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Useful Articles on The Home Cinema Guide:

Introduction to AV Receivers: Top 10 Reviews and Buying Guide
The Best Home Theater Speakers: Top 12 Reviews & Buying Guide
The Best Home Theater Systems: Top 10 Reviews & Buying Guide
Setting Up Surround Sound: Speaker Location and Layout
Surround Sound Speaker Placement for 5.1 & 7.1 Home Theater Systems
An Introduction to LED & OLED Televisions
Top 10 Best Blu-ray Players: Reviews & Buying Guide
Buying Guide to the Best TV Wall Mounts

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 1
100Hz
A refresh rate used by modern TVs in areas which use the PAL TV system. An interlaced PAL TV
signal has a refresh rate of 50Hz. The TV will create a duplicate copy of each field - so the original
50Hz refresh rate will double to 100Hz. The idea is a higher refresh rate will appear to have less
motion blur and flicker to the human eye

120Hz
A refresh rate used by modern TVs in areas which use the NTSC TV system. An interlaced NTSC
TV signal has a refresh rate of 60Hz. The TV will create a duplicate copy of each field - so the
original 60Hz refresh rate will double to 120Hz. The idea is a higher refresh rate will appear to
have less motion blur and flicker to the human eye.

1080i
A shorthand description for a type of high-definition picture. Often used to describe the capabilities
of flat screen TVs and other digital video equipment. '1080' refers to the number of
vertical pixel lines that make up one frame of the picture. The 'i' tells us the picture is interlaced.
Follow the link for more details on understanding TV resolution.

1080p
A shorthand description for a type of high-definition picture - also known as full HD. 1080p used to
provide the most detailed picture available with high-definition – until Ultra HD was introduced.
Often used to describe the capabilities of flat screen TVs and Blu-ray players - although it really
relates to an image resolution rather than a native resolution. '1080' refers to the number of
vertical pixel lines that make up one frame of the picture. The 'p' tells us the image will be
displayed using progressive scan. Follow the link for more details on understanding TV resolution.

1280 x 720
The native resolution of an HD ready flat panel display, or the minimum image resolution of a high-
definition picture. It means the display/image has 1280 vertical lines of pixel information, and 720
lines of horizontal pixel information. Some displays may have a slightly different native resolution
(eg. 1366 x 768 or 1024 x 768) due to the size and shape of the pixels that make up the screen.

16:9
The standard aspect ratio of HDTV. Also known as 1.78:1. It means the shape of the picture is 16
units across and 9 units down.

1920 x 1080
The native resolution of a full HD flat panel display, or the image resolution of a full HD picture. It
means the display/image has 1080 vertical lines of pixel information, and 1920 lines of horizontal
pixel information.

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 2
2160p
A shorthand description for an Ultra HD picture. '2160' refers to the number of vertical pixel lines
that make up one frame of the picture. The 'p' tells us the image will be displayed using
progressive scan. Follow the link for more details on understanding TV resolution.

4
4:3
The original standard aspect ratio for television programmes. Also known as 1.33:1. It means the
shape of the picture is 4 units across and 3 units down. Becoming less common as transmissions
switch to widescreen.

480i
SDTV picture signal in NTSC regions. '480' is the number of visible vertical lines of information in a
frame (525 lines in total). 'i' means the signal is interlaced.

480p
Enhanced definition picture signal. '480' is the number of vertical lines of information in a frame. 'p'
means the signal is progressive scan.

5
5.1 Surround Sound
See surround sound.

576i
SDTV picture signal in PAL regions. '576' is the number of visible vertical lines of information in a
frame (625 lines in total). 'i' means the signal is interlaced.

7
7.1 Surround Sound
See surround sound.
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720p
A shorthand description for a type of high-definition picture. This is the minimum requirement for a
picture that can be called high-definition. Often used to describe the capabilities of flat screen
TVs and Blu-ray players. '720' refers to the number of vertical pixel lines that make up
one frame of the picture. The 'p' tells us the image will be displayed using progressive scan.
Follow the link for more details on understanding TV resolution.

A
Active Subwoofer
A subwoofer that has a built-in amplifier. This type of subwoofer should receive a pre-amp signal
(a signal that hasn't been amplified yet) from an AV receiver. The subwoofer then amplifies the
audio signal itself and plays it back through the speaker. Active subwoofers commonly have basic
volume and equalization controls on the unit to alter the output volume and tone. Most subwoofers
designed for home cinema will be active subwoofers - and most AV receivers will send a pre-amp
signal from the sub output.

Aspect Ratio
The aspect ratio tells us the shape of a TV image. The aspect ratio of an image is its width divided
by its height. For example, the traditional shape of a television picture is 4:3. This means it is 4
units across and 3 units down (so not quite square). Four divided by three = 1.33. So, the aspect
ratio of a 4:3 image is 1.33:1 - or, it is 1.33 times wider than it is long (not quite square!). If you
look on the back of a DVD case, it will tell you the aspect ratio of the film on the disc - it may say
4:3 or it may say 1.33:1 (or both!). The aspect ratio of a 16:9 HDTV image is 1.78:1. Find out more
about the TV aspect ratio. Follow the link for more details on TV aspect ratio: understanding
widescreen and 4:3.

AV Amplifier
The same as an AV receiver, except it doesn't have a built-in radio tuner.

AV Receiver
The brain of a modern home cinema system - an amplifier/processor for surround sound
systems and a switcher for multiple input devices. An AV receiver is used to easily switch between
different input sources (such as satellite TV boxes, games consoles and DVD/Blu-ray players). All
input devices are connected to the AV receiver (video and audio connections), which then sends
the video signals to the display device (e.g. an LCD TV) - and the audio signals to the speakers.
An AV receiver has a built-in radio tuner, which makes it different to an AV amplifier. The receiver
will also process a 5.1/7.1 surround sound audio signal and send it out to the connected surround
sound speaker system. For more information go to the best AV receivers: top 10 reviews & buying
guide.

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 B
Backlit LED TV
A type of LED TV. The LED lights are placed in banks behind the screen. Each bank can be
switched on and off independently of each other (sometimes called local dimming), which results
in an improved contrast ratio over standard LCD TVs.

Bipole Speakers
Bipole speakers have two sets of speaker drivers and send the sound from two sides of the
speaker cabinet at the same time. They are ideal as surround speakers in a 5.1/7.1 system as
they spread the audio better than normal direct radiating speakers and create a less directional
sound. Another alternative is dipole speakers.

Blu-ray Disc
A Blu-ray disc is an optical storage disc similar to a DVD. Blu-ray is the same size as a CD/DVD
but it cannot be played in a conventional CD or DVD player. The advantage of a Blu-ray disc is
that it can hold about six times the amount of data compared to a dual-layer DVD. This means a
Blu-ray disc can store video and audio in high-resolution formats that wouldn't fit onto a DVD.
Therefore, a movie can be watched in 1080p high-definition video and heard with uncompressed
multi-channel Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio. You can think of it as high definition DVD if
you like. For more information go to the introduction to Blu-ray players.

BT.2020
The 10-bit color standard incorporated into the Ultra HD specification. It enables the display of
more colors. Your AV receiver will need to support BT.2020 to pass this type of content to your
4K-compatible TV.

C
CCFL
Stands for Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp. The traditional type of lamp used as the backlight in
an LCD TV. In some new LCD TVs, this type of lamp is now being replaced by the use of LEDs
(light-emitting diodes) - and these televisions are often referred to as LED TVs.

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CEC
Stands for Consumer Electronics Control. A two-way serial bus connection between AV devices
that allows them to control each other. This connection is built-in to the HDMI specification and so
this control happens over an HDMI interface. Each manufacturer has a different name for this
feature such as BRAVIA Sync (Sony) and Viera Link (Panasonic).

Coaxial
A type of cable used for transmitting various radio, video and audio signals. It has a solid
conductor core, a plastic insulation layer, another thin conductive layer and finally an outer
insulation layer. A 75-ohm coaxial cable is recommended for a digital audio coaxial connection to
ensure correct transmission of the signal. A coaxial connection for digital audio will use
one RCA connector at each end. For more information go to coaxial digital audio: the cable and
connection explained.

Codec
Short for coder-decoder. In terms of home cinema, codec is a term used to describe various digital
compression algorithms such as those used for compressing/decompressing audio on DVD and
Blu-ray discs. Therefore, we can refer to the Dolby Digital codec or the DTS 5.1 codec.

Component Video
A common output option on DVD, Blu-ray and other audio-visual equipment. You'll see the red,
green and blue RCA connectors. Component video is an analog video signal that is split into two
or more separate signals. This splitting of the signal creates a better image than composite video.
RGB and YPbPr component video splits the signal into three parts, and each uses the same type
of cable to connect devices (red, green and blue RCA cable). For more information go to the
component video cable and connection explained.

Composite Video
A common output option on audio-visual equipment. You'll see the single yellow RCA connector.
Composite video is an analog video signal and is the most basic type of video signal. The quality
is not as good as S-Video or component video. It is called composite video as it combines three
signals (YUV) and sends them as one. Therefore, a composite video cable only has one
connection to plug in at each end - the yellow RCA. For more information go to the composite
video signal: the cable and connection explained.

Contrast Ratio
The contrast ratio is the difference between the brightest (white) and darkest (black) color signals
that a panel can produce. It is expressed as a ratio and tells us how many times brighter the white
is compared to the black level. i.e. a contrast ratio of 2000:1 means the white is 2000 times
brighter than black. A higher contrast ratio is theoretically better as it means the whites are whiter
and the blacks are blacker. This produces a more realistic and detailed image – especially for dark
scenes. An OLED TV will often be shown to have an infinite contrast ratio. This is because it has
perfect black levels – measured as zero. However, don't get too carried away by the numbers
alone. In real-world situations it can mean very little. A TV that is placed in a bright room won’t
display its full contrast ratio as the ambient light will wash out the image. So, the contrast ratio is
more important if you watch movies in a dark room. Just be aware that this is something to look

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out for when comparing different TVs. Can your eyes see a difference between the blacks and
whites on different screens? Which looks better to you?

CRT TV
The old style of TV. CRT stands for cathode ray tube and this is the technology used to produce a
picture on the screen. One problem with using the cathode ray tube to display pictures is they are
large, deep and heavy (which is why you used to strain your back when you had to move the TV!)
They are being replaced by flat-screen technologies that can provide thinner and lighter panels
e.g. LED and OLED.

D
Dipole Speakers
Dipole speakers have a pair of speaker drivers in the same cabinet, and can, therefore, send the
sound in two different directions. They are ideal as surround speakers in a 5.1/7.1 system. The
sound in dipole speakers are out of phase (when one side is pushing the other side is pulling), and
this creates a very diffuse sound that is difficult to pinpoint. It is important to install this type of
speaker in the correct position to get the right effect. Another alternative is bipole speakers, which
are more flexible in their positioning.

De-interlacing
The process of converting an interlaced video signal into a progressive scan signal in order to
display it on a fixed-pixel HDTV display. Any flat screen display shows images as progressive
scan - so any interlaced scan video sources need to be de-interlaced by the TV before they are
shown. This process will be done automatically by the TV - although some models will do this
better than others.

DLNA
Stands for Digital Living Network Alliance. A trade organization of over 250 companies who aim to
create a set of standards to make it easier to use and share digital music, video and photos. A
'DLNA-certified' device will be able to share data with other DLNA devices on the same network. A
standard setup would have a DLNA server which stores the digital media (like a PC or NAS drive),
and one or more DLNA clients which will 'see' the server on the network and be able to play back
the files (like a TV, laptop or Blu-ray player).

DLP
Short for Digital Light Processing. A video technology developed by Texas Instruments and used
in various display systems. This system creates an image by projecting light onto a matrix of small
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mirrors. Widely used in the manufacture of front projectors - both for the home and in professional
cinemas - and sometimes used in rear projection TVs.

Dolby Pro Logic II

An audio signal processing technology developed by Dolby. It creates a 5.1 surround sound mix
from a standard 2-channel stereo soundtrack. Pro Logic II is a replacement for the original Pro
Logic system and is found on many devices such as AV receivers and games consoles.

Dolby Pro Logic IIx

Similar to Dolby Pro Logic II, except it will create a 6.1 or 7.1 surround sound mix from either a
stereo or 5.1 soundtrack.

Dolby Pro Logic IIz

An improvement on Dolby Pro Logic IIx. This version adds a new height dimension to surround
sound. For Dolby Pro Logic IIz you should add two speakers above the usual front left and right
speakers to create an even more realistic feel to certain sound effects - especially things like wind
and rain. These height speakers can be added to a 5.1 system to create 7.1 (with front height
speakers instead of back left and right) - or to a 7.1 system to create a 9.1 system. Obviously, the
AV receiver will need to support these speaker configurations for this to be available.

Dolby TrueHD
A multi-channel audio format developed by Dolby and used on Blu-ray discs. Dolby TrueHD uses
lossless compression - meaning the audio data is compressed to fit on the disc, but what you hear
is the uncompressed audio i.e. you hear the audio exactly as it was on the studio master tapes.
You get a wide dynamic range, deep bass, and a sparkling top end. It's fab! It competes with DTS-
HD Master Audio and on a Blu-ray disc, you may get either format - or both.

DTS-HD Master Audio

A multi-channel audio format developed by Digital Theater System (DTS) and used on Blu-ray
discs. DTS-HD Master Audio uses lossless compression - meaning the audio data is compressed
to fit on the disc, but what you hear is the uncompressed audio i.e. you hear the audio exactly as it
was on the studio master tapes. You get a wide dynamic range, deep bass, and a sparkling top
end. It's great! It competes with Dolby TrueHD and on a Blu-ray disc, you may get either format -
or both.

Dolby Vision™
A variation of HDR developed by Dolby. The main advantage over standard HDR is that it can
transmit scene-by-scene data to the TV screen on how it should display. It can also adjust to the
capabilities of each TV. Dolby Vision can be added via a firmware update, so you may find your
current hardware can be updated.

DTS Neo:6
An audio signal processing technology developed by Digital Theater System (DTS). It creates a
5.1 or 6.1 surround sound mix from a standard 2-channel stereo soundtrack. It is found on many
devices such as AV receivers and games consoles and gives a better experience for those people
with a surround sound system.

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DVD Audio
A digital audio format designed for DVD. Compared to a CD, the higher disc space of a DVD
allows the storage and playback of higher quality audio. DVD-Audio allows high-resolution stereo
audio tracks up to 192 kHz/24 bit, and 5.1 surround sound up to 96kHz/24 bit resolution.

DVI
Stands for Digital Visual Interface. An interface that transmits uncompressed digital video data -
but can also transmit analog video data like a VGA connection. Mainly used with flat screen LCD
computer monitors and digital projectors - but is sometimes found on other devices. On a
modern flat screen TVand Blu-ray player, you will usually get an HDMI connection, not DVI. Follow
the link for more about the DVI connector and cable.

E
Edge-lit LED TV
A type of LED TV. The LED lights behind the screen are arranged around the perimeter. This type
of design allows the screen to be made very thin and also enables lower power consumption.

EDTV
Short for Enhanced Definition Television. In short, better than SDTV but not as good as HDTV.
EDTV has the same number of lines of vertical information per frame as SDTV - the difference is it
uses progressive scan rather than interlaced scan. So, an EDTV signal can be called 480p or
576p (depending on where you live in the world). Even though there is the same amount video
information as an SDTV signal, the progressive scan will produce a sharper image as it reduces
the artefacts produced by interlacing.

F
Flat Screen TV
Also known as a flat panel TV. A flat-screen TV is thinner and lighter than the traditional style of
TV - the CRT. A flat-screen TV will only be a few inches thick which makes it easier to locate in
your room - and can even be hung on a wall. They come in a range of sizes from about 10 inches
up to a whopping 70 inches plus. Currently, the most common types of flat screen technology
are LED and OLED. Older versions that have been discontinued are LCD and plasma.

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Frame/Frame Rate
A frame is each unique image, or snapshot, that a video/film camera takes while it records
something. The frame rate is the number of frames that this camera takes in one second. If
enough frames are taken per second - any movement in the image will be smooth and natural
when seen by the human eye. A movie is traditionally shot at 24 frames per second.

G
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H
HD Ready
A TV is 'HD ready' if it can accept and display at least the minimum standard for an HD signal.
Therefore, this can mean 720p, 1080i or 1080p. The minimum requirement is that the TV can
show a broadcast with 720 vertical lines and with a widescreen aspect ratio. In some countries,
the term also requires the picture to be received via analog component or digital connections
(DVI or HDMI) - which is pretty much a given with any modern display.

HD Ready 1080p
A TV can be labeled 'HD ready 1080p' if it is able to meet certain standards when displaying
an HD signal. It will exceed the standards for an 'HD ready' TV. It must have a minimum native
resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (1080 vertical lines at a 16:9 aspect ratio), display the image
without distortion (1 pixel for each pixel in the source image), and be enabled for HDCP.

HD DVD
Stands for High-Definition/Density DVD. Developed by Toshiba, this optical disc format for high-
density data storage was similar to Blu-ray. The ability to store far more data than a traditional
DVD made it ideal for use with high-definition video and audio. It was discontinued in 2008 when
the major content manufacturers withdrew their support and chose to go with Blu-ray technology.

HDCP
Stands for High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection. A form of copy protection for digital video
and audio content designed by Intel. When devices connect to each other using
a DVI or HDMI interface (e.g. your Blu-ray player sends a movie to your LCD TV via an HDMI
cable), the digital information that is sent can be encrypted. Both the devices (the Blu-ray and the
LCD TV) talk to each other via the HDMI connection and agree if they are both HDCP compatible.

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When they decide they are, the Blu-ray will send the movie to the TV. This will happen
transparently without your knowledge. A device which isn't HDCP compatible won't be able to
receive the digital signal and will have to make do with an analog signal instead. This is to stop
people making a perfect digital copy of the video/audio. For Ultra HD, a device needs to be HDCP
2.2 compliant.

HDMI
Stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface. An interface that transmits digital audio and video
signals. This type of connection is becoming the standard way to connect modern audio-visual
devices. If you are buying a new TV or Blu-ray/DVD player then it should have at least one of
these. If you can, this is the connection to use rather than component or SCART connections. One
HDMI cable allows the transmission of all digital video signals (including high-definition), and up to
8 channels of uncompressed digital audio (including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio -
with HDMI 1.3). Therefore, you have fewer cables running around the back of your TV - which can
only be a good thing! Go here for more information on the HDMI connector and cable.

HDMI ARC
Audio Return Channel. Some HDMI ports may be labeled as ARC (on the TV and the AV
receiver). This means you can send audio from the TV back to the AV receiver. This can simplify
your connections. You don’t need to connect a separate optical cable if you want to hear the audio
that is generated within the TV e.g. a Netflix app. This is also useful if your TV doesn’t have a
digital audio out.

HDR
Stands for High Dynamic Range. A technique that increases the dynamic range of an image.
Darker blacks. Brighter whites. More colors. It makes a picture look more life-like. Your AV
receiver will need to support HDR to pass this type of content to your HDR-compatible TV.

HDR10
An open source format of HDR supported by several hardware manufacturers. Currently the most
common version available on sources and displays.

HDTV
Stands for High-Definition Television. HDTV provides images at a much higher resolution than we
are used to seeing on our TV. The level of detail and life-like pictures can be astonishing to see.
To be called a high-definition picture, each frame of a video signal has to have a minimum of 720
vertical lines of information with progressive scan or 1080 vertical lines of information with
interlaced scan. Therefore, 720p or 1080i are both high-definition signals - as well as the big
daddy - 1080p (also known as full HD). The picture should also have a 16:9 aspect
ratio (widescreen).

High-Definition
See HDTV

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Home Cinema
See Home Theater

Home Theater
A term used in North America to describe a high-end home entertainment system. A basic home
theater system would usually refer to a large flat screen tv or projector to display the image - and a
separate amplifier and speakers for the sound. More commonly known as home cinema in
Europe.

Hybrid Log-Gamma
Known-as HLG for short. A variation of HDR developed by the BBC and NHK in Japan. It is
designed to be used by broadcasters for transmitting HDR pictures.

I
Image Resolution
The resolution of a TV image is defined by the number of lines of vertical data of the image by the
aspect ratio of the image. For example, for HDTV the standard aspect ratio is 1.78 (16:9), and the
minimum number of vertical lines per frame is 720. Therefore, 720 (vertical lines) x 1.78 = 1280
(horizontal length). So, the resolution of this 720p image is said to be 1280 x 720. The resolution
of an image received by your TV can vary depending on the source. This is not the same as
the native resolution of the TV screen - which is fixed. Follow the link for more details on
understanding TV resolution.

IR
Stands for infrared. A type of electromagnetic radiation that is commonly used to send control
signals to household electronic devices using a remote control. Infrared remote controls have to
have 'line-of-sight' with the device they are controlling i.e. they won't work through walls or doors.

Interlaced Scan
Your TV displays an interlaced picture by building each image frame in two separate passes down
the screen. First, it fills the odd lines - 1, 3, 5, 7 etc. Then it goes back to the top and fills in the
even lines - 2, 4, 6, 8 etc. After these two passes, it will have 'drawn' one frame of an image. Each
pass is known as a field. It then goes back and 'draws' frame two etc. etc. etc.... This is the
traditional method used by PAL and NTSC TV signals. This technique produces an image which
can appear to flicker and lack sharpness. The alternative is to use progressive scan.

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 J
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K
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L
LCD TV
A type of flat screen TV. LCD stands for liquid crystal display. An LCD screen is made up of
small pixels filled with liquid crystal - and a backlight. The intensity of light in each pixel can be
varied by applying an electrical signal which changes the molecular structure of the liquid crystal.
Each pixel is divided into three sub-pixels (red, green and blue) by using a color filter - and by
varying the intensity of light in each - different colors can be created. By constantly changing the
intensity and color in each pixel, a TV picture can be formed. This technology is also used to
produce other types of display - such as computer monitors and projectors.

LCoS
Stands for Liquid Crystal On Silicon. A projection technology used in some types of projector - can
often be found in rear projection TVs. Similar to DLP technology, but the light is reflected off a
silicon chip coated with liquid crystals rather than mirrors.

LED TV
A type of flat screen TV similar to a traditional LCD TV. The difference is the backlight in an LED
TV is provided by light-emitting diodes (LEDs), as opposed to a CCFL in the LCD TV - although
they both have LCD screens. Confusingly, some manufacturers refer to TVs with LCD screens
and LED backlights as LED TVs - and some still call them LCD TVs.

LFE
Stands for Low-Frequency Effects. The LFE is an optional low frequency (below 120 Hz) audio
track that can be part of a 5.1/7.1 audio soundtrack. It adds extra bass information in addition to
the normal bass within a soundtrack. If there is no LFE track, then an AV receiver will send bass
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frequencies to the subwoofer from the audio that goes to all speakers - and this is dependent on
the filter settings of the receiver.

Line Level
A term used to describe the strength of an audio signal. Most audio-visual devices output their
audio at line level. This signal then needs to be amplified before it can be heard on a speaker. This
is why we always connect a CD/DVD player to an amplifier first - rather than directly to a speaker.

LPCM
Stands for Linear Pulse Code Modulation. A method of digitally encoding/decoding audio data. It is
a standard method of encoding audio on CD, DVD and Blu-ray discs.

M
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N
Native Resolution
When talking about LCD or plasma displays, the native resolution is the physical size of a TV
screen - measured by the number of pixels. This can also be called the pixel dimension. The
native resolution of a screen is expressed by stating the number of horizontal pixels by the number
of vertical pixels. i.e. a screen that is said to have a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 will have
1920 pixels across the screen, and 1080 pixels down the screen. Generally speaking, the more
pixels there are (higher resolution), the sharper the image will be. The native resolution of a
display is fixed. Note: this is not the same as the image resolution.

NTSC
Stands for National Television System Committee. The NTSC system is used to encode analog
TV transmissions in some parts of the world - mainly in the Americas and Japan. The term is often
used to describe a 480i picture (525 lines and 60Hz refresh rate).

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 O
OLED TV
A type of flat screen TV that uses a different display technology than an LED TV. OLED stands for
organic light-emitting diode. An OLED has an organic layer which emits light when it is fed an
electric current. Due to the way this technology works, these TVs can be very thin and light as
there is no backlight. Other benefits are low power requirements, a wide viewing angle and high
contrast ratios. They are widely regarded to have the best picture quality currently available.

Optical Audio Connection

Also known as a TOSLINK connection. A method for transferring digital audio signals between
devices. Commonly found on consumer electronic products such as DVD players and games
consoles. The audio signal is converted into light and transferred via a cable made from optical
fiber. Supports stereo audio and Dolby Digital/DTS 5.1 surround sound audio signals. Follow the
link for more information on the optical digital audio cable and connection.

Overscan
Historically, standard-definition TVs were difficult to build accurately enough so that we could
guarantee how much of a TV image they would show. Therefore, these televisions used a
technique called overscan which zoomed in the image slightly to make sure there was a clean
edge around the picture on the screen, all the possible screen area was used for the image, and
that no transmission signals and other artefacts were visible. Programme makers made sure that
they kept all the important action within a 'safe action area', therefore ensuring nobody would miss
anything important. However, by using overscan we are actually losing some of the picture. On a
modern HDTV or projector, this overscan feature can often be switched on or off (but not always).
It is often recommended to have overscan switched on for standard definition pictures, but
switched off for high-definition pictures - but ultimately it comes down to personal preference.

P
PAL
Stands for Phase Alternating Line. The PAL system is used to encode analog TV transmissions in
some parts of the world - mainly in Europe and Asia.The term is often used to describe
a 576i picture (625 lines and 50Hz refresh rate).

Passive Subwoofer
A subwoofer with no built-in amplifier. This type of subwoofer should receive an amplified signal
from an AV receiver/amplifier. The subwoofer is basically just a housing for the speaker. Passive
subwoofers won't have inbuilt volume and tone controls, as this will be done by the amplifier
before sending the signal to the subwoofer. Most subwoofers designed for home cinema will
be active subwoofers - and most subwoofer outputs on AV receivers will send a pre-amp signal
(not amplified).

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Pixel
Short for picture element. A TV screen is made up of a grid of very small dots, squares or
rectangles. Each one of these is called a pixel. These pixels can each be made to display a
different color at different intensities. This is how they build an image on the screen. If you get very
close to your TV, you may be able to see the individual pixels at work.

Plasma TV
A type of flat screen TV. A plasma screen is made up of small phosphor-covered pixels filled with
gas. When fed with an electrical signal, the gas and the phosphor interact to create colors. These
colors can be controlled to produce the TV image. Clever huh! Plasma TVs used to offer the best
TV picture quality but have now been discontinued by all manufacturers.

Progressive Scan
Your TV displays a progressive scan picture by building each image frame one line at a time down
the screen i.e. each frame is drawn in one pass. This produces a very sharp and 'flicker-free'
picture. The traditional method for displaying TV pictures is by interlaced scan - where each frame
is drawn in two passes. Most modern DVD and Blu-ray players will be able to display the image
using progressive scan. Most TV transmissions still use interlaced scan.

Q
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R
RF
Stands for radio-frequency. Used by some remote controls to send control signals to home cinema
equipment. In the home, most remote controls use infrared to transmit a control signal. However,
some devices use RF remote controls which have the advantage of a greater range and the ability
to work through walls and other hard surfaces.

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RCA Plug
Also known as a phono plug. A common connection for audio/video cables and commonly found
as input/output connectors on DVD players and TVs etc. These connections are usually colored
red and white for analog stereo audio signals, yellow for analog composite video signals and
red/green/blue for analog component video signals. They are also used for coaxial digital audio
connections. For more information on the RCA plug and stereo cables.

Rear Projection Television

Also known as RPT. A type of large screen TV that creates an image by using a small projector
behind the screen. This used to be the main method of producing large screen TVs but has been
overtaken by LCD and plasma TVs in the last few years. The advantage of this system is that
projectors can produce excellent images - however, these systems tend to be rather bulky
compared to LCD and plasma flat screen TVs. Traditionally CRT projectors were used in RPTs,
but more recently the projectors used are either DLP, LCD or LCoS.

Refresh Rate
The refresh rate of a TV is the number of times per second the picture is 'redrawn'. The quicker a
picture is redrawn; any motion will appear smoother to the human eye and it will have less flicker.
This figure will be slightly different around the world due to technical differences. In a PAL region,
an interlaced TV picture has a frame rate of 25 frames per second - and each frame is drawn in
two passes. Therefore, the refresh rate is said to be 50Hz (25 x 2). In North America the frame
rate is 30 frames per second - so the refresh rate is 60Hz (30 x 2). These 50/60Hz refresh rates
originated from using interlaced scan images - but they were kept as standard when progressive
scan images started to be used (which are drawn in one pass). Many new TVs are increasing their
refresh rates to 100/120Hz (and more) by using digital signal processing.

RMS
Stands for Root Mean Square. A statistical measure of something that varies over time. It is used
in relation to amplifiers to get a meaningful value for the power output in watts. The RMS values of
voltage and watts are multiplied to get an average value of power. It is important to work with an
average power value, rather than a peak value, as this tells us more about how the amplifier will
perform in the real world.

S
SACD
Short for Super Audio Compact Disc. A high-resolution audio format developed by Sony and
Philips and designed to improve the audio quality of a traditional CD. SACD is a high-density disc
similar to a DVD, with a much higher sampling rate than a traditional CD. This results in recordings
with a wider frequency response and larger dynamic range. It also supports multi-channel audio as
well as stereo.
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SCART
A 21-pin connector used to connect audio-visual equipment. The 21 pins allow a SCART
connector to transmit analog audio and video signals through the same cable. Mostly used for
interconnecting TVs, DVD players and VCRs. A standard analog connection in Europe, but rarely
used in North America.

SDTV
Short for Standard Definition Television. SDTV is basically any TV transmission with a lower
resolution than Enhanced Definition Television (EDTV) or High Definition Television (HDTV).
Depending on where you live, each frame of a standard definition video signal has either 480
(North America) or 576 (Europe) visible vertical lines of information. Therefore, you may see an
SDTV transmission described as 480i (480 lines, interlaced) or 576i (576 lines, interlaced). EDTV
and HDTV produce a sharper picture than SDTV.

Soundbar
A bar with multiple speakers which is designed to be placed along the front edge of a TV screen.
The idea is to improve on the sound that TV speakers provide, whilst keeping a simple setup
without an AV receiver or surround speakers. The soundbar will often use audio processing
techniques to imitate the effect of surround sound, without having the need for extra speakers
around the room.

Speaker Sensitivity
Also known as speaker efficiency. A speaker is sent a fixed level of power (watts), and the
resulting sound level is measured to give the efficiency of that speaker. A less efficient speaker will
require more power to sound as loud as a more efficient speaker. Speaker sensitivity can range
from about 85db (inefficient) to about 100db (efficient). For more information, go to understanding
speaker sensitivity and efficiency.

Stereoscopy
Refers to any technique that records 3-dimensional visual information. These techniques allow the
creation of 3D TV images that have the illusion of depth. The basic idea is that a slightly different
version of an image is delivered to each eye, and the brain then creates one 3D image.

Surround Sound
The reproduction of audio using a multi-channel system. Most of the audio we hear from TV or
radio is stereo i.e. the audio is produced to sound good from two speakers in front of you.
Surround sound is used in cinema and at home to add a sense of space and direction to the
audio. For example, a 5.1 surround sound system uses six speakers. Front left and right (which is
the equivalent of your stereo speakers), front center (for dialogue), surround left and right (it's
behind you!) and a subwoofer (for bass). A 7.1 surround sound system has two more speakers at
the back. For more information go to the guide to setting up surround sound.

Subwoofer
A speaker designed to reproduce low bass frequencies. Can also just be called a sub. With one
speaker dedicated to reproducing just the low-end frequencies or LFE tracks, we can get a really
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strong bass sound. This is the one that annoys the neighbors! For more information, go to the
introduction to home theater speakers.

S-Video
A type of component analog video. The video signal is split into two separate parts and is usually
connected with a 4-pin mini-DIN cable. S-Video gives you better quality than composite video, but
not as good as component video. Follow the link for more on the S-Video cable and connectors.

T
TOSLINK
See optical audio connection.

Transducer
A device that turns one type of energy into another. A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic
transducer as it turns electrical energy into sound.

Tuner
A tuner is a device which receives radio/TV signals - and it can be adjusted to receive different
frequencies. In the case of a radio tuner, it will be able to tune to the frequencies of radio
transmissions (FM/AM). Once received, this signal is then passed to an amplifier/speaker
configuration in order to make the radio signal audible. A TV tuner will be able to tune to the
frequencies of TV transmissions. You can get analog tuners for receiving analog transmissions -
or these days, a digital tuner is becoming more common to receive digital transmissions.

Tweeter
A loudspeaker designed to reproduce high frequencies - usually in the region of 2 kHz to 20 kHz.
A typical bookshelf speaker may have two speaker drivers - a tweeter for the high frequencies,
and a woofer for the low frequencies.

U
Ultra HD
Also known as 4K, Ultra High Definition, Ultra HD 4K, SUHD and many more. A 4K image will be
recorded using progressive scan and have a minimum resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels - so 8.3
million pixels with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Follow the link for more details on understanding TV
resolution.

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Upconverting
Changing a video signal from one type to another - or to be precise, from a 'lower quality' video
signal to a 'higher quality' video signal. For example, if we have a DVD player connected to an AV
receiver with an analog component connection, but we want the AV receiver to output to the
display via HDMI- then the AV receiver will need to upconvert the analog component input signal
into a digital HDMI output signal. The AV receiver would also need to upconvert if the input was s-
video and the output was component.

UPnP
Stands for Universal Plug and Play. A set of network protocols that allows devices on a home
network to share data between each other. In terms of home entertainment, this means that a
display device like a TV can display pictures or play movies that are stored elsewhere on the
network - such as on a computer or NAS (Networked Attached Storage). It is easily confused
with DLNA. The DLNA certification standard uses parts of the UPnP protocol - but it places stricter
limits on the types of media files it supports.

Upscaling
Increasing the resolution of a low-resolution video signal to a higher resolution. A video scaler is
used to convert video signals from one resolution to another. For instance, a DVD player can play
an SD movie (480 lines NTSC, 576 lines PAL) and upscale this image to 720 (or 1080) vertical
lines to match the resolution of an HD display. This technique can make standard DVDs look
much better on a high-definition TV or projector. In this example, the video scaling can be done by
the DVD player or the TV/projector - and the best results will depend on which device has the best
video scaler. This process is sometimes referred to as 'upconverting', but this shouldn't be
confused with upconverting! - who said this stuff was easy? :-)

V
VESA
Stands for Video Electronics Standards Association. An association formed in 1989 by a number
of video display manufacturers. Their aim was to set certain standards within the industry to allow
common features between devices. For example, VESA compliant hole patterns define standard
hole sizes on TV wall mounts and on the rear of flat panel TVs. For more information, go to the
guide to the best TV wall mounts: reviews and buying guide.

VGA Connector
A connection that transmits analog video signals. This port is usually found on devices as a 15 pin
D-type connection. It is used mainly on computers and projectors - but they are still provided on
some flat panel screens for the connection of laptops. Follow the link for more on the VGA
connector and cable.

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 W
Wide Color Gamut
A color gamut refers to the number of different colors a device can show. This device might be a
TV or projector. Over the years, there have been different color gamut standards for TVs. These
standards have gradually evolved with the technology e.g. the introduction of high definition TV.
The 4K Ultra HD specification introduced a new standard called BT.2020. Part of this new
standard included the display of more colors. This improved color standard is often referred to as
the wide color gamut.

Widescreen
A widescreen image has an aspect ratio that is wider and shorter than the original standard
of 4:3 (1.33:1) aspect ratio. Typically, we mean a 16:9 (1.78:1) aspect ratio when we talk about
widescreen, as this is the standard size for flat screen TVs. However, films are traditionally shot
with an even wider image size such as 1.85:1 or 2.39:1. This is why we get black bars at the top
and bottom of a film on our 16:9 TV - because the original film was shot with a wider aspect ratio
than our TV can show.

Woofer
A loudspeaker designed to reproduce low frequencies - usually in the region of 40 Hz to 1 kHz. A
typical bookshelf speaker may have two speaker drivers - a woofer for the low frequencies, and a
tweeter for the high frequencies.

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Y
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Z
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