Panasonic DVD-H2000 warranty Glossary, Reference

Glossary

Bitstream

This is the digital form of multiple channel audio data (e.g., 5.1 chan- nel) before it is decoded into its various channels.

Decoder

A decoder restores the coded audio signals on DVDs to normal. This is called decoding.

Direct navigator

This is a list of programs you have recorded. You can select pro- grams from the list to view. The list also shows the date and time of recording, the channel, and the titles of titled programs. The select- ed program is played in the background, making selection even simpler.

Dolby Digital

This is a method of coding digital signals developed by Dolby Labo- ratories. Apart from stereo (2-channel) audio, these signals can also be 5.1-channel audio. A large amount of audio information can be recorded on one disc using this method.

Dolby Pro Logic

A surround system where a 4-channel audio track is recorded as 2 channels and then is restored to 4 channels for play. The surround channel is monaural and can reproduce up to 7 kHz.

DTS (Digital Theater Systems)

This surround system is used in many movie theaters around the world. There is good separation between the channels, so realistic sound effects are possible.

Dynamic range

Dynamic range is the difference between the lowest level of sound that can be heard above the noise of the equipment and the highest level of sound before distortion occurs.

Film and video

DVDs are recorded using either film or video. Film is recorded at 24 frames per second, the rate movies are filmed at, although some recent progressive material is recorded at 30 frames per second. Video is recorded at 30 frames per second.

Frame still and field still

A still is shown when you pause a moving picture. A frame still is made up of two alternating fields, so the picture may appear blurred, but overall quality is high.

A field still is not blurred, but it has only half the information of a frame still so picture quality is lower.

Frames are the still pictures that go together to make a moving pic- ture. There are about 30 frames shown each second.

One frame is made up of two fields. A regular television shows these fields one after the other to create frames.

Interlace and progressive output

NTSC, the video signal standard, has 480 interlaced (i) scan lines, whereas progressive scanning uses twice the number of scan lines. This is called 480P. The 480P video signals output from this unit’s 480P COMPONENT VIDEO OUT (progressive) terminals allows you to enjoy higher quality pictures than if the signals were output from the VIDEO OUT, S VIDEO OUT or COMPONENT VIDEO OUT (interlace) terminals.

I/P/B

MPEG, the video compression standard adopted for use with DVD-Video, codes frames using these 3 picture types.

I:Intra coded picture (I-picture)

This is the standard picture and is a complete picture in itself. This means it has the best picture quality and is the best to use

when adjusting the picture.

P:Predictive coded picture (P-picture)

This picture is calculated based on past I or P-pictures.

B:Bidirectionally-predictive coded picture (B-picture)

This picture is calculated by comparing past and future I and P-pictures so it has the lowest volume of information.

Linear PCM (pulse code modulation)

PCM is the usual digital method used for music CDs. DVDs have a greater volume so they use linear PCM, which has a higher sam- pling rate. Compressed PCM signals are called packed PCM (PPCM).

Pan & Scan/Letterbox

In general, DVD-Video are produced with the intention that they be viewed on a widescreen television with an aspect ratio of 16:9. This means you can view most material with the intended aspect ratio on a widescreen television.

Material with this ratio will not fit onto a standard television with an aspect ratio of 4:3. Two styles of picture, “Pan & Scan” and “Letter- box”, deal with this problem.

Pan&Scan: The sides are cut off so the picture fills the screen.

Letterbox: Black bands appear at the top and bottom of the picture so the picture itself appears in an aspect ratio of 16:9.

Playback control (PBC)

If a Video CD has “playback control” written on it or its jacket, it means that particular scenes or information can be selected for viewing interactively with the television using the menu screen. This unit can play Video CDs with playback control.

Using menus to control play of a Video CD is called “menu play” in these operating instructions.

Play list

This is a collection of scenes. It enables you to play these scenes in succession or to select specific ones to play.

Program

This is a division of a DVD-RAM.

Sampling rate

This is the number of samples of sound taken per second during conversion to a digital signal. Sampling frequency is expressed in kilohertz (kHz). A high sampling frequency results in a sound close to the original when played back.

Title/Chapter

DVD-Video are divided up into large sections, titles, and smaller sections, chapters. The numbers allocated to these sections are called title numbers and chapter numbers.

Track

This is the smallest division on DVD-Audio, CD, and Video CD, and usually equates to a single song.

Reference

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