remote control can be used to play a DVD, or to launch other complex activities across multiple devices in a home theater system.
Contrast	Usually indicated as a ratio, such as 1,0001. This example would indicate that the brightest level of a set is 1,000 times brighter than the darkest level simultaneously. The greater the contrast ratio, the greater the difference in a set's ability to display light and dark levels
Contrast ratio	The difference between the blackest black and the whitest white that can be produced by a television monitor.
CRT	Cathode Ray Tube, the standard television display technology since the 1950's. An electron gun shoots electrons at a phosphor-coated screen. Red, green and blue phosphors determine the color output. Until recently, CRTs were known for the best color reproduction, brightness, contrast and resolution. In the past few years, flat-panel and micro-displays have closed the gap. CRTs have have had up to 1080i resolutions for several years.
CTS	See Compliance Testing Specification.

DBS	Digital broadcast satellite. This service provides programming from a satellite to a subscriber's small receiving dish. DIRECTV, Dish Network and EchoStar are some of the most popular DBS services.
DCR	Digital cable ready. A type of television that can receive digital cable channels (standard and HDTV) without the need for an external cable box.
DDC	The Display Data Channel, one of the channels in an HDMI connection. DDC allows devices to assess each others’ capabilities and adjust themselves accordingly. For example, a DVD player can discover the maximum resolution of the monitor it’s connected to by reading the monitor’s EDID ROM chip, and optimize its signal output to match that monitor’s display capabilities.
Decoder	A device or program that translates encoded data into its original format.
Deep Color™	The expanded bandwidth of HDMI 1.3 is allowing manufacturers to design displays with much greater Color Depth. These new “Deep Color” monitors will be capable of rendering many more distinct hues than current displays – up to trillions of colors rather than thousands or millions. (See also: Color Depth; Color Banding)
Digital	Digital systems represent data in binary form, encoding it as a series of zeroes and ones. (See also: Analog)
Digital cable	A service provided by many cable companies that offers cable subscribers the option of paying for selected services, such as additional channels or movies.
Digital tuner	A tuner that serves as the decoder required to receive and display digital broadcasts. It can be included inside TV sets or connected as a set-top box.
Digital TV (DTV)	Television delivered and displayed using computer code (digital technology).
D-ILA	Direct-drive Image Light Amplifier , an HDTV display technology created by JVC. D-ILA is comprised of three chips and is a variant of LCoS. A light source is polarized by a Polarized Beam Splitter and reflects off of each of the chips. The image reflection is then focused through a lens, where it is magnified and projected onto the display. D-ILA sets are now available in 1080p displays.
DLP	Digital Light Processing , an HDTV display technology created by Texas Instruments. A DLP chip has thousands of small mirrors on hinges; one for each pixel of the display. The mirrors send light through color wheel to display the proper pixel color. Until recently, DLP chips were capable of 720p, but are now available for 1080p displays.
Dolby Digital	A digital surround sound technology used in movie theaters and home theater systems for enhanced audio. It uses six channels - three speakers in the front (left, right and center), two "surround" speakers in the rear (left and right), and a subwoofer. From Dolby Laboratories, based on AC-3 technology, that includes Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Digital Live, Dolby Digital Surround EX, and Dolby Digital Plus.
Dolby TrueHD	An advanced audio codec developed by Dolby Laboratories. Dolby TrueHD is a lossless audio format, meaning that no audio information is lost when the signal is compressed and uncompressed.
DSD	Direct-Stream Digital, the trademark name used by Sony and Philips for the audio encoding technology used in the Super Audio CD ( SACD). Also known as One-bit audio.
DTS	A family of multi-channel audio codecs from Digital Theater Systems, Inc., including DTS, DTS-ES, DTS Neo:6, and DTS 96/24. DTS audio codecs are used in both commercial and home theater applications.
DTS-HD Master Audio	An advanced audio codec developed by Digital Theater Systems. DTS-HD Master Audio is a lossless audio format, meaning that no audio information is lost when the signal is compressed and uncompressed.
DTV	Digital Television. This umbrella term applies to all digital television formats, including high-definition television, standard-definition television and several other applications. There are 18 approved standards for DTV. SDTV, EDTV and HDTV are all subsets of DTV. This is television over a digital signal as opposed to an analog signal. Just because a signal is a DTV signal, that doesn't mean it is HDTV; the resolution determines if a DTV signal is SDTV, EDTV or HDTV.
DVD	Digital versatile disc or digital video disc. A popular media format, commonly used for movies, that can store high-quality video and sound files.
DVI	Digital visual interface. An industry-standard protocol for sending an uncompressed digital video signal to a display. This connection transfers encrypted video signals in digital form (audio signals are carried on separate cables). Some types can also carry analog signals. It is usually used for HDTV tuners, DVD players and computers. A cable interface similar to HDMI. The main difference is that DVI is for video only, while HDMI is video and audio. It is an all digital interface and provides a digital display signal comparable to HDMI. There are some DVI cables capable of HDCP support.
DVI-D	There are different versions of DVI for PC and CE applications – DVI-D is the version used in CE devices.
DVR	Digital video recorder. A device that stores an audio/video signal on a hard drive. TiVo is a popular service that uses DVR technology to record television programs.

EDID (EDID-ROM)	A memory chip (ROM), included in most HD devices, containing essential information about that device. When connected via HDMI, EDID data is shared so that other components can read its make, model, and capabilities through the DSD channel. EDID stands for Extended Display Identification Data, and is defined by VESA, a video standards organization.
EDTV	Extended Definition Television. A subset of DTV and the middle resolution standard. It's better than SDTV, but not as good as HDTV. An EDTV signal is 480p (or 480-progressive). This is often called "DVD Quality" as it is the same display resolution as a DVD. A monitor with a resolution of 852x480. An EDTV can display an HDTV image, but not at full quality.
Enhanced Definition TV	See EDTV.
Extended Color Gamut	See x.v.Color

Flat-panel television	A television monitor that uses new technology (most commonly plasma or LCD) to drastically reduce the depth of the screen compared to a traditional CRT television. Flat-panel televisions are usually only a few inches thick and can be hung on a wall.
Frame Rate	See Refresh Rate.
Frames per second (FPS)	How many times per second that the display frame is created. The higher the FPS, the smoother the image will appear to the eye. Depending on the format, the FPS can vary from 24 to 60.
Front projection	A television display technology that projects the image onto a reflective screen or wall.

HD	High definition. Usually used to describe any device capable of generating or displaying a signal with a resolution of at least 720 vertical lines (i.e. 720p). Another accepted definition is any signal containing at least one million pixels of video data in a single frame (vertical resolution x horizontal resolution).
HDCP	High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection. Developed by Intel, HDCP is an authentication and encryption system designed to protect copyrighted audiovisual content. Most HDMI-enabled and DVI-enabled devices also employ HDCP.
HD-DVD	High-definition digital video disc. A new type of DVD technology that allows for increased storage capacity and a true high-definition picture. A high-density optical disc format designed for the storage of high-definition video. HDMI is the interconnect standard for HD-DVD players (see also: Blu-ray Disc)
HDMI	High-definition multimedia interface. A type of connection that can carry uncompressed standard-, enhanced- or high-definition video and multichannel audio signals. It is usually used for HDTV tuners, DVD players, DVRs and HD DVD/Blu-ray players.
HDMI 1.3	The HDMI technical specification is updated from time to time, and HDMI 1.3 is the most recent release. While all versions of the spec are backward-compatible, devices built to the 1.3 standard may feature extended capabilities not found in earlier devices. For instance, a newer AV receiver might take advantage of HDMI 1.3’s native support for the new lossless audio codecs, but it would still be fully compatible with older devices built under earlier versions of HDMI.
HDMI Enhanced	See HDMI 1.3.
HDMI Repeater	A device that both receives and sends HDMI signals, such as an AV receiver. A/V receivers are considered HDMI repeaters.
HDMI Sink	A device that receives an HDMI signal, such as an HDTV.
HDMI Source	A device that sends an HDMI signal, such as a DVD player or Set-top box.
HDTV	High-definition television. New television technology with vastly increased resolution compared to the old NTSC format. A widescreen television capable of displaying a 720p signal or better. Not the same as DTV; it's actually a subset of DTV. The HDTV standard requires a screen resolution of 720p or better.
HDTV Monitor	A set that can display HDTV programming if you have a separate HDTV tuner, HD Cable set-top box, or HD Satellite set-top box receiver. Any monitor (display) with the inputs and capability to become an HDTV with the addition of an HDTV tuner.
HDTV Ready TV	Term used by some advertising to indicate an analog TV with the display capability and inputs to be transformed into an HDTV with the addition of an HTDV tuner.
HDTV Tuner	A device capable of receiving and outputting HDTV signals for display. May be stand-alone or integrated in the set. See also: Decoder, Receiver, Set-Top Box.
HDTV-Compatible	A television monitor capable of displaying a true HD signal when connected to an HD monitor or source.
HDTV-Ready	See HDTV-Compatible.
High Definition Television	See HDTV.
High Speed HDMI Cable	High Speed HDMI cables are tested to a more rigorous performance standard, aimed at meeting the needs of high-end home theater systems. It is performance tested to 340 MHz, and can reliably transmit a 1080p signal (and more) up to 7.5 meters. High Speed HDMI Cables are referred to as Category 2 cables in the HDMI specification. (See also: Standard HDMI Cable).
Home theater	A term used to describe a modern home setup equipped with a large-screen or projection television and a surround sound audio system.
Hybrid disc	A single movie disc encoded so that it can be read with more than one device. For example, a hybrid disc may include a DVD version of a movie on one side of the disc and an HD DVD version of the movie on the other side.

Integrated HDTV	An HDTV that has the digital tuner built into the set. It does not need a separate set-top box to receive over-the-air DTV signals.
Interlaced	See Interlaced Scan.
Interlaced Scan	Like Progressive, this indicates how the display is drawn. Interlaced means that half of the screen is drawn during a refresh; the other half is drawn on the next refresh. Examplefirst the odd lines are displayed, then the even lines. This happens so quickly that the eye sees the whole screen, however, during fast motion video, there could be some flicker or artifacting.

LCD	Liquid Crystal Display, and HDTV display technology. Used for years in computer monitors, LCDs are the prevalent flat-panel set in the 42-inch and under size. LCDs typically use a light source and color filters to create an image.
LCoS	Liquid Crystal on Silicon, an HDTV display technology. Similar to DLP, but uses liquid crystals as opposed to micro-mirrors. Liquid crystals are applied directly to the surface of a silicon chip coated with an aluminized layer making it highly reflective.
Letterbox	The image of a wide-screen picture as viewed on a standard 4:3 aspect ratio television screen, typically with black bars above and below. It is used to maintain the aspect ratio of the original source, usually a theatrical motion picture of 16:9 aspect ratio or wider.
Lip Sync	One of the new features enabled in HDMI 1.3, Lip Sync functionality enables the automatic synchronization of video and audio signals, correcting for processor lags that can force audio and video timing out of proper alignment.
Lossless Audio	The latest multi-channel audio codecs are based on lossless compression algorithms with extremely high fidelity, such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.
Luminance	The brightness of red, green and blue pixels in a television image.

Mini HDMI Connector	A miniature HDMI connector, introduced in HDMI 1.3, designed for use in mobile and handheld products where space is at a premium. The Mini HDMI Connector is pin-for-pin compatible with the larger Standard HDMI Connector and completely compatible as well. The Mini HDMI Connector is referred to as the Type C Connector in the HDMI specification. See also Standard HDMI Connector.
MPEG	A family of audio/video codecs developed by the Motion Picture Experts Group. The majority of TV content – cable, broadcast, and satellite – is currently transmitted in the MPEG-2 format. HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc players, along with some recently launched satellites, rely on the newer and more powerful MPEG-4 format.
MPEG-2	Moving Pictures Expert Group or a standard compression technique. MPEG-2 us used for terrestrial DTV transmission, but will be going away in favor MPEG-4 compression in the near future.
MPEG-4	Moving Pictures Expert Group or a standard compression technique. MPEG-4, part 10 can compress audio and video more efficiently than the currently used MPEG-2.

Native Resolution	The fixed resolution at which a monitor is designed to display an image. A CRT television can change its native resolution to match the incoming signal, but LCD and DLP televisions have a single native resolution - any signal that differs from the native resolution must be converted up or down before it can be displayed. This can cause loss in quality.
Nit	A measurement of brightness. A nit is equal to one candela per square meter . The more nits, the greater the brightness. See candela .
NTSC	National Television Systems Committee, and the name of the current analog transmission standard used in the U.S., which the committee created in 1953. Current DTV legislation calls for the NTSC system to shut down on April 7, 2009 and be replaced by the ATSC digital system.
NTSC tuner	A tuner that can receive a U.S.-compliant analog television signal.

One-bit Audio

See DSD.

PCM Audio	A digital audio signal created by sampling an analog signal and expressing it in binary form. All versions of HDMI include the capacity to transmit eight channels of uncompressed, 192 kHz PCM audio.
PDP	Plasma Display Panel, or plasma, is an HDTV display technology. PDPs are the prevalent flat-panel set in the over 42-inch size market. PDPs use plasma gases near the surface of the display and each pixel has three cells (Red, Blue, Green). As the pixels are electrically charged, the plasma gas is charged and emits light, while the phosphors determine the pixel color.
Pixel	Abbreviation of "picture cell" or "picture element." A tiny sample of video information. These little squares or rectangles make up an overall picture.
Pixel depth	See Color Depth.
Plasma	A television display technology that creates an image by exciting a grid of gas-filled cells with a plasma discharge.
Playstation 3 (PS3)	This game system, released in November 2006, is Sony's followup to the Playstation 2. The Playstation 3 plays high-definition (HD) games and Blu-ray Disc movies. Equipped with dual HDMI 1.3 and component video output ports.
Progressive Scan	In a progressive scan, the entire screen is refreshed on every pass. The video signal beam does not skip alternate lines, but fills in each line every time, which tends to render smoother motion sequences. (See also: Interlaced Scan) . It generally shows a more fluid picture, especially with fast motion video.
Projector	A projection unit, typically DLP or LCD, that projects an image on a wall or screen. Projectors are much smaller than standard display units and can create various screen sizes depending on distance from the screen. Until recently most HDTV projectors were 720p capable; 1080p units are now available.

Rear-Projection	A television display technology that uses mirrors to project the image onto the rear of the screen. DLP, LCoS and some LCDs are rear-projection displays that use a light source and some reflective technology to create the display.
Refresh Rate	The frequency with which a video image is refreshed, expressed as either frames per second (i.e. 60 fps) or as an equivalent frequency (i.e. 60 Hz). Faster refresh rates tend to render smoother motion sequences. Refresh rates for broadcast TV vary by region – for example, European HD systems run at 50 Hz.
Repeater	See HDMI Repeater
Resolution	A measure of the finest detail that can be displayed on a monitor. Resolution increases as the number of pixels increase.
RGB	A color model in which red, green, and blue values are used to reproduce a set of standard colors. Many HD monitors use the RGB color model.

SACD	Super Audio CD. An optical disc format for high-fidelity audio, using one-bit ( DSD) audio encoding, developed by Sony and Philips Electronics as a replacement for the audio CD. Compared to the conventional CD, SACD boosts frequency response from 20kHz to 100kHz, and dynamic range from 96 to 120 db. Classical and jazz titles tend to dominate the SACD catalog.
SCART	An analog connection standard, also known as Euroconnector or Peritel. SCART is a 21-pin connector used in Europe to interconnect satellite receivers, television sets, and other audiovisual equipment. SCART transmits both video and audio data in a single cable. The name comes from "Syndicat des Constructeurs d'Appareils Radiorécepteurs et Téléviseurs."
SDTV	Standard-definition TV format. A subset of DTV and the lowest resolution available at 480i (or 480-interlaced). There are two main digital formats - HDTV and SDTV. SDTV typically does produce better quality images than that of traditional analog TV and pictures somewhat akin to digital cable. However, its images are not nearly as sharp as the images from the ultimate form of digital television: high-definition TV (HDTV).
SED	Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display, an HDTV display technology. SED applies the CRT electron-gun concept to a flat-panel footprint. Instead of one electron gun for all pixels, SED has electron-emitters for each individual pixel resulting in CRT quality in a flat-panel size. The first SED televisions are expected in late 2006.
Set-Top Box	A device for decoding incoming AV signals, such as programs from a cable or satellite TV network. Many models also include DVR (digital video recorder) technology. Virtually all STBs now rely on HDMI output.
Sharpness	The ability to resolve displayed edges. Reducing the sharpness on a set causes images to gain a fuzzy appearance. Increasing the sharpness can cause images to gain jagged edge appearances.
Sink	See HDMI Sink.
Source	See HDMI Source.
Standard Definition TV	See SDTV.
Standard HDMI Cable	A Standard HDMI cable is one that is tested to performance standards that satisfy the requirements of most consumers. It is performance tested to 74.5 MHz, and can reliably transmit a 1080i or 720p signal up to 15 meters. Standard HDMI Cables are referred to as Category 1 cables in the HDMI specification. (See also: High Speed HDMI Cable) .
Standard HDMI Connector	The 19-pin plug that is currently used in most HDMI-enabled products. The Standard HDMI Connector is referred to as the Type A HDMI Connector in the HDMI specification. See also Mini HDMI Connector.
STB	See Set-Top box.
Surround Sound	Process by which multiple speakers and audio channels are used to create a realistic audio environment that surrounds the listener. Dolby 5.1 is one of the most popular surround sound formats - it uses five speakers and one subwoofer.
SVGA	Super video graphics array display mode. SVGA resolution is 800x600 pixels.
S-Video	Separated video. A video signal that transmits the video data stream in two channels, one for brightness and one for color. It is usually used for Super VHS VCRs, DVD players, MiniDV and Hi8 camcorders.
SXRD	Silicon X-tal Reflective Display, an HDTV display technology.

TMDS	Transition Modulated Differential Signaling, a technology for transmitting serial data at very high speeds. TMDS is a core technology used in both DVI and HDMI.
Type A HDMI Connector	See Standard HDMI Connector.
Type C HDMI Connector	See Mini HDMI Connector.

Upconverting

Process by which a standard-definition picture is changed to a simulated high-definition picture.

VC1 compression	Technology used to reduce the file size of high-definition games and movies so that they will fit onto a high-definition disc.
VESA	The Video Electronics Standards Association. The industry group responsible for the EDID standard and other technical specifications.
VGA	Video graphics array display mode. VGA resolution is 640x480 pixels.
Viewing angle	The area in which a viewer needs to be positioned in front of a television monitor to see a clear image on the screen. CRT and plasma televisions typically have very wide viewing angles - the picture looks good from anywhere in the room. Other types may appear dim when viewed from an extreme angle at the left or right of the screen.

Widescreen	A picture display with an aspect ratio wider than NTSC 4:3. Digital HDTV or SDTV is referred to as "16:9 widescreen." Most motion pictures also have a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio.
Wii	Game system launched by Nintendo in 2006. It is not capable of playing high-definition games or movies. Equipped with component, composite or s-video output ports.

x.v.Color	A new standard for an expanded, “wider” color space or gamut, enabled by HDMI 1.3 and being developed by Sony and Mitsubishi, among others. The xv color space (also known as xvYCC color) incorporates a much larger portion of the visible color spectrum than the older RGB color model.
Xbox 360	This game system, released in November 2005, is Microsoft's followup to the Xbox. Xbox 360 plays high-definition (HD) games and HD DVD movies. Equipped with VGA, component or composite video output ports.
Xbox Live	Subscription online service that offers products and services such as game downloads and multiplayer gaming for the Xbox 360.
XDR DRAM	High performance RAM interface used in the Sony Playstation 3.
xvYCC Color	The original acronym the color model now known as x.v.Color.

Y/Cr/Cb or Y/Pr/Pb	A component connection system that splits a video signal into three channels - brightness, red and blue.
YCbCr Color	A family of color spaces, used in some HD applications, where color is expressed using a luma component plus red and blue chroma components, rather than by describing absolute color values, as in the RGB color model. Also known as YPbPr color.

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