TV jargon buster Jargon explained A – I

3D TV

Watching in 3D

3DTV
A TV that can display 3D broadcast TV or a 3D film. To watch in 3D you'll need a 3D TV, a pair of 3DTV glasses - and some 3D content to watch. Sky has a 3D channel, while big sporting events are also sometimes broadcast in 3D. Many Blu-ray players are compatible with 3D Blu-ray discs too.
5.1
An arrangement of six speakers, one of which is a low-frequency subwoofer speaker, used to create surround sound.
100Hz
Most TV pictures are broadcast or recorded at 50Hz – that’s 50 fields or 25 frames per second. In an attempt to manipulate the picture and create the illusion of smoother motion, many TVs feature 100Hz processing software. This doubles the number of frames on screen, making motion appear smoother. Some brands claim even higher-sounding processing (200Hz, 400Hz etc), but this is often measured in a different way and our expert viewing panel has not reported any significant improvements in motion performance.

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1080i and 1080p
There are two main types of high-definition (HD) picture – 1080i and 1080p. HD TV is broadcast in 1080i, but high-definition Blu-ray discs are recorded in 1080p, which is marginally more detailed and realistic. This is because on 1080p, the 1,080 horizontal lines are scanned progressively, or one after another. With 1080i, even lines then odd lines are scanned alternately to make up the picture, although the difference is really quite subtle.
Aspect ratio
Shape of the screen (width:height). Most TVs are now widescreen with an aspect ratio of 16:9. Older TVs have an aspect ratio of 4:3. Digital TV is broadcast in a widescreen format.
Audio Description

The Audio Description logo

Audio description
This is an additional narration for visually impaired people that describes significant visual information, such as body language and scenery.
Auto-format switching
It's a good idea to choose a TV that automatically alters how different broadcasts are displayed – for example, showing standard (4:3) broadcasts with black bands on either side so the images aren't stretched out of proportion. Virtually all widescreen TVs will do this.
Auto power-off
If you leave your TV switched on when not in use, this handy energy-saving feature will switch it into standby after a given period of idleness.
Backlights
LCD TVs feature backlights – lamps at the rear of the screen that illuminate the picture. You can alter the backlight’s brightness to manipulate picture quality and save power. LCD TVs with an ambient light sensor automatically adjust the brightness of the backlight according to the ambient light in the room, which saves power. Dynamic backlights adjust their intensity according to the content on the screen in an attempt to prevent images looking washed out. Plasma TVs don’t have backlights – instead, they alter the brightness of the individual gas cells that make up the picture, saving power and creating much the same effect.
Black level control
This adjusts the pictures’ black level. This is useful for watching movies with particularly dark sequences, such as The Matrix.
Blu-ray
A high-definition DVD format developed by Sony. A Blu-ray disc can hold nine hours of high-definition (HD) video and around 23 hours of standard-definition (SD) video on a 50GB disc. Blu-ray pictures are recorded in 1080p, which is subtly more detailed and realistic than the 1080i HD broadcast signal.

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Bookmarking
DVD players with bookmarking let you mark favourite scenes or places in a disc so you can quickly find them again. More sophisticated DVD players let you bookmark several discs, and will ‘remember’ your bookmarks even when the disc is removed.
Coaxial digital output
If you use surround sound, be careful. There are two types of digital connections - coaxial (wire) and optical (fibre optic). Make sure your surround-sound system input matches the output on either your DVD player, TV or set-top box. Both connections can also carry stereo signals.
Component
This is a high-quality video input made up of three sockets coloured red, green and blue. Also known as YPbPr, it splits the video signal into three separate parts for an improved picture. However, component connections are still not widely used on AV equipment and, unlike Scart sockets, they do not carry the auto-format switching signal.
Composite input (see video input)
Contrast ratio
The difference between how dark and bright the picture on a TV will go. A higher contrast ratio should mean deeper blacks and whiter whites, with a good range of subtle colour in between. However, it’s not a linear value – so 12,000:1 is not ‘twice as good’ as 6,000:1
CRT
Cathode ray tube – the technology behind traditional big-box TVs. Traditional cathode ray tube TVs have now been superseded by chic flat-panel models.
DLNA
An industry-wide standard developed to allow the sharing of digital media - such as photos, videos and music - between computers, mobile phones, TVs and other devices in and around the home. Find out more with our guide to DLNA.
DTS
Digital theatre system: a surround-sound standard that is used in home cinema systems. The DVD was the standard method of renting and playing films, until it was superseded by Blu-ray.
DVD disc types (RW, RAM etc)
Not all DVDs are the same. There are several different recording formats – DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW and DVD Ram – each with slightly different features and capabilities. All DVD players will play pre-recorded DVDs (those you rent or buy).
EPG

A typical EPG

EPG
Electronic programme guides display schedules of the week’s digital programmes on screen - a bit like having an electronic TV guide at the touch of a button. The style and format of an EPG depends on the particular model of TV, but most show programmes at least seven days ahead, plus a 'Now and Next' option.
Ethernet port
This allows connection to a home network, letting you stream audio and video content straight to your TV, use DLNA or access the internet on your TV (see Smart TV).
Flat-panel display
The general term used for LCD , plasma and LED technologies.

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Freesat
A subscription-free digital satellite TV service. To watch it you'll need a Freesat set-top box, a satellite dish and ideally an HD-ready TV. Freesat offers more channels than Freeview.
 
freeview logo
Freeview
A subscription-free digital TV service that provides television through an aerial. Virtually all new TVs come with Freeview built in.
Freeview HD
Similar to Freeview, with a handful of HD channels thrown in. Some new TVs come with Freeview HD built in. Alternatively, you can buy a Freeview HD set-top box to access it.
Full HD
TVs labelled Full HD tend to have 1080 horizontal lines and often have better picture quality than more basic 'HD ready' sets when watching an HD programme or Blu-ray film.
HDD
Hard disk drive. Familiar to computer users, these now appear in PVRs and some DVD recorders as a convenient and flexible way of recording TV programmes. The larger the hard-disk size, the more recordings you can store.
HDMI 2

An HDMI cable is used to connect high definition equipment, an HD camcorder to a TV, for example

HDMI
High-definition socket for connecting your TV to other HD equipment such as a Sky HD box, HD games console or Blu-ray player. Some standard DVD players and DVD recorders also feature an HDMI output. This is a high-definition video socket, which many manufacturers claim will enhance standard-definition DVD pictures when connected to an HD TV. We’ve found that improvement in picture quality is rather subtle.
HD ready
'HD ready' is a labelling scheme introduced by the TV manufacturers' organisation, the European Industry Association for Information Systems (EICTA). The label means the TV has the minimum screen resolution and digital sockets to receive and display a broadcast HD picture. TVs labelled HD ready tend to have 768 horizontal on-screen lines.
Hi-fi
You can normally connect your TV to a hi-fi stereo amplifier via red and white phono sockets. This is useful if the TV’s in-built speakers aren't quite up to the job. If your TVs has no stereo phono sockets, surround sound and stereo signals can be carried by digital optical and coaxial outputs.
High-definition television (HD TV)
HD TV transmits a high-definition TV signal with roughly twice the standard picture resolution as normal standard-definition television. More HD channels are being added all the time, with Sky offering the most.

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