T

Tera. An SI prefix for denominations of one trillion (1012).

telecine artist

The operator of a telecine machine. Also called a colorist.

telecine

The process (and the equipment) used to transfer film to video. The telecine machine performs 3:2 pulldown by projecting film frames in the proper sequence to be captured by a video camera.

temporal resolution

The clarity of a moving image or moving object, or the measurement of the rate of information change in motion video. See resolution.

temporal

Relating to time. The temporal component of motion video is broken into individual still pictures. Because motion video can contain images (such as backgrounds) that do not change much over time, typical video has large amounts of temporal redundancy.

TIF or TIFF

Tag Image File Format. A common graphic file format supported by most DVD-Video authoring tools for the importation of still images, menu backgrounds and highlight overlay images.

tilt

A mechanical measurement of the warp of a disc. Usually expressed in radial and tangential components: radial indicating dishing and tangential indicating ripples in the perpendicular direction.

time code

Information recorded with audio or video to indicate a position in time. Usually consists of values for hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. Also called SMPTE time code. Some DVD-Video material includes information to allow the player to search to a specific time code position.

title key

A value used to encrypt and decrypt (scramble) user data on DVD-Video discs.

title

The largest unit of a DVD-Video disc (other than the entire volume or side). Usually a movie, TV program, music album, or so on. A disc can hold up to 99 titles, which can be selected from the disc menu. Entire DVD volumes are also commonly called titles.

track buffer

Circuitry (including memory) in a DVD player that provides a variable stream of data (up to 10.08 Mbps) to the system decoders of data coming from the disc at a constant rate of 11.08 Mbps (except for breaks when a different part of the disc is accessed).

track pitch

The distance (in the radial direction) between the centers of two adjacent tracks on a disc. DVD-ROM standard track pitch is 0.74 mm.

track

1) A distinct element of audiovisual information, such as the picture, a sound track for a specific language, or the like. DVD-Video allows one track of video (with multiple angles), up to 8 tracks of audio, and up to 32 tracks of subpicture; 2) one revolution of the continuous spiral channel of information recorded on a disc.

transfer rate

The speed at which a certain volume of data is transferred from a device such as a DVD-ROM drive to a host such as a personal computer. Usually measured in bits per second or bytes per second. Sometimes confusingly used to refer to data rate, which is independent of the actual transfer system.

transform

The process or result of replacing a set of values with another set of values. A mapping of one information space onto another.

trim

See crop.

tristimulus

A three-valued signal that can match nearly all colors of visible light in human vision. This is possible because of the three types of photoreceptors in the eye. RGB, YCbCr, and similar signals are tristimulus, and can be interchanged by using mathematical transformations (subject to possible loss of information).

TVL

Television Line. See lines of horizontal resolution.

TWG

Technical Working Group. A general term for an industry working group. Specifically, the predecessor to the CPTWG.

twos complement

The number calculated so that each bit of a binary number is inverted (ones are replaced with zeros and vice versa), then one (=000...0001b) is added ignoring the overflow.

 

VBI

Vertical blanking interval. The scan lines in a television signal that do not contain picture information. These lines are present to allow the electron scanning beam to return to the top and are used to contain auxiliary information such as closed captions.

VBR

Variable bit rate. Data that can be read and processed at a volume that varies over time. A data compression technique that produces a data stream between a fixed minimum and maximum rate. A constant level of compression is generally maintained, with the required bandwidth increasing or decreasing depending on the complexity (the amount of spatial and temporal energy) of the data being encoded. In other words, data rate is held constant while quality is allowed to vary. Compare to CBR.

VBScript

A proprietary Visual Basic-based programming language defined by Microsoft for use in their Internet Explorer Web browser. (See also, JavaScript and JScript, above.)

VBV

Video buffering verifier. A hypothetical decoder that is conceptually connected to the output of an MPEG video encoder. Provides a constraint on the variability of the data rate that an encoder can produce.

VCAP (Video Capable Audio Player)

An audio player which can read the limited subset of video features defined for the DVD-Audio format. (Contrast with universal DVD player.)

VCD

Video Compact Disc. Near-VHS-quality MPEG-1 video on CD. Used primarily in Asia.

VfW

See Video for Windows.

VGA (Video Graphics Array)

A standard analog monitor interface for computers. Also a video graphics resolution of 640x480 pixels.

VHS

Video Home System. The most popular system of videotape for home use. Developed by JCV.

Video CD

An extension of CD based on MPEG-1 video and audio. Allows playback of near-VHS-quality video on a Video CD player, CD-i player, or computer with MPEG decoding capability.

Video for Windows

The system software additions used for motion video playback in Microsoft Windows. Replaced in newer versions of Windows by DirectShow (formerly called ActiveMovie).

Video Manager (VMG)

In DVD-Video, the information and data to control one or more Video Title Sets (VTS) and Video Manager Menu (VMGM). It is composed of the Video Manager Information (VMGI), the Video Object Set for Video Manager Menu (VMGM_VOBS), and a backup of the VMGI (VMGI_BUP).

Video Title Set (VTS)

In DVD-Video, a collection of Titles and Video Title Set Menu (VTSM) to control 1 to 99 Titles. It is composed of the Video Title Set Information (VTSI), the Video Object Set for the Menu (VTSM_VOBS), the Video Object Set for the Title (VTST_VOBS), and a backup of the VTSI (VTSI_BUP).

VIDEO_TS

UDF file name used for video directory on disc volume. Files under this directory name contain pointers to the sectors on the disc which hold the program streams.

videophile

Someone with an avid interest in watching videos or in making video recordings. Videophiles are often very particular about audio quality, picture quality, and aspect ratio to the point of snobbishness.

VLC (Variable Length Coding)

See Huffman coding.

VMGI (Video Manager Information)

Information required to manage one or more Video Title Sets and Video Manager Menu areas. This is non real time data located at the start of the Video Manager area.

VOB (Video Object)

A single, complete file composed of multiplexed Video, Audio, Sub-picture, PCI and DSI elementary streams, and consisting of an integer number of VOBUs.

VOBS (Video Object Set)

A collection of one or more VOBs. There are three types: 1) VMGM_VOBS for the Video Manager Menu (VMGM) area, 2) VTSM_VOBS for the Video Titles Set Menu (VTSM) area, and 3) VTST_VOBS for the Video Title Set Title (VTST) area.

VOBU (Video Object Unit)

A small (between 0.4 and 1.0 seconds) physical unit of DVD-Video data storage, usually the length of one GOP, that begins with a Navigation pack (NV_PCK) and usually includes an integer number of GOPs.

Volume Management Information

Identifies disc side and content type.

Volume Space

Collection of sectors that make the volume. Not all sectors on the disc comprise the volume. Some near the inner and out spiral are used as leader.

volume

A logical unit representing all the data on one side of a disc.

VSDA

Video Software Dealers Association.

VTSI (Video Title Set Information)

Information required to manage one or more Titles and Video Title Set Menus. This is non real time data located at the start of the Video Title Set.