Calibration

Calibration is adjusting video displays and audio equalizers to get the best quality and performance. Calibration uses standard tests with a known correctness level. The equipment is adjusted to match (as closely as possible) the known level.

Calibrating a television, for example, entails adjusting color, brightness, white level and other factors by using test screens. Audio equipment is calibrated using test tones of known frequencies.

CATV

CATV is cable television programming. Local cable companies transmit video and audio signals through coaxial cables to TVs, allowing a large number of channels with little distortion. With CATV, there is no need to use an antenna.

Chroma

Chroma is the color information in a video signal. The chroma consists of saturation (amount of pure color) and hue (the color itself).

Chrominance

Chrominance is the color portion of a video signal. Video signals are made up of color portions (chrominance) and luminance (brightness, darkness and contrast). Chrominance tells the video display what colors to use and how much saturation (amount of pure color) to use, while luminance gives the colors depth and contrast by adjusting the darkness and brightness of the image.

CinemaScreen™ Floating Picture Screen

CimemaScreen is a type of video display with a borderless screen that gives images more vibrance and enables viewers to feel closer to the action.

Coaxial Cable

A coaxial cable is a type of cable that carries both video and audio signals. Coaxial cable is used by cable and satellite companies. Coaxial cable plugs into RF input or output jacks. The connectors on the ends of coaxial cables are called F connectors. These connectors are either threaded like a screw or simply slide or push on. There are different types of coaxial cable; some is suited for cable-TV reception, but higher quality coaxial is needed for satellite signal transfer.

Comb Filter

A comb filter separates the chrominance (color) and luminance (brightness) portions of a composite video signal. Comb filters are not used with S-Video (Y/C video) or component video connections (RB or Y, Pb, Pr), since those connections carry the chrominance and luminance separately. A filter is necessary for any composite video format, including laserdisc and television programming.

When using composite video, a comb filter is better than a notch filter.

Component Video

Component video is a way of transferring video information without combining it into one signal. Component video sends the information in separate components: red, green and blue (RGB) or luminance, luminance minus blue, and luminance minus red (Y-Y/B-Y/R or Y-Pb-Pr). Component video offers a higher quality picture than composite or s-video.

Composite Video

Composite video transfers video information by combining color and brightness information into one signal. NTSC programming is a composite signal. Composite video uses a single video cable with an RCA connector.

Since composite video combines the chrominance and luminance signals together, a comb filter or a notch filter must divide the two signals back out before the video can be displayed. This process results in some distortion and picture degradation. A comb filter is better than a notch filter.

Compression

   Compression is a technique that shrinks down data so it can travel faster or take up less space when stored. There are various compression methods.

   The most common form of video compression is MPEG-2, used with digital television, DVD and direct broadcast satellite (DBS). A common form of audio compression is Dolby’s AC-3 method, used in Dolby Digital surround sound.