A2 STEREO
2.35:1: The picture aspect ratio of some 35
and 70mm film.
processing video originated content, which
reduces motion artifacts for smoother image
reproduction.
COMPACT DISC (CD)
The official audio standard for analog
television broadcasting in Australia. It is a
technique of implementing stereo or dual-
mono audio for NTSC and PAL video. One
FM subcarrier transmits a L+R signal, and a
second FM subcarrier transmits a R signal
(for stereo) or a second L+R signal. Also
known as Zweiton Stereo.
"Optical digital disc storage that
encompasses audio, video, and computer
data.
AT ATTACHMENT PACKET
INTERFACE (ATAPI)
BIT ERROR RATE (BER)
A hardware and software specification that
documents the interface between a host
computer and CD-ROM drives using the
ATA bus.
The ratio of received bits that are in error
relative to the total number of bits received.
It is used as a measure of noise induced
distortion in a digital bit stream. BER is
expressed as a power of ten.
•CD Digital Audio (CDDA): 44.1kHz audio, 80
minutes capacity.
•CD Recordable (CD-R): Write-once media,
700MB capacity, optimised for data use.
AUDIO FREQUENCY MODULATION
(AFM)
A-B REPEAT
•CD ReWritable (CD-RW): Re-writable
media, 700MB capacity, optimised for data
use.
BIT RATE
The player will loop (repeat) a portion of a
disc between two designated points.
The audio recording technology used in
Video 8 and Hi8 Handycam camcorders.
The digital equivalent of bandwidth, bit rate is
measured in bits per second (bps). It is used
to express the rate at which the
compressed bit stream is transmitted. With
a higher bit rate, more information can be
carried.
•CD Read-only Memory (CD-ROM): Pre-
recorded media, 700MB capacity,
optimised for data use.
AC-3
AUDIO VIDEO INTERLEAVED (AVI)
See Dolby.
A multimedia file format for storing sound
and moving pictures in RIFF format
developed by Microsoft. An AVI file can use
different codecs and formats so there is no
set format for an AVI file.
ACOUSTIC TRANSFORM ACOUSTIC
CODING (ATRAC)
•CD Interactive (CD-i): Provides audio, digital
data, still graphics, and limited-motion
video.
BLOCK NOISE REDUCTION
"Technology that compresses audio data
discarding the information that is
undetectable by the human ear whilst
preserving CD-quality sound.
Suppresses vertical edge distortions for a
smoother, more natural DVD picture.
•CD plus Graphics (CD+G): Provides audio
and still graphics. Primarily used for
karaoke.
AUTOMATIC FOCUS (AF)
BLUETOOTH
"Senses the distance between camera and
subject, and adjusts the lens focus
accordingly.
•ATRAC: Achieves approximately 80%
compression rate in comparison to original
sound file. The original technology
employed by MiniDisc.
A standard for wireless connectivity. It is
designed to eliminate cables between
portable consumer devices such as cellular
phones, laptop computers, PDAs and many
other electronic products.
•China Video Disc (CVD): Precursor to
SVCD. MPEG-2 352x480 NTSC, 352x576
PAL, 44.1kHz audio, approximately 45
minutes capacity.
•AF Illuminator: Emits a orange light, making
it possible to focus on an object that is
normally difficult in a dark place.
•ATRAC3: Improves upon ATRAC by
achieving approximately 90% compression.
The technology employed by MiniDisc Long
Play (MDLP).
•Super Video CD (SVCD): MPEG-2
480x480 NTSC, 480x576 PAL, 44.1kHz
audio, approximately 45 minutes capacity.
Basic Imaging Profile (BIP): A unified
standard for image data transfer.
•Hologram AF: An enhanced technology
that emits a red laser pattern for further
improved low light focusing.
BUS POWERED
•Video CD (VCD): MPEG-1 320x240 NTSC,
320x288 PAL, 44.1kHz audio, 70 minutes
capacity.
•ATRAC3 Plus: Further improves upon
ATRAC by achieving approximately 93%
compression, with improved fidelity over
standard ATRAC3.
AUTOMATIC GAIN CONTROL (AGC)
Power is supplied through the computer to
the external device, eliminating the need for
a power supply.
A system to control the gain, or the increase
in the amplitude of an electrical signal from
the original input to the amplified output,
automatically.
COMPONENT VIDEO
CD SYNCRO RECORDING
A video system containing three separate
colour component signals, either
red/green/blue (RGB) or chroma/colour
difference (YCbCr, YPbPr, YUV) delivering
enhanced detail and purity.
ACTIVE BLACK PANEL (ABP)
Simplifies making MiniDiscs from compatible
Sony CD players by releasing from
Record/Pause mode when the CD player
goes into Play.
In standby mode, the unit is camouflaged as
a flat black panel. In display mode, the panel
puts on a brilliant colourful light show, also
giving you access to most functions. In
operational mode, the motorised panel
swings out revealing the full control panel
and slots for discs.
AUTOMATIC LEVEL CONTROL (ALC)
See Automatic Gain Control (AGC).
COMPOSITE VIDEO BASEBAND
SIGNAL (CVBS)
AUTOMATIC MUSIC SENSOR (AMS)
CD TEXT
Automatically locates the beginning of the
current or following selection.
CD Text gives you valuable information with
CD text compatible software. Album name,
artiste description, and song title can be
easily accessed from the display.
An analog video signal in which the
luminance and chrominance components
are combined (by frequency multiplexing),
along with sync and burst. Also known as
CVBS.
ADVANCED DYNAMIC SOUND
GENERATOR (ADSG)
AUTOMATIC RECORD LEVEL (ARL)
See Automatic Gain Control (AGC).
Selectively improves the bass and treble
segment of your music. Unlike other
technologies that cause unwanted phase
change in the mid-range section, ADSG
produces natural sound effect without
introducing distortion.
CHARGED COUPLED DEVICE (CCD)
AUTOMATIC VOLUME LIMITING
SYSTEM (AVLS)
CONSTANT ANGULAR VELOCITY
(CAV)
A semiconductor device that can produce
an electrical output analogous to the
amount of light striking each of its elements.
CCD sensors are used in both motion video
and still video cameras.
Delivers you maximum acoustics without
sound leak — all at volume levels that won’t
damage your ears. Playback will not exceed
preset volume limits, which means that even
when you are on the move, volume will not
accidentally increase to an uncomfortable
level.
A buffer memory mechanism that prevents
its portable audio equipment from skipping
under most conditions. The technology
recovers laser position 10 times faster than
previous designs; so it can withstand the
impact of jogging (and other sports).
ALTERNATING CURRENT (AC)
CINEMA BLACK MODE
An electrical current which, unlike Direct
Current (DC), reverses flow direction at
regular intervals, measured in cycles per
seconds or Hertz. The Australian standard is
230V, 50Hz.
Lamp wattage output is reduced along with
fan noise. Cinema Black Mode increases
blackness, extends lamp life and is ideal for
viewing film sources.
CONSTANT BIT RATE (CBR)
BALANCE
A uniform transmission rate.
The relative loudness between the left and
right channel signals.
COAXIAL DIGITAL
AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARDS
INSTITUTE (ANSI)
CONTENT SCRAMBLING SYSTEM
(CSS)
An coaxial digital line allows you to transfer
sound in lossless, digital quality.
BARCUS-BERRY ELECTRONICS
(BBE)
A standards-setting, non-governmental
organisation that develops and publishes
standards for voluntary use in the United
States.
An encryption scheme designed to protect
copyrighted material that resides on a disc
by periodically scrambling the data using
encryption keys.
CODED ORTHOGONAL FREQUENCY
DIVISION MULTIPLEXING (COFDM)
Reduces audio distortion, adding a longer
delay time to lower frequencies so that
higher frequencies are transmitted
simultaneously, thereby neutralising the
distortion effect.
Coded OFDM (COFDM) adds forward error
correction to the OFDM method, which is
the modulation technique used for digital TV
in Europe, Japan and Australia.
AMPLITUDE MODULATION (AM)
CONTRAST RATIO
A technique for transmitting radio signals.
See also Medium Wave (MW).
The measurement of the difference in light
intensity between the brightest white and
the darkest black.
BASIC INPUT/OUTPUT SYSTEM
(BIOS)
CODER-DECODER (CODEC)
ANALOG TO DIGITAL CONVERTER
(ADC OR A/D)
A set of routines that works closely with the
hardware to support the transfer of
CONTROL A1
Hardware or software that converts analog
sound, speech or video to digital code and
vice versa (analog to digital — digital to
analog). Video codecs are generally broken
into two categories: low bandwidth codecs
that operate at 56kbps to 384kbps, and
high bandwidth codecs that operate at
384kbps and above.
This is the process of converting analog
signal to digital signal. The accuracy
depends on the sampling frequency and the
number of bits used to describe the levels.
Multifunctional data bus system for better
communication between Sony audio
components.
information between elements of the
system, such as memory, disks, and the
monitor. Although critical to performance,
the BIOS is usually invisible to the end user;
however, programmers can access it.
d
c
b
a
CONTROL L
See LANC.
D-BASS
ANSI LUMEN
BASS REFLEX
A standard measurement of light output.
ARTIFACT
COLOUR SLOW SHUTTER
A popular type of loudspeaker enclosure in
which an open port at the front or rear baffle
allows internal air pressure to reinforce bass
response.
Delivers dynamic, powerful bass
reproduction, with 3 bass boost steps for
adjustment of the bass enhancement level.
Slows down shutter speed to record full
colour detail in low light situations.
Defect commonly occurring in digital video
resembling pixelation of the video image.
COLOUR TEMPERATURE
ASPECT RATIO
BEST TUNING MEMORY (BTM)
DECIBEL (DB)
A measure of the colour of a light source
relative to a black body at a particular
temperature, expressed in degrees Kelvin
(°K). Low colour temperatures have a red-
yellow tone; daylight has a high colour
temperature (approximately 6000°K) and
appears bluish.
The relationship of width and height. When
an image is displayed on different screens,
the aspect ratio must be kept the same to
avoid either vertical or horizontal stretching.
Automatically selects and stores the stations
with the strongest signals, in order of
frequency.
The logarithmic unit of measurement to
compare the relative intensity of acoustic or
electrical signal, equal to one-tenth of a Bel,
named for American inventor Alexander
Graham Bell (1847 to 1922).
BI PIXEL IP CONVERSION
4:3: The picture aspect ratio of traditional
video.
Used to convert standard (interlaced) video
into a progressive signal which can be
displayed by a panel display device (plasma
etc). Responds to changes in PAL video
signal content by employing proprietary
algorithms to handle the challenging task of
DEPTH OF FIELD
16:9: The picture aspect ratio that
approximates that of 35mm film. Also
known as Widescreen.
COMB FILTER
The distance between the first object in
focus and the last object in focus within a
scene as viewed by a particular lens. Depth
of field is affected by choice of lens, focal
Improves NTSC video signals by adjusting
the horizontal scanning lines within a frame.
157
HOLE ACCUMULATION DIODE (HAD)
KEYSTONE CORRECTION
technology. For more information refer
sound in lossless, digital quality.
A CCD sensor with improved performance
in spectral response, vertical smear, and
sensitivity. The HAD sensor also introduced
electronic shuttering capability to IT type
sensors.
Keystone is a distortion of the image
OXYGEN FREE COPPER (OFC)
caused by projecting at the wrong vertical
angle. Digital keystone correction produces
an inverse effect that cancels this distortion.
•Memory Stick: Full size (21.5 x 50.0 x
2.8mm), capacities up to 128MB
Improves signal transmission and
conduction.
•Memory Stick Duo: Small size (20.0 x 31.0 x
1.6mm), capacities up to 128MB
PACKET WRITING
LETTERBOX
•Advanced HAD: Provides brilliant results
even in low-light situations due to its
greater luminance sensitivity and its wider
dynamic range which drastically improves
the signal to noise ratio. This advantage is
especially obvious for natural evening
scenes or indoor events.
Packet writing is a technology that enables
the writing of data to a CD-R incrementally,
in multiple small blocks of data, rather than in
a single block (as in disk-at-once recording),
or in blocks defined by tracks (as in track-at-
once recording), the other two common
methods. Packet writing software makes it
possible for the user to save data to a CD-R
or CD-RW in the same way as it would be
saved to the hard drive or a floppy.
Converts widescreen content into 4:3
content by placing black bars at the top and
bottom of the picture.
•Memory Stick PRO: Full size (21.5 x 50.0 x
2.8mm), capacities up to 32GB
•Memory Stick PRO Duo: Small size (20.0 x
31.0 x 1.6mm), capacities up to 32GB
LIGHT EMITTING DIODE (LED)
A diode is a semiconductor device through
which current can go in only one direction.
As a side effect, light-emitting diodes
produce either visible or infrared light and
require very little power.
•Memory Stick Select: Full size (21.5 x 50.0 x
2.8mm), capacities up to 256MB (as 2 x
128MB)
•Hyper HAD: A derivative of the HAD sensor
that incorporates On Chip Lensing (OCL)
and the use of microscopic lenses
mounted over each sensing pixel. Hyper
HAD sensors with OCL have no
perceptible smear and nearly doubled
sensitivity.
MICROMV
PAN AND SCAN
Provides up to 60 minutes of high-quality,
MPEG-2 digital video footage and adds a
64-kb memory chip. The memory chip
allows for a multi-search function that lets
users access different sections of the tape
as they would a DVD by creating thumbnail
images of all of the recorded scenes on the
tape.
LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY (LCD)
Converts widescreen content into 4:3
content by selectively zooming and
cropping portions of the widescreen picture.
Whilst completely filling a 4:3 aspect ratio
screen, 25% to 40% of the widescreen
content is lost.
A two-dimensional array of small crystals
that are normally opaque, but become
transparent when voltage is applied to
them. LCDs are often back-lit for viewing in
a dark room.
I.LINK
See IEEE 1394.
ID3
LITHIUM-ION (LI-ION)
PEAK MUSIC POWER OUTPUT
(PMPO)
MINIDV
Information stored at the end of an MP3 file.
The tag can contain information about the
Title/Song name, Artist, Album, Year,
Comment, Genre and Track.
A type of a battery composed of Lithium,
the lightest metal and the metal that has the
highest electrochemical potential. Because
of its lightness and high energy density,
Lithium-Ion batteries are ideal for portable
devices, such as phones and notebook
computers. In addition, Lithium-Ion batteries
have no memory effect and do not use
poisonous metals, such as lead, mercury or
cadmium.
The miniature version of the DV format and
is used in many consumer camcorders.
Provides up to 90 minutes of high-quality,
DV video footage.
A method of rating the power output of
speakers or amplifiers which works by
calculation of power peaks.
IEEE 1394
PERSONAL COMPUTER MEMORY
CARD INTERNATIONAL
ASSOCIATION (PCMCIA)
MPEG-1 AUDIO LAYER 3 (MP3)
See Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG).
MPX
"A very fast data transfer standard, which
can be used to support up 63 external
devices from a single port. It supports
isochronous data — delivering data at a
guaranteed rate which makes it ideal for
devices that need to transfer high levels of
data in real-time, such as video devices.
Also known as FireWire, i.LINK or Lynx.
An organization consisting of some 500
companies that has developed a standard
for small, credit card-sized devices, called
PC Cards. Originally designed for adding
memory to portable computers, the
PCMCIA standard has been expanded
several times and is now suitable for many
types of devices. There are three types of
PCMCIA cards:
Found in analog cassette decks, it removes
non-musical high-frequency noise from
tapes during recording and eliminates
interaction with the bias frequency.
LOCAL APPLICATION CONTROL BUS
SYSTEM (LANC)
The protocol defined by Sony for enabling
external control of video devices and
accessing status information from the
device. Also knowns as Control-L.
•IEEE 1394a: Supports data rates of up to
400Mbps
MULTI-SESSION
A feature of many recordable CD drives and
discs that enables you to add data to a CD-
ROM on different occasions. This is an
improvement over older CD-Rs, which
required you to burn all your data onto the
disc at once.
•IEEE 1394b: Supports data rates of up to
800Mbps
LONG PLAY (LP)
•Type I cards: Up to 3.3 mm thick, and are
used primarily for adding additional ROM or
RAM to a computer.
Doubles VHS recording time of PAL signals.
LONG WAVE (LW)
INFOLITHIUM
Battery technology that displays remaining
charge and precise remaining recording
time in minutes on the viewfinder or LCD
screen.
•Type II cards: Up to 5.5 mm thick. These
cards are often used for modem and
wireless cards.
The radio band from 153KHz to 279KHz,
used for high power wide area radio
broadcasting.
NATIONAL TRANSMISSION
STANDARDS COMMITTEE (NTSC)
•Type III cards: Up to 10.5 mm thick, which is
sufficiently large for portable disk drives.
"Analog video standard that delivers 525
lines at 60 fields (half-frames interlaced) per
second, and is the official standard for video
in North America; and parts of South
America and Asia.
INTEGRATED CIRCUIT (IC)
LOW FREQUENCY EFFECTS (LFE)
A complex set of electronic components
and their interconnections that are etched
or imprinted on a chip.
Strictly low frequency information (20Hz to
120Hz, with 115 dB of dynamic range) that's
added to the soundtrack for extra effect.
This track does not inherently contain all the
bass of the soundtrack.
PHASE-LOCKED LOOP (PLL)
An electronic circuit employed within a radio
receiver which precisely tunes it to a station
frequency and rejects interference which
might otherwise hinder this operation. The
synthesiser which tunes the radio uses a
small quartz crystal to generate a stable
reference frequency.
INTERLACE SCAN
•NTSC 3.58: The original NTSC standard.
The means by which traditional video
creates images on screen. Interlaced
scanning breaks down a single frame of
video into 2 fields, one containing the odd
numbered lines, the other containing the
even. These 2 fields are then alternately
broadcast/shown to maintain high picture
quality with limted bandwidth.
•NTSC 4.43: A variation of NTSC where the
signal is encoded using the PAL subcarrier
frequency and chroma modulation. Also
known as PAL60.
LOW PASS FILTER (LPF)
r
p
o
n
A network of elements used to attenuate all
frequencies above a pre-determined
frequency. Frequencies below the cutoff are
passed without effect.
PICTURE IN PICTURE (PIP)
NICAM STEREO
Displays a small picture from another video
source, over one corner of the main picture.
NICAM is a digital stereo compression
system developed by BBC engineers that
has proven to be extremely rugged,
providing high quality stereo sound even
when the signal is weak.
MAGICGATE (MG)
A copyright protection technology for
MagicGate Memory Stick and compliant
products. Authentication ensures that
protected content is transferred only
between compliant devices and MagicGate
Memory Stick, and that protected content is
recorded and transferred in an encrypted
format to prevent unauthorised copying or
playback.
INTERMEDIATE FREQUENCY (IF)
POWERBURN
m
A frequency to which a carrier frequency is
shifted as an intermediate step in
transmission or reception.
Advanced buffer under-run technology that
also continues to monitor both data stream
and media to optimise disc creation.
l
k
j
NIGHTSHOT
Take monochrome pictures in low-light and
no-light situations. With the flip of a switch,
the infrared NightShot mode is activated,
which defeats the flash and an infrared
picture is captured with invisible, infra-red
light. NightShot makes it possible to take
pictures or MPEG movies of sleeping
children and nocturnal wildlife in a way that is
impossible with all other cameras.
INTERVAL RECORDING
PRECISION DRIVE
Capturing a series of images/frames at
preset intervals. Also known as Time Lapse.
Delivers clear DVD playback. Utilising two
separate reading heads (or pickup) to read
DVD and CD recordings, playback accuracy
is superb without a complicated switching
mechanism. It compensates for minor
imperfections like the warping of discs,
minor shakes and rattles, making perfect
playback from imperfect conditions possible.
i
•Interval Recording: Captures 3 frames at
preset intervals.
MEDIUM WAVE (MW)
h
g
The radio band from 530kHz to 1710kHz,
with 9kHz intervals. Also known as the AM
band.
•Smooth Interval Recording: Captures 1
frame at preset intervals.
f
ISO-13406-2
MEGA BASS
NOISE REDUCTION (NR)
PROGRESSIVE SCAN
e
d
The International Standards Organisation
ergonomic requirements for flat panel
displays
Deepens and enriches audio bass output to
match your taste and the type of music
being played. In addition, sound boost is
controlled in accordance with the sound
input level, thus delivering even more
powerful sound with less residual noise
The process of reducing the imperfections
in analog signal to deliver a purer video or
audio experience.
An alternate means to interlaced video used
to create images on screen. Progressive
scanning reproduces an entire video frame
in a single pass, from top to bottom thereby
reducing flicker, improving contrast and
producing a more film-like result.
JOINT PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPERTS
GROUP (JPEG)
OHM
The relationship between voltage (V),
electric current (I) and resistance (R), named
for German physicist Georg Simon Ohm
(1789 to 1854).
JPEG compresses graphics of
MEGAPIXEL
photographic color depth better than other
file formats like GIF, and it retains a high
degree of color fidelity. This makes JPEG
files smaller and quicker to download. You
can choose how much to compress a
JPEG file, but since it is a lossy format, the
smaller you compress the file, the more
color information will be lost.
PULSE CODE MODULATION (PCM)
One million pixels. Digital cameras capture
images with a sensor, comprised of an array
of light-sensing pixels (picture elements). A
camera's resolution is simply the total
An uncompressed, digitally coded
representation of an analog signal. The
waveform is sampled at regular intervals and
a series of pulses in coded form (usually
quantized) are generated to represent the
amplitude.
ON SCREEN DISPLAY (OSD)
Provides clearer menu functions by using a
display to view the menu, while the controls
are on the remote control or the control unit.
number of pixels packed onto the CCD.
MEMORY STICK
OPTICAL DIGITAL
Developed by Sony, Memory Stick is a
transportable, digital data storage
RADIO DATA SERVICE (RDS)
An optical digital line allows you to transfer
A digital data system that transmits inaudible
159
encoded information together with FM
signals. RDS makes tuning simpler because
it can display the name of a station
transmitting an RDS signal, and it will find the
strongest signal for this station automatically.
SÉQUENTIEL COULEUR AVEC
MÉMOIRE (SECAM)
SUPER PRO OPTIC SYSTEM
VARIABLE ATTENUATION CONTROL
SYSTEM (VACS)
An innovative system for rear projection TVs,
adopting the most superior CRT and optical
Technologies available do deliver excellent
picture quality.
Continually monitors the balance between
the current and voltage amplification stages
in an amplifier, thereby reducing distortion
even at high volume levels.
Analog video standard that delivers 625
lines at 50 fields (half-frames, interlaced) per
second. Once common in Europe and
Africa, many countries that formerly
adopted SECAM have now switched to
PAL.
•Program Service (PS): The station name,
up to 8 characters.
SUPER VIDEO GRAPHICS ARRAY
(SVGA)
V-COMPRESSION (WIDE MODE)
•Traffic Announcement (TA): Allows the
radio to search for travel information and
switch to the tuned station automatically
during a traffic announcement.
A mode that only scans the lines within the
picture area when widescreen aspect ratio
content is on the screen. This optimises
picture quality by not utilising scan lines for
the blank area at the top and bottom of the
screen.
An SVGA display has 800 horizontal pixels
by 600 vertical pixels, giving it a total display
resolution of 480,000 individual pixels.
SHOCK RESISTANT MEMORY (SRM)
See ESP.
SHORT WAVE (SW)
S-VIDEO
•Alternative Frequency (AF): Allows the
automatic selection of stronger signals
where more than one exists for the same
station.
The collection of radio bands ranging from
2300kHz through to 27.41MHz.
Separated video. Offers improved picture
quality over composite video signals by
separating the picture signal into colour and
brightness information.
VIDEO GRAPHICS ARRAY (VGA)
A VGA display has 640 horizontal pixels by
480 vertical pixels, giving it a total display
resolution of 307,200 individual pixels.
SIDE SHOT
•Enhanced Other Network (EON): This
service allows automatic switching to
another station for the duration of a traffic
announcement; this switching is only
possible within the same network.
Image compensation (keystone correction)
technology that allows the projector to be
positioned off-centre in both vertical and
horizontal planes.
SYNDICAT FRANCAIS DES
CONSTRUCTEURS D'APPAREILS
RADIO ET TELEVISION (SCART)
VIRTUAL MULTI DIMENSION (VMD)
Overcomes one of the fundamental
challenges in accurately representing
theatre sound in a confined space. Using 3D
processing technology, it creates five pairs
of "virtual" surround speakers from the
existing rear speakers (or if unavailable the
two front speakers). "Pitched" 25 to 35
degrees overhead, these virtual speakers
create sound depth and scale, delivering a
more realistic, spacious surround sound
experience.
An audio-visual connection type, typically
used to connect a television and other video
components primarily used in Europe. The
SCART cable can have up to 21 active pins
and can carry audio, video and control
signals. It was developed by the French
company Peritel.
SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO (S/N RATIO
OR SNR)
RADIO FREQUENCY (RF)
Any frequency within the electromagnetic
spectrum associated with radio wave
propagation. When an RF current is supplied
to an antenna, an electromagnetic field is
created that then is able to propagate
through space. Many wireless technologies
are based on RF field propagation.
The ratio of the desired signal level to the
level of unwanted noise.
S-MASTER
A fully digital amplifier that enjoys excellent
efficiency in processing sound signals as
well as minimising any loss during idling
periods. It is also extremely frugal in energy
consumption due to the absence of analog
switches. The design and packaging of
amplifiers can be further refined to produce
high quality, high power units that reside
within an even smaller chassis.
TAGGED IMAGE FILE FORMAT (TIFF)
One of the most widely supported file
formats for storing lossless, bit-mapped
images on personal computers.
RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY (RAM)
VIRTUAL PHONE TECHNOLOGY
(VPT)
Memory hardware that can be used by
programs to perform necessary tasks while
the computer is on; an integrated circuit
memory chip allows information to be
stored or accessed in any order and all
storage locations are equally accessible.
See Digital Signal Processing (DSP).
TELETEXT
VOICE OPERATED RECORDING
(VOR)
A group of text pages transmitted with the
normal TV signal that can be read using a TV
that has a teletext function. First regular
teletext transmissions were from BBC in
Great Britain in the 1974.
Voice-controlled recording on dictating
machines.
SSIR-EX
RAW
Short signal paths between circuit sections
reduce noise and improve gain, ensuring a
stable and reliable tuner performance with
excellent audio quality. High-quality circuit
elements improve inter modulation
distortion and sensitivity.
VOLT (V)
An image capture setting that records the
CCD image sensor's raw data (without
interpolation or electronic conversions
applied) that allows the user to control and
change recording parameters post shot
including colour depth, ISO setting, white
balance, saturation, colour bit depth and so
on.
THEATRICAL ASPECT RATIO
The standard unit of electric potential. It is
defined as the amount of electrical potential
between two points on a conductor carrying
a current of 1 ampere while 1 watt of power
is dissipated between the two points.
The picture aspect ratio that approximates
that of 70mm film.
TIME MACHINE RECORDING
SSIR-EXA
Memorises several seconds of unrecorded
data. This function automatically adds a
missed beginning e.g. of a radio program
that you may have wanted to record.
VOLUME UNIT (VU)
Automatically controls the intermediate
frequency bandwidth in the FM band,
reducing sound interference.
A unit of measurement of the power of an
audio signal.
READ-ONLY MEMORY (ROM)
Memory hardware that allows fast access
to permanently stored data but prevents
addition to or modification of the data.
WATT (W)
STAMINA
TJANSTEMANNENS CENTRAL
ORGANIZATION (TCO)
Unit of power. More watts mean more
power, but how loud a system sounds also
depends on speaker sensitivity and room
size.
Drawing from Sony's wealth of experience
in battery technology, Stamina technology
delivers longer operating times.
A standard set in 1991. It is even more
stringent than MPR II, especially for
alternating electric fields. Not only are the
permitted field levels reduced compared
with MPR II, but the measuring distance is
reduced as well.
REAL DIGITAL SYSTEM
A technology where all signals are
processed digitally, regardless of source:
minimising loss of signal degradation and
resulting in highly accurate image
reproduction.
STANDARD DEFINITION TELEVISION
(SDTV)
WHITE BALANCE
The ability of a camera to adjust the color
balance of a picture to compensate for the
ambient lighting.
•480i: Standard Definition NTSC signal - 480
lines, interlace scan with 4:3 aspect ratio.
•TCO'95: Includes ergonomic and ecologic
requirements.
RECOMMENDED STANDARD 232
(RS232)
•576i: Standard Definition PAL signal - 576
lines, interlace scan with 4:3 aspect ratio.
WIDE BIT STREAM (WBS)
•TCO'99: Further expends the ergonomic
and ecologic requirements.
Conventional MiniDisc playback is done with
16-bit signal processing, WBS technology
increases the rate to 18-bit or higher. This
results in more accurate playback of even
subtle sound signals, and greatly improves
the signal to noise ratio.
A standard for serial communication which
defines the voltages that are used and the
pattern of voltage changes. It is electrically
unbalanced, meaning that the voltage
change on one wire is not balanced by an
equal and opposite change on another. This
makes the scheme simple to implement,
but less robust than other standards.
STANDARD PLAY (SP)
TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION
(THD)
The standard VHS recording time of PAL or
NTSC signals.
The amount of undesirable harmonics
present in an output audio signal expressed
as a precentage. The lower the percentage
the better.
SUBWOOFER
WIDE EXTENDED GRAPHICS ARRAY
(WXGA)
A type of speaker used to enhance bass
response in an audio or home theatre
system. It contains a woofer (or woofers) in
an independent enclosure. Subwoofers are
generally intended to cover the range below
200Hz and can extend down to 20Hz or
below. They lend weight to the overall
sound and presentation of a system by
providing extended bass response and low-
frequency impact which can be felt
physically, but is inaudible to the human ear,
especially on action movie soundtracks.
Due to non-directional nature of this bass
sound, a subwoofer can be positioned
almost anywhere in a normal room.
A WXGA display has 1366 horizontal pixels
by 768 vertical pixels, giving it a total display
resolution of 1,049,088 individual pixels.
ROOT MEAN SQUARE (RMS)
TRACK AT ONCE (TAO)
A method of rating the power output of
speakers or amplifiers. In contrast to Peak
Music Power Output, Root Mean Square
works through a mean averaging of the
components output. This rating provides a
far more accurate impression of the actual
performance.
The CD-ROM disc is created, writing a track
at a time; allowing for additional data (tracks)
to be added at a later time.
WIDESCREEN ASPECT RATIO
A range of picture aspect ratios that
approximate that of 35/70mm film. Also
known as 16:9.
TRUSURROUND SRS
A technology from SRS Laboratory that
creates a broad, fully immersive sound
image within the listening area that wraps
around the listener's head regardless of
seating position.
•Anamorphic Widescreen: Squeezing and
unsqueezing the video frame. 1.78:1 is
squeezed into 1.33:1 frame. On a wide
screen this screen can be expanded
horizontally to form the complete
resolution.
SCALE FACTOR EDIT (SFE)
Enhance your music compilation even after
the recording is completed. Record level
control allows changes to the recorded
volume, meaning that difference in volume
between different songs can be easily
corrected. Record fade in/out feature, on
the other hand, allows music fading
TWEETER
SUPER AUDIO CD (SACD)
A loudspeaker driver designed to handle
high frequency (treble) signals.
An alternative to the DVD-Audio format that
is designed to play on audio CD players and
Super Audio CD players by comprising two
layers: one with CD-Audio the other with
high quality audio. The audio encoding used
is Direct Stream Digital (DSD).
•Letterbox Widescreen:"
WIRELESS FIDELITY (WI-FI)
See IEEE 802.11.
ULTRA EXTENDED GRAPHICS ARRAY
(UXGA)
transition to be performed in 0.1 second
steps, up to 15 seconds in length.
A UXGA display has 1600 horizontal pixels by
1200 vertical pixels, giving it a total display
resolution of 1,920,000 individual pixels.
WIRELESS LAN
See IEEE 802.11.
SCREEN DEPTH MATCHING
SUPER EXTENDED VIDEO GRAPHICS
ARRAY (SXGA)
This feature works alongside Cinema Studio
Reverberation to "relocate" the front
speakers behind the screen, as they would
be in a real cinema. The result is a larger
listening space and a truer realisation of the
theatre sound experience.
WOOFER
USB STREAMING
An SXGA display has 1280 horizontal pixels
by 1024 vertical pixels, giving it a total display
resolution of 1,310,720 individual pixels.
A loudspeaker driver designed to handle low
frequency (bass) signals.
Allows connection via USB terminal to a PC
and broadcast live video with audio, edit
images, capture still images or play back
recorded video scenes.
ZWEITON STEREO
See A2 Stereo.
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