0-9
100hz
A normal TV refresh rate is 50Hz a TV with a 100 Hz refresh rate is able to produce a far clearer picture, however it can also increase the level of distortion caused by interference from low quality signals and poor recordings.
16:9
Gives a picture near to what you would see in a cinema. The Widescreen shape (16:9) means you get a bigger picture size to that of traditional (4:3) television when displaying films or DVD`s. A number of the new digital channels are broadcast programmes in widescreen format.
4:3
Traditional TV format found mainly on older or smaller televisions. Large TVs are now adopting the Widescreen picture format (16:9).
5.1
is a six channel home cinema system. It consists of a front channel for on-screen dialogue, Left & right front stereo channels, Left & right rear surround effect channels and a subwoofer channel for dedicated Bass effects.
6.1 Channel Input
Applies to amplifiers, receivers, Hifi`s and Surround Sound processors. Allows the connection of a Dolby Digital/DTS source such as a suitably equipped DVD player which handles the processing of the Dolby Digital / DTS signal itself.
A
A.C.E - Active Contrast Enhancer
With this technology running in the panel the viewer gets the deepest and richest colours that plasma technology can offer. The Takami range of plasmas offer a 10,000:1 contrast ratio, creating an exceptionally real viewing performance.
Amplifier
Amplifies audio to allow higher quality sound at higher volumes.
Auto Tune
Automatically tunes in the channels that the aerial can receive. Advanced auto tuning systems will sort the channels into order (i.e. BBC1 on channel 1, BBC2 on channel 2,...).
B
Brightness
Simply how bright a TV is measured in candelas per square metre or nit.
B.C.B - Brightness Colour Balancer
When brightness is set high on plasma screens some inferior models can leave the picture looking washed out. With our brightness colour balancing technology it stops the image losing colour with particularly bright pictures, leaving you with a vivid and vibrant image. Our top spec Takami range of plasma screens offers up to 1500cd/m2 brightness.
C
CD/M2
Candelas per metre square used to measure brightness in screens commonly known as nit.
CD-R
Recordable CD that can be written only once, but when finalised can be played on most CD players.
CD-RW
Re-writeable CD disc that can be written repeatedly but can only be played on compatible CD players.
CDR/RW Playback
A CD or DVD Player that can play back audio compact discs recorded on a CDR or CDRW recorder.
Co-Axial Cable
Used to send digital sound from a DVD player to an AV amplifier, or connect a CD player to the amplifier.
Component Video
Used to send very high quality signals from a DVD player to a Television. Higher quality than SCART but carries video signal only, a separate cable must be used to carry sound.
Composite Video
Standard video signal used to send pictures down a cable e.g. from a TV to a VCR or camcorder to a TV.
Contrast Ratio
Contrast on a TV gives you the depth of colour, the higher the contrast ratio on a TV the greater the depth of colour it will have.
CRT
Acronym for a Cathode Ray Tube, the heart of a TV, consisting of a phosphor panel and electron gun.
D
Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital (5.1) is a six-channel home cinema system. It consists of a front channel for on-screen dialogue, Left & right front stereo channels, Left & right rear surround effect channels and a subwoofer channel for dedicated Bass effects. It is the ultimate home cinema system which gives the best quality cinema experience from DVD`s.
DTS
Digital Theatre System. An alternative to Dolby Digital, DTS encodes six-channel digital surround sound and is used in some cinemas and on some DVDs.
DTT
Digital Terrestrial Television. The name given to digital broadcasts received through a standard TV aerial. The most common example of this in the UK is Freeview.
DVB
Digital Video Broadcasting. Used to indicate a signal that is received via a standard TV aerial in digital form as opposed to the traditional analogue broadcast format.
DVD
Digital Versatile Disc. Digital playing and recording format that provides higher picture and sound quality to that of a video cassette.
DVD-Audio
Audio that can provide multi channel surround and high quality stereo sound.
DVD Player
Can play DVDs
DVD Recorder
Can record DVDs
DVD-R/DVD+R
Recordable DVD discs that can only be written to once. There are two formats + and -, different DVD recorders are compatible with different formats.
DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD+RW
Again different types of DVD that can be written and rewritten more than once.
DVI
Digital Video Interface. It is a video connection that can transport digital images.
E
F
Fastext
Teletext, which uses coloured keys on the remote control as shortcuts to different pages.
G
Graphic Equaliser
Electronic device used to adjust the frequency response of an audio system, it can selectively alter the level of sound allowed in discreet frequency bands from bass to treble. Often shown graphically with an LED display.
H
HDTV
High Definition Television. Holds more than double the number of lines on a standard TV signal. This provides a much sharper picture at a higher resolution and relates to how TV signals are broadcast and some DVDs are setup.
I
J
K
L
LCD
Liquid Crystal Display. LCD screens are increasing in demand due to their lightweight slim line build and positioning flexibility in comparison to traditional CRT sets.
LFE
Low Frequency Effects. Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 soundtracks feature a dedicated bass channel (.1) specifically to cater for and process low frequency sounds and add emphasis and depth to soundtracks.
Long play
Using compression the video player is able to extend the length of the recording/ playing time beyond that of standard recording/ playing time of the tape cassette.
M
Megatext
Almost instant access to up to 500 pages of text stored in the TVs own memory
N
NICAM
Acronym for Near Instantaneous Companded Audio Multiplex. Simply means that the sound is in digital stereo.
NIT
Measures the brightness of a TV 1nit = 1cd/m2 (candelas per metre squared) and allows comparison between different TVs.
NTSC
American and Japanese TV picture format. TVs with this capability can receive NTSC signals from VCR or DVD.
O
Optical Cable
Used to carry digital sound from a DVD player to an AV amplifier.
OSD
On Screen Display - graphic displays, which appear on the TV, screen to guide through the various settings and controls.
P
PAL
TV broadcast system used in the UK.
Parental Lock
Allows parents to "lock" certain content so that children cannot see unsuitable channels.
Picture in Picture
Allows a viewer on a TVs to watch more than one channel within smaller windows on the TV, can also be used to display picture and text where indicated.
Pixel
Picture Element. A point of light that forms part of a video or photographic image.
Plasma
Technology that uses electrical impulses that react with gases contained to produce pixels. The advantages of a Plasma TVs lie in the fact they are lightweight and their slim line nature means they use far less space than a traditional CRT TV whilst also being regarded as far more stylish.
Progressive Scan
An advanced method of how a TV presents the pictures it receives. A standard TV uses Interlacing to scan the picture and it takes it 1/30th of a second, to scan the full picture, whereas progressive scan can scan the whole image in 1/60th of a second to produce a sharper smoother viewing experience. In layman’s terms the screen refreshes twice as fast.
Pull down processing technology
Our 3:2 pull down processing technology means a real digital cinema experience. A cinema film is shown at 24 frames per second, but if displayed by a normal TV, is converted to 30 frames per second. This can distort and blur the edge of pictures and misplace them. Our 3:2 pull down processing technology incorporated into the Tiny plasma TV processes each and every frame separately, compensating against any spoilage on the pictures and maintains the original signal of the film and reproduces it in every detail.
Q
R
Region 2
The standard coding for DVD recordings sold in the UK, US manufactured discs are coded Region 1 meaning to view UK and US discs a DVD player must be adapted to be multi-regional.
RGB
Transmission system that splits the Red, Green and Blue signal to provide a clearer and more defined picture.
RMS
Root Mean Square - commonly used when measuring the power output of a hifi system, the RMS figure is quoted by most manufacturers to give a more realistic indication of the system’s power output than the peak power output.
S
S-Video
Carries picture signals only from a component to a TV. Superior to SCART or Composite connection but inferior to Component or RGB SCART. Carries picture only so a separate connection must be used for audio signals.
SCART
A SCART cable carries the video, audio and system control signals, to and from the VCR, TV, Games Console or other equipment.
SCAVEM
Scan Velocity Modulation. Electronic function that gives a dramatic improvement in picture quality.
SECAM
TV broadcast system used in France and some other countries. Only multi-standard TV’s can receive these signals in the UK - normal TV sets for this country can only receive the PAL standard used here.
Sleep Timer
Function that allows the unit to turn itself off after a set period of time. Usually applies to TV’s and Hifi`s.
Subwoofer
Used for the reproduction of low sound frequencies, typically from 20Hz to 200Hz. Whether in the car or at home, the subwoofer is critical for filling out the "low end" of the audible spectrum, as well as ground pounding bass.
SVGA
Super Video Graphics Array. A display resolution of 800 x 600 pixels.
T
Timeslip Recording
On DVD-RAM recorders it enables you to start watching a programme before you’ve finished recording it.
TV Tuner
The item that distinguishes between a screen and a TV, a screen with a tuner card built into allows the screen to decode TV signals.
U
V
Virtual Dolby
Used on TVs to produce a surround sound without the use of additional speakers.
W
Wall mount
Applies to flat screen technology most slim screens can be bought with an optional wall mounting kit allowing it to be hung on a wall.
Widescreen
Gives a picture near to what you would see in a cinema. The Widescreen shape (16:9) means you get a bigger picture size to that of traditional (4:3) TV when displaying films or DVD`s. A number of the new digital channels are broadcast programmes in widescreen format.
X
XGA
Extended Graphics Array. A display resolution of 1024x768 pixels.
Y
Z