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GLOSSARY OF
TELEVISION TERMS
General Information: Glossary of Television Terms
Active Control™ • Proactive video-control system for NTSC
(see definition below) sources. Active Control™ continuously
measures and corrects the incoming signals to provide the best
picture possible.
Alternate Channel • The feature that allows you to toggle
between the last two channels viewed by pressing the A/CH button
on the remote control.
ATSC • Advanced Television Systems Committee, the U.S. com-
mittee (reporting to the FCC [Federal Communications
Commission]) that has specified a set of American digital TV stan-
dards. There are 18 voluntary ATSC video formats.
Audio/Video Inputs • Jacks (standard RCA), located on the rear of
the TV, used for the input of audio and video signals. These jacks
are designed for use with VCRs (or other accessories) to receive
higher picture resolution and offer sound-connection options.
Auto Program • The feature that, when activated, scans for all
available channels from regular antenna or cable signals and stores
only active broadcast stations in the TV’s memory.
Channel Edit • The feature that allows you to add or delete chan-
nels from the list of channels stored in the TV’s memory. Channel
Edit makes it easy to limit or expand the number of channels that
are available to you when you press the CH +/– buttons on your
remote control.
Closed Captioning • The broadcast standard feature that allows
you to read the voice content of television programs on the TV
screen. Designed to help the hearing impaired, Closed Captioning
uses onscreen text boxes to show dialogue and conversations while
a TV program is in progress.
Coaxial Cable • A single solid wire normally matched with a
metal plug (F-type) end connector that screws (or pushes) directly
onto a 75-ohm input found on the television or VCR.
Comb Filter • TV filter that removes distortion, resulting in a
sharper and purer color display. The comb filter addresses the
annoying cross-color distortion that may occur in TV broadcasts
when, for example, the presenter wears a striped or checked jacket.
Component Video Inputs • Inputs that allow the separate recep-
tion of blue, red, and luminance signals. These inputs provide the
highest possible color and picture resolution in the playback of dig-
ital signal-source material, such as the kind available from DVD
players. Component video inputs allow for improved bandwidth
information not possible through composite video or S-Video con-
nections.
Composite Video Input • An input in which all the components
required for displaying the onscreen image are combined in one
signal.
Convergence • The technique used in color TV for bringing the
red, green, and blue color beams together so that they hit the same
part of the picture tube screen at the same time. This avoids color
fringes around images in the picture.
High-definition Television (HDTV) • High-resolution digital tele-
vision. HDTV is high-resolution digital television. It has lifelike
pictures, and with it films retain their original width, enhancing the
home theater experience.
Incredible Surround™ • False acoustic management of the audio
signal that produces a dramatic expansion of the wall of sound that
surrounds the listener and heightens overall viewing pleasure.
Interlaced • A picture-scanning technique that improves the appear-
ance of onscreen motion. It also helps smooth jagged lines that are
sometimes seen on curved and angled surfaces in the picture.
Menu • An onscreen list of feature controls available for the user
to adjust or set.
NTSC • National Television Standards Committee format
devised in the 1940s for TV broadcast analog video signals
(525 lines: 30 Hz).
Onscreen Displays (OSD) • The wording or messages generated
by the television (or VCR) to help you with specific feature con-
trols (color adjustment or programming, for example).
Picture-in-Picture • The showing of two pictures on the TV
screen at the same time (one main screen picture and one small
picture, or PIP).
Progressive Scan • A picture-scanning technique that doubles the
number of picture lines, eliminating the flicker and providing a
jitter-free picture.
PTV • Projection Television. (Rear- and/or front-projection design
systems are available.)
Remote-control Sensor Window • The window or opening found
on the television control panel through which infrared remote-con-
trol command signals are received.
RGB • Red, green, and blue signal. These are the primary colors of
light that are used to produce a picture in television. By mixing
levels or R, G, and B, all colors (chrominance and luminance) are
reproduced.
RF • Radio Frequency or modulated signal design used as the car-
rier for television broadcasts.
Second Audio Program (SAP) • An additional audio channel pro-
vided for in the Multichannel Television Sound (MTS) broadcast
standard. A monaural soundtrack included within the recorded or
video signal (usually containing a second language translation for
the displayed programming).
Status/Exit Button • Remote-control button that, when pressed,
shows the current channel number, name (if set), time (if set),
Sleep Timer setting, and sound setting (stereo, mono, SAP, or
mute). Pressing the button twice shows the current AutoLock™
settings. Pressing the button once when an onscreen display is
showing removes the onscreen display. You can use Status/Exit
rather than having to wait for the displays to “time out,” or auto-
matically disappear from the screen.
S-Video Input • Signal input that allows direct connection of high-
resolution video sources, such as a satellite receiver, DVD player, S
(Super)-VHS videocassette recorder, or video games. Provides
improved picture resolution, sharpness, and clarity.
1080i • The highest vertical resolution defined for ATSC (see defi-
nition on this page). The format 1080i has 1920 x 1080 pixels.
Tint • TV function that allows you to change the general color bal-
ance between cool and warm. Adjust tint according to your person-
al preference.
Twin–lead Wire • The more commonly used name for the two-
strand, 300-ohm antenna wire used with many indoor and outdoor
antenna systems. In many cases, this type of antenna wire requires
an additional adapter (or balun) in order to connect to the 75-ohm
input terminals designed into the more recent TVs and VCRs.