Glossary of Audio/Video Terms
Analog Audio -
Attempting to capture the original sound in its entirety and then
reproducing the original sound in its entirety. Analog audio has the risk of
also reproducing and possibly amplifying noise or distortion. Digital audio
is replacing this technology.
Analog Video -
Attempting to capture the original video in its entirety and then
reproducing the original video in its entirety. Analog video has the risk of
also reproducing and possibly amplifying noise or distortion. Digital video
is replacing this technology.
Audio Video Receiver (A/V Receiver) -
A receiver, amplifier, audio and video switcher in one unit encompassing
sound decoding with processing allowing for surround sound and multi-channel
distribution.
AWG - (American Wire Gauge) -
Accepted standard of measure for the diameter of wire or cable. A smaller
number gauge represents a larger diameter. e.g. 12 AWG wire is a larger
diameter wire than 14 AWG wire.
Baseband Signal -
Primarily a video only signal, transmitting raw video without frequency
shifting, multiplexing, or frequency modulation. Imagine the video signal
being pushed down the coaxial cable line at a very low frequency (5 MHz).
Baseband signaling is used for CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) and for some
home automation products.
Braid -
A shield used around wire or cable to prevent interference caused by Radio
Frequency Noise or Interference. Most cable shields are small diameter woven
strands of copper or aluminum.
Broadband Signal -
A video and audio signal multiplexed/frequency shifted to a higher frequency
in the 54 MHz to 890 MHz range for cable TV and up to 2.2 GHz for the mini
dish satellite. This is the common method for video transmission by cable TV
and DSS satellite.
CCTV -
Closed Circuit Television, a platform used for security cameras and
monitors, which operates on baseband signal. CCTV is very popular in the
security community.
Chrominance -
The portion of the video signal carrying the color.
Coaxial Cable -
A cable with two conductors that basically are parallel with a common axis
used to control impedance in low voltage cables. Consisting of a center
conductor, dielectric, foil, braid, and outer jacket.
Coaxial "F" Connector -
When audio and video are transmitted on the same coaxial cable, used to
connect a TV to cable, satellite, antenna or VCR.
Component Video -
When a video signal is separately transmitted in three component colors of
red, green, and blue. Provides superior detail, true color, and high
resolution.
Composite Video -
A video signal transmission where the chrominance (color) and luminance
(brightness) are transmitted as one signal and are not separated. The
transmission is along one coaxial cable with RCA connectors at each end.
C.S.A. -
Canadian Standards Association, The Canadaís Equivalent to UL.
Datacom Accessories -
Wall Plates, Inserts, Jacks, and Wiring use to connect computers and
peripheral devices (printers) together.
Decibel (dB) -
Accepted unit of measure to express amplitude or power difference. A common
measure for sound and also used often in measuring effectiveness of
amplifiers.
Dielectric -
A non-conductive material used to insulate around a cable conductor that
helps to retain charge.
Digital Audio -
The recreation of sound by high-speed digital sampling. Analog signals are
converted to a chain of 0's and 1's allowing for sophisticated decoding and
encoding and electronic manipulation. The risk of reproducing and possibly
amplifying noise or distortion is minimized.
Digital Audio Cable -
Allows for Digital Audio multiple channels to be transmitted through one
cable. This cable is the purest quality transmission of Digital Audio
Signal.
Digital Optical Fiber Cable -
Sends a Digital Audio multiple channels by using a light transmission and
therefore is virtually noise and distortion resistant.
Digital Video -
The recreation of video by high speed digital sampling. Analog signals are
converted to a chain of 0's and 1's allowing for sophisticated decoding and
encoding and electronic manipulation. The risk of reproducing and possibly
amplifying noise or distortion is minimized.
Diplexer (non-amplified) -
A device used to combine antenna and satellite signals, which operate at
different frequencies, into a signal, which can travel through one cable. A
non-amplified diplexer is used at the antenna and satellite dish location
when the antenna is not amplified. A non-amplified diplexer is always used
at the satellite receiver location to separate signals and distribute to
TVs.
Diplexer (amplified) -
A device used to combine an amplified antenna and satellite signals, which
operate at different frequencies, into a signal, which can travel through
one cable. An amplified diplexer is used at the antenna and satellite dish
location only when the antenna is amplified. A non-amplified diplexer is
always used at the satellite receiver location to separate signals and
distribute to TVs.
Dolby® Digital Sound -
A digital sound format, which is the basis of surround sound systems. May be
5.1, which is front speakers (right and left), rear speakers (right and
left), center channel speaker, and a powered subwoofer. May be a 6.1, which
is front speakers (right and left), front center channel speaker, rear
speakers (right and left), rear center channel speaker, and a powered
subwoofer.
Dolby® Digital Pro Logic® -
The standard for Home Theater Surround Sound Systems, included in most
audio/video receivers. The Pro Logic® decoder directs the movement of sound
between speakers.
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) -
An "always on" high speed internet connection using existing (on premises)
copper telephone lines transmitting signals at a much higher speed than
analog (voice). Data and voice are shared over the same copper lines
simultaneously without interference.
DSL Filter -
A device used with DSL that allows the data and voice to travel over the
same line simultaneously without interference, and also filters out
impedance from telephone equipment. Usually required for each telephone
device.
DSS -
A digital satellite infrastructure used to beam signals to home systems
equipped with a mini dish and satellite receivers, with in excess of 200
channels being received.
DVD -
A digital audio/video format that combines digital video with Dolby® Sound
digital audio, using a disc the same size as a CD disc.
DVI (Digital Visual Interface) -
A standard that carries uncompressed digital video signals from a digital
video source (digital DVD Player) to a display device (HDTV).
DVI (Digital Visual Interface) Video Cable -
Use for connecting HDTVs, digital flat-panel displays and other video
components with DVI connections to digital DVD player, or other equipment
with DVI connections.
DVR (Digital Video Recorder) -
Uses large capacity hard drive and internal processing to increase recording
time of television shows compared to regular VCRs. Also, has technology to
program and control live broadcast.
Ethernet -
Type of Local Area Network (LAN) that connects computers, printers, and
terminals together within the same building (home).
Firewire -
A IEEE 1394 digital interface cable, that is a very high speed,
bi-directional serial cable that can be used with digital devices such as
camcorders, computers, hard disks, and audio and video editing equipment. A
newer technology and only some electronic equipment provides for this
technology.
Flat-Panel TV -
A television that usually has gas plasma or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)
technology and is only a few inches thick.
Frequency -
Number of times per second that a signal fluctuates. The standard unit for
frequency is hertz (Hz).
Ghosting -
A video interference phenomenon where the video image may appear double and
the second image will be faint, thus the term "ghost."
HDMI(TM) (High Definition Multi Media Interface) -
A standard that carries uncompressed digital video and audio signals on one
cable from a digital video source (digital DVD Player) to a display device
(HDTV). This provides the best detail, truest color and sound, and highest
resolution.
HDMI(TM) (High Definition Multi Media Interface) Audio & Video Cable -
Use for connecting HDTVs, digital flat-panel displays and other video
components with HDMI(TM) connections to digital DVD player, Digital A/V
receiver or other equipment with HDMI connections. This provides the best
detail, truest color and sound, and highest resolution.
HDTV (High Definition Television) -
A television that offers the HDTV technology - the highest resolution of all
digital television formats. 1080i and 720p are the common HDTV formats.
HDTV Converter Box -
Converts video signal (either analog cable, digital cable or HDTV) for
display on a television. HDTV-Ready (without built-in HDTV tuner)
televisions must be connected to a compatible HDTV tuner set-top box to
receive digital television programs.
HDTV-Ready -
A television that has the technology to display either high definition
formats (720p, 1080i) but does not have the required tuner/converter box to
receive digital signals.
Hertz -
One cycle per second, kilohertz equals 1000 cycles per second, the accepted
measure of frequency.
High Definition -
A video format consisting of either 720 active lines of progressive video or
1080 active lines of either progressive or interlaced video. Offers the
highest-resolution format.
Home Networking -
Connection computers, scanners, and printers together in a home or small
business office.
IDC (Insulation Displacement Connection) -
A connection where the wire is terminated by ìpunching downî the wire into a
metal holder which cuts into the insulation wire and makes contact with the
conductor. Thus, the contact causes an electrical connection to be made.
Impedance -
Measured in ohms, the amount of resistance to the flow of current.
Interlaced Scanning -
Picture display process that shows every odd line at one scan of the screen
and then shows all the even lines on the second scan. Since there are 30
frames per second, this can make large screens flicker.
LAN (Local Area Network) -
A short-range network (within a home or building) that connects computers
and peripheral devices (printers) together.
LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) -
A display that is made of two polarizing transparent panels and a liquid
crystal solution that is between the two panels. As an electric current
passes through the liquid, the crystals align so that light cannot pass
through them. The crystals act like a shutter, either letting the light
through or blocking it. The design of the transparent and dark crystals form
the image.
Luminance -
The portion of the video signal carrying brightness.
OFC -
Oxygen Free Copper wire used in high quality cable and wire. The oxygen
content and impurities are removed during the manufacturing process,
resulting in less signal distortion.
Pixel -
The smallest piece of data in a video image. The smaller the pixel size in
an image, the greater the resolution.
Plasma Displays (PDP) -
A display that is made of thousands of tiny tubes filled with ionized gas in
a plasma state.
Progressive Scanning -
Picture display process that shows 720 or 1080 horizontal lines scanned in
succession in a vertical frame and then repeated 30 times in a second. This
displays a rather smooth picture.
Powered Subwoofer -
A speaker designed to reproduce a range of very low frequencies only. A
stand-alone component powered by a built in amplifier.
Punch Down Tool -
Tool used to terminate Category Wire to a 110 Category Jack.
Resolution -
The density of lines and dots per line, which make up a visual image. The
number of pixels measures resolution. The more lines and dots means a
sharper and more detailed picture. Regular TV has about 200,000 pixels,
While, HDTV (1080 vertical pixels and 1920 horizontal pixels) has more then
2 million pixels creating the image.
RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) -
Interference caused by CB radios, radio stations, microwave ovens, power
lines, cellular phones, etc. which can cause noise and distortion affecting
sound and audio quality for audio/video components.
RF Modulator (Radio Frequency Modulator) -
Primarily used to convert the composite video output from a DVD to a radio
frequency operating on Channel 3 or 4. The output from the RF Modulator is
an ìFî connector.
RG/U -
A standard used for referencing coaxial cables, such as RG6/U or RG59/U, RG
is a military standard for Radio Guide.
RG59/U Cable -
§ Use for very basic video applications
§ Connects 75 Ohm coaxial output from antenna, cable, VCR, splitter, etc. to
75 Ohm coaxial input of TV, VCR, etc.
§ 20 AWG solid center conductor
§ Sole advantage is price
RG6/U Cable -
§ Required for all satellite systems
§ Required for all digital broadband systems
§ Ideal for connecting video components, DSS, digital satellite receivers,
TV, VCR, cable boxes, antenna systems
§ 18 AWG center conductor results in less signal loss and allows higher
frequency
§ Heavy duty maximum shielding with bonded aluminum foil
§ Copper clad steel center for better signal path and also superior pull
strength
§ Important market trends - 90% of new home construction uses RG6/U premium
broadband cable
§ Future proofs your home
Satellite Multi-Switch -
for DSS systems, used in multiple LNB installations for reception of
multiple satellite signals on a single feed line connecting to several
satellite receivers.
Set-Top Box -
Converts video signal (either analog cable, digital cable or HDTV) for
display on a television. HDTV- Ready (without built-in HDTV tuner)
televisions must be connected to a compatible HDTV tuner set-top box to
receive digital television programs.
Signal to Noise Ratio -
A measure that describes how ìcleanî a signal is. Measures the strength of
an audio or video signal versus the noise and interference. This measure is
in dB.
S-Video -
Separates and transmits chrominance (color) and luminance (brightness)
providing a superior picture quality.
Speaker Cable -
A two lead cable with wires that carry amplified audio signal from the
audio/video receiver to the speakers. One channel is positive (+) and the
other is negative (-).
Surround Speakers -
The distribution of sound resulting from digital decoding. May be 5.1, which
is front speakers (right and left), rear speakers (right and left), center
channel speaker, and a powered subwoofer. May be 6.1, which is front
speakers (right and left), front center channel speaker, rear speakers
(right and left), rear center channel speaker, and a powered subwoofer.
Sweep Test -
An electric quality test procedure performed by network analyzer test
equipment measuring coaxial or network cables at various frequencies between
1 MHz and 2.6 GHz. Measurements include attenuation (electrical signal
degradation), reflection (return loss), and noise (cross talk).
T568A and T568B -
Wiring standards set by the TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association).
T568A wiring standards are primarily used for residential wiring unless
there are other conditions.
TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association) -
An association that sets the telecommunication wiring standards.
Telephone and Data Lines/Cables -
§ 4-Conductor Line - Referred to as telephone station wire, with 2 pair
(four wires) having no twist. Color of the four wires are the old telephone
standard - red, green, black, yellow. This wire can be used for very simple
single line applications but is not recommended for multiple telephone line
applications. A major problem of cross talk exists with more than one
telephone line.
§ 4-Conductor - Basically, a grouping of accessories recommended for one
telephone line only, but with the capability to handle up to two telephone
lines.
§ 6-Conductor - Some telephone accessories are identified as 6-Conductor,
and are basically a grouping of accessories with the capability to handle up
to three telephone lines. 6-Conductor accessories can be used with Category
3, Category 5, Category 5e, and Category 6 network/telephone cables.
§ Category 3 Cable - A four pair (8 wires) cable with the new network cable
color scheme: orange, white with orange stripes, blue, white with blue
stripes, green, white with green stripes, brown, white with brown stripes,
that is recommended for voice communication. The data rate is 10 Mb/s,
primarily voice only, and wires are twisted every 1-1/2 inch and each wire
has a 24 gauge solid copper center. The usable bandwidth of Category 3 cable
is 16 MHz.
§ Category 5 Cable - A four pair (8 wires) cable with the new network cable
color scheme: orange, white with orange stripes, blue, white with blue
stripes, green, white with green stripes, brown, white with brown stripes,
that is recommended for voice and data communication (ideal for residential
wiring). The data rate is 100 Mb/s, voice and data, and wires are twisted
every 1/2 - inch and each wire has a 24 gauge solid copper center. The
usable bandwidth of Category 5 cable is 100 MHz and is rated for simplex
data transfer.
§ Category 5e Cable - A four pair (8 wires) cable with the new network cable
color scheme: orange, white with orange stripes, blue, white with blue
stripes, green, white with green stripes, brown, white with brown stripes,
that is recommended for voice and data communication (ideal for high demand
data applications, commercial or residential wiring). The data rate is 1000
Mb/s, voice and data, and wires are twisted every 3/8-inch, and each wire
has a 24 gauge solid copper center. The usable bandwidth of Category 5e
cable can be as high as 250 MHz and is rated for full duplex data transfer.
§ Category 6 Cable - A four pair (8 wires) cable with the new network cable
color scheme: orange, white with orange stripes, blue, white with blue
stripes, green, white with green stripes, brown, white with brown stripes,
that is recommended for voice and data communication (ideal for extremely
high demand data applications, commercial or residential). The data rate is
1000 Mb/s, voice and data, and wires are twisted every 3/8-inch, pairs of
wire have shielding and insulation, and each wire has a 23 gauge solid
copper center. The usable bandwidth of Category 6 cable is 250 MHz and is
rated for full duplex data transfer.
UL -
Underwriterís Laboratory, a listing service for electrical and electronic
equipment.
USB (Universal Serial Bus) -
A cable easily recognized by the rectangular plugs on each end, is becoming
the standard for connecting personal computers to peripheral accessories,
such as keyboard, mouse, etc. This cable is rapidly replacing the
old-fashioned multi-pin computer cables.
110 Style Punch Down Tool -
A special tool use to terminate Category Wire to a 110 Category Jack.
5.1 Surround Sound System -
A surround sound system that consists of front speakers (right and left),
rear speakers (right and left), center channel speaker and a powered
subwoofer. This is also the audio standard for digital TV and HDTV.
6.2 Surround Sound System -
A surround sound system that consists of front speakers (right and left),
front center channel speaker, rear speakers (right and left), rear center
channel speaker, and a powered subwoofer.
75-Ohm Cable -
Primarily RG59/U or RG6/U coaxial cable used to carry audio and video
signals over one cable. RG6/U is recommended for highest quality coaxial
cable performance and to ìfuture proofî installations. RG6/U is a must for
DSS satellite installations.
300-Ohm Cable -
An older technology used to connect TV antennas to the TV. Most 300-Ohm is
converted to 75 Ohm with the use of a simple and inexpensive transformer.
480p -
Resolution of a picture is 852 pixels (vertically) x 480 pixels
(horizontally) and p stands for progressive scanning. This is a widescreen
format but not considered a high definition format.
720p -
Resolution of a picture is 1,280 pixels (vertically) x 720 pixels
(horizontally) and p stands for progressive scanning. This offers a smoother
picture.
1080i -
Resolution of a picture is 1,920 pixels (vertically) x 1080 pixels
(horizontally) and i stands for interlaced scanning.
1080p -
Resolution of a picture is 1,920 pixels (vertically) x 1080 pixels
(horizontally) and p stands for progressive scanning. This format works the
same as the 720p format but has more pixels so the resolution is better.