F-Connector

A common type of cable termination used for cable television (CATV).

Fiber-Optic Cable

Fiber-optic cables use light beams to transmit information, as opposed to electrical signals, which travel over metal wires. Fiber-optic cables can be used to connect digital audio devices.

The greatest benefit of using fiber-optic cables in an audio system is their immunity to electromagnetic interference. They are not subject to the distortion that traditional metal wires carrying electric signals are.

Field

A field is half of an interlaced video frame. A video frame is the entire image, consisting of two fields; one field contains all the odd horizontal lines, the other field contains the even lines. An interlaced image (such as the NTSC analog television standard) draws all the odd lines of an image first, then all the even lines. A video frame consists of all the odd and even lines that combine to create a complete image.

Flat-Screen

A flat-screen is a direct view video display with a screen that is flat instead of curved. Most direct view screens are slightly convex (slight curve inward). The advantage of a flat screen is that images on screen do not bend slightly or bow out at the sides and reflections are minimized. While a flat-screen picture is preferable to a curved screen picture, flat-screen televisions cost more to manufacture.

Frame

A frame is one complete video image. By showing multiple frames in rapid succession, the illusion of motion is created. Movies display 24 frames a second, NTSC TV programming displays 30 frames a second.

Frequency

    In a sound wave, frequency measures the number of waves (the positive and negative crest and trough) sent out per second and can be used to measure the length of the individual waves (the wavelength). Frequency is measured in hertz (Hz).

Front Panel Lock

    Front Panel lock is a feature available on some TVs. It allows you to disable the controls on the front of the TV so young children can’t change the TV’s settings.

Front Projection Video Display

   A Front projection video display uses a large reflective screen and a separate projector mounted in front of the screen. Light from the projector shines onto the screen and images are reflected back to the viewer. Front projection is generally used with larger screen sizes. Because light coming from windows or lamps can interfere with the light traveling from the projector, projection displays should be watched in a dark room.

   There are many types of projection displays, including LCD (liquid crystal display), DLP (digital light processing), and CRT (cathode ray tubes). Front projection displays take up less room than rear projection displays with the same screen size.