Glossary
Here is a list of terms commonly used in the post production industry.
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D1
A digital component tape recorder developed by Sony working to the CCIR 601, 4:2:2 standard using 8 bit sampling.
D2
An obsolete VTR standard for digital composite (coded) NTSC or PAL signals sampled at 8 bits developed by Sony and Ampex. D2 was often used as a direct replacement for 1-inch analog VTRs.
D3
An obsolete VTR standard for recording digitized composite (coded) NTSC or PAL signals sampled at 8 bits developed by Panasonic. The characteristics are generally the same as D2 except it allowed for a whole family of VTR equipment including a camcorder.
D4
There is no D4. Most DVTR formats hail from Japan where 4 is regarded as an unlucky number.
D5
A VTR format developed by Panasonic using the same 1/2-inch cassette as D3, but recording component signals sampled to CCIR601 recommendations at 10 bits resolution. It is uncompressed with HDTV provisions compressed at approx. 4:1.
D5-HD
A compressed recording system developed by Panasonic. Records HD component signals at 10 bits resolution compressed at about 4:1 on standard D5 cassettes.
DDR
Digital Disk Recorder that replaces the functions of a videotape recorder and offers instant access to material.
DIGITAL BETACAM
A digital component tape recorder developed by Sony working to the CCIR 601, 4:2:2 standard using 10 bit sampling. It uses a mild intra-field compression of approximately 2:1.
DOLBY
A licensed noise reduction and encoding technology in various forms.
- Dolby E is a professional coding system optimized for the distribution of surround and multichannel audio through two-channel postproduction and broadcasting infrastructures, or for recording surround audio on two audio tracks of conventional digital videotapes.
- Dolby C is an analog audio noise reduction system used on Betacam SP and other formats. At FinalÈ, Dolby C is ON for Betacam SP recordings unless otherwise specified.
DROP-FRAME TIME CODE
29.97 FPS Time code format that skips (drops) two frames per minute except every tenth minute, so the time code stays coincident with real time. Most broadcast television production uses drop frame (DF) time code. Compare to non-drop frame (NDF) time code.
DV
A digital VCR format recorded on a 1/4-inch wide tape using digital intra-field DCT based "DV" compression (about 5:1). The consumer and DVCAM versions sample video at 4:1:1 (525/60) or 4:2:0 (625/50). The video recording rate is 25 Mb/s.
DVCPRO
Panasonic's development of native DV which is competitive with Sony's DVCAM format. It has a video data rate of 25 Mb/s and supports use of LTC and VITC.
DVCPRO 50
This variant of DV developed by Panasonic uses a video data rate of 50 Mb/s - double that of other DV systems. It is roughly comparable to Digital Betacam quality.
DVCPRO-HD
This variant of HD developed by Panasonic uses a video data rate of 100 Mb/s. Colour sampling is 4:2:2 with a 6.7:1 compression ratio. The 720P image is recorded at 960x720 and the 1080 59.94i image is recorded at 1280x1080 (1440x1080 for 50i).
DVD
Digital Versatile Disk - a high density development of the compact disk. It is the same size as a CD but stores from 4.38 GB (seven times CD capacity) on a single sided, single layer disk. Capacities may soon reach 15GB using blue laser technology, and in the future, 50GB with advanced modulation schemes.
DVD-VIDEO
DVD-Video combines the DVD optical disk with MPEG-2 video compression for recording video on a CD-sized disk, combining multiple audio tracks, subtitles and copy protection capabilities. DVD-Video movies use Variable Bit Rate (VBR) MPEG-2 coding to maximize quality and playing time, meaning the bit rate varies with the demands of the material. Up to eight separate audio streams allow alternate audio content like multiple languages, audio description or director's commentary. DVD-Video is the first domestic format to support anamorphic 16:9 video natively.
DVE
Digital Video Effects. Traditionally an external device but increasingly are being included as an integral part of systems. The list of effects vary but usually include picture manipulations such as size, shape, position, rotation, as well as blurring, curving, trails and other effects. Picture quality and control also vary widely.