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Definitions

These definitions are to help explain some terms used on this site. If you have questions please contact us.

A-B roll editing - A method of editing that has all the selected shots on multiple tapes. The significant characteristic of A-B roll editing is the ability to construct dissolves, wipes and other transitions by placing one tape in the A machine and one tape in the B machine. This type of editing requires a video switcher/ mixer and often computer-based edit controller.

Audio - The part of a signal that gets translated back into sound. Also describes anything that has to do with sound such as audio recorders, audio tape, audio editing.

Analog - A signal that moves exactly like the original sound/light waves. (Example: When you record your voice on an audio cassette, if you could see what the recorder is recording, it would look like a wiggly line.)

BETAMAX - A different way of recording an image from the VHS and S-VHS formats. This format allows better quality and has better editing and dubbing (copying) qualities. This format has seen little use in the United States but is used in other countries.

BETACAM-SP - One of the best ways of capturing an image to video tape. Just as S-VHS is better than VHS, BETACAM-SP is even better than BETAMAX. BETACAM-SP offers superior quality for editing and dubbing.

CD-R - "An extension of the compact disc format that enables data to be recorded once on a disc by using dye sumlimation technology."ª

CD-ROM - "Compact Disc Read-Only Memory. An extension of the compact disc digital audio format that enables computer data to be stored in digital format."ª

Digital - A stream of data that consists of on and off pulses of electricity. A value of "0" is assigned to one electrical state and a value of "1" is assigned to the other. (Example: if you were to record your voice on a digital audio cassette, and if you could see what the recorder is recording, it would look like 1's and 0's.)

DV - "Digital Video - The digital videocassette standard developed by Sony and JVC."ª

DVD - "An acronym that officially stands for nothing but is often expanded as Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc. The audio/video/data storage system based on 12- and 8-cm optical discs."ª

ENG - (Stands for Electronic News Gathering) a method of going out and shooting video footage that then needs to be edited back in a studio facility. Normally, ENG indicates a single camera and recorder package. Occasionally several ENG packages are used individually to cover an event with "multiple VTR's."

EFP - (Stands for Electronic Field Production) a method of shooting video that involves the onsceen mixing of several cameras or video sources. EFP does not require a lot of postproduction editing in a studio or can be edited via a production vehicle for immediate use.

Encode - "To transform data for storage or transmission, usually in such a way that redundancies are eliminated or complexity is reduced. Most compression is based on one or more encoding methods. Data such as audio or video is encoded for efficient storage or transmission and is decoded for access or display."ª

FireWire - "A standard for the transmission of digital data between external peripherals, including consumer audio and video devices. The official name is IEE 1394, based on the original FireWire design by Apple Computer."ª

S-VHS - A "super" VHS format. Copies made from this format retain better quality than VHS. (There will be less distortion or "fuzziness" of the re-recorded image.)

Satellite uplink - The process of sending video information up to a satellite. (The satellite then beams the information down over a wide area of the Earth.)

Satellite downlink - The process of receiving video information from a satellite.

Tape Formats - Video (and its accompanying audio) can be converted to a different format from the original recording. VHS is the most popular home format, but there is also S-VHS, BETA, BETA-SP, U-Matic (3/4"), and 1" tape formats.

VHS

- The format for home video cassette recorders.

Video - The part of the signal that gets translated into a visual (usually moving) picture. It also is applied to any equipment that has to do with the visual part of the signal such as video recorders, video tape, and video editing. However, because sound is so much a part of video, audio as well as video is recorded on a video recorder.

ªTaylor, Jim. DVD Demystified (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill, 2001. pp 627-668. ISBN 0-07-135026-8