Appendix

S/N

Signal-to-Noise ratio. The relation of the strength of the desired signal to the accompanying electronic interference, the noise. If S/N is high, sounds are reproduced with less noise and pictures are reproduced clearly without snow.

Sub clip

One of the sections which make up a clip list. A sub clip may be part of a clip or an entire clip.

Superimpose

A procedure you use to put one picture (or character) over another so that both can be seen at the same time.

Thumbnail image

A reduced still picture of video for display on a GUI screen. XDCAM creates thumbnail images from proxy video, and displays them as index pictures on GUI screens.

Timecode

A digitally encoded signal which is recorded with video data to identify each frame of the video by hour, minute, second and frame number. SMPTE timecode is applied to NTSC system, and EBU timecode to PAL and SECAM systems.

Timecode synchronization

To synchronize the built-in timecode generator of video equipment to an external timecode.

Time data

Time information that is generated by a timecode generator or read by a timecode reader.

Turbo gain

Video amplifier gain increased from 30 dB by 6 to 18 dB by combining adjacent pixels of the CCD.

UMID

Unique Material Identifier. A standard (SMPTE 330M) for video and audio metadata. The Basic section of a UMID contains a globally unique number and a material number for the identification of recorded material. An optional section called the Source Pack

contains information such as the time and location of recording. A UMID with the Basic section only is called a Basic UMID. A UMID with the Source Pack is called an Extended UMID.

User’s bits

Abbreviation for Total Level Control System. A function to operate the automatic gain control (AGC) and electronic shutter (AE) to adapt to varying lighting conditions while shooting.

VBS

Abbreviation for video-burst-sync. A composite signal consisting of a video signal, a burst signal, and a sync signal.

Vertical smear

A bright vertical line which appears on the screen when shooting a very bright object with a CCD camera.

Also called smear.

Video gain

Amount of amplification for video signals, expressed in decibels (dB).

VITC

Abbreviation for vertical interval timecode. A timecode recorded on disc with video signals and inserted in the vertical blanking interval of video signals. The VTR can read this timecode even in still mode.

White balance

The balance of the levels of the red, green, and blue channels of a color video camera level. When this balance is correctly adjusted, white tones appear as a true white.

White shading

When shooting a white subject with a color video camera, if the lens characteristics are such that while the center of the image appears white, the upper and lower portions suffer a color imbalance, appearing magenta or green. This phenomenon is called white shading.

Zebra pattern

Striped patterns that appear in the viewfinder to indicate areas of the

picture where the video level is about 70 IRE units or 490 mV.

Zoom

To gradually change the field of view of a camera lens from wide to narrow angle (zoom in) or narrow to wide angle (zoom out).

184 Glossary