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Glossary of terms
3G
Third generation network.
A/D
Analogue to digital conversion.
A/V
Audio/Video or Audiovisual.
Acquisition
The process of acquiring video footage. Usually refers to acquiring footage on one format with the intention of performing post-production work from the acquisition format to a higher-quality format.
Active
Used to describe the state of an event or device. An active event is one that has been cued or is in preroll, playout or postroll. An active device is one that is responsible for playing an active event.
Active Video
The portion of a video signal which is visible on a screen, and not blanked. Vertically the active picture area is 487 lines for NTSC and 576 lines for PAL.
ADC
Analogue to Digital Converter: A device or process used to convert analog signals to digital signals used in TBCs, frame syncs, frame grabber boards, etc. It is achieved by sampling the signal at intervals and then quantifying each sample to give them values suitable for use in a digital system.
ADSL
Asymmetric digital subscriber line: A form of data communications technology that uses the frequencies that are not used by a voice telephone call, enabling faster data transmission from a single telephone connection. Generally used only over short distances, due to the varying quality of phone lines.
AES
Audio Engineering Society: AES is a professional organisation that recommends standards for the audio industries.
AES/EBU
The standard for digital audio defined by the Audio Engineering Society and the European Broadcasting Union, now adopted also by ANSI (American National Standards Institute).