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- SAFE TITLE AREA
- Generally, the center 80% of the entire video image area or that area which will display legible titles regardless of how a TV monitor is adjusted.
- SCART
- An audio/video connector used in consumer equipment, especially in Europe. The SCART connector's 21 pins carry two audio in and out channels, video in and out channels, RGB signals, ground and some additional control signals. Only one SCART-to-SCART cable is needed to connect two VCRs or VCR to a monitor thereby avoiding the need for multiple cables.
- SCMS (Serial Copy Management System)
- A technology introduced to tackle piracy problems. It allows the consumer to only make a single digital copy for personal use, from a copyrighted source.
- SECAM (Sequential Couleur A’memorie)
- Color TV broadcasting standard used mainly in France, Eastern Europe, and parts of Asia and Africa. In countries using the SECAM standard, most video production is done using PAL and converted to SECAM prior to transmission. (See NTSC and PAL)
- SECTOR
- The smallest recordable unit on a compact disc. A disc can contain [(75 sectors per second) x (60 seconds per minute) x (number of minutes on disc)] sectors. The amount of data contained in the sector depends on what physical format and mode it is recorded in. For regular CD-ROM (Mode 1) data, you can fit 2048 bytes (2 kilobytes) of data into a sector.
- SEG (Special Effects Generator)
- Device designed to generate special effects. The simplest devices process a single video signal, change its color, generate sepia tones, invert the picture to a negative, posterize the image and fade or break up the image into various patterns.
More sophisticated equipment uses several video sources, computer-generated graphics and sophisticated animation with digital effects.
- SEPIA TONE
- A process used in photography to generate an overall brownish tone in pictures giving them an "antique" appearance. The same idea has been electronically adapted for video production where a black and white image can be sepia colored.
- SEQUENTIAL ERASE
- Erasing or reformatting an entire CD-RW disc so that it can be re-used. (See Random Erase)
- SERIAL PORT
- A computer I/O (input/output) port through which the computer communicates with the external world. The standard serial ports use RS-232 or RS-422 protocols.
- SESSION
- Data on a compact disc which includes lead-in, program data and lead-out format structures. Contrast the recording structure of a pressed CD-ROM or a CD-R written in DAO mode that contains just one continuous session.
- SHOTGUN MICROPHONE
- Long, highly directional microphone designed to pick up sounds from a distance, directly in front of it, while rejecting sound from all other directions. Named for its appearance.
- SIGNAL-TO-NOISE (S/N)
- The ratio in decibels, of an audio or video signal, between the signal’s maximum peak-to-peak signal voltage and the measured voltage of what remains when the signal is removed, (i.e., the ratio of the signal to that of the noise floor).
- In audio, the higher the ratio, the cleaner the sound. Audio S/N ratios vary tremendously from compact discs/camcorder AFM Hi-Fi tracks (typically 90 dB) to VCR linear tracks (typically 40 dB).
- In video, the higher the ratio, the less snow is visible.
- SMPTE
- Acronym for the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers.
- SMPTE Time Code
- SMPTE is time code recorded on an audio channel of a tape and is used to label each block or frame of a tape with a unique identifying address. Commonly used when referring to either DAT or U-Matic tape.
- SNOW
- A general term used to describe interference in a video image. It manifests as random colored or black and white dots. (See LUMINANCE NOISE)
- SOLARIZATION
- Special effect in which the lightest and darkest values of a picture are made dark while the middle tones become light.
- SPARS CODE
- Acronym for the "Society of Professional Audio Recording Services". The SPARS code was developed at the advent of the digital audio revolution in order to inform consumers of the format origin of audio recordings distributed on digital media such as the compact disc. The codes and their definitions follow:
- DDD
- Digital recorder used during recording, mixing and/or editing and mastering.
- ADD
- Analog recorder used during recording; digital recorder used during subsequent mixing and/or editing and during mastering.
- AAD
- Analog recorder used during recording and subsequent mixing and/or editing; digital recorder used during mastering.
- S/PDIF (Sony-Philips Digital Interface)
- Acronym for the dual-channel digital audio interface defined by Standard IEC-958, differing only slightly from its professional sibling - AES/EBU. It is usually found on consumer equipment with connections made via RCA (coaxial) connectors. (See AES/EBU)
- SPECIAL EFFECTS
- Artistic video effects used to enhance a video production by creating drama, enhancing the mood or furthering the story. Special effects may vary from the limited addition of patterns or the mixing of several video images together, to sophisticated digital effects such as picture compression, page flipping and three-dimensional effects. Special effects are usually created using SEGs.
- SPLIT SCREEN
- Special effect which allows the viewing of two video images on-screen simultaneously, either side by side or above and below.
- STEREO MIXING
- Simultaneous processing of both left and right audio channels. (See MIXING)
- STROBE
- Special effect in which a video frame is periodically held for a finite time until another frame is held.
- SUPERIMPOSE
- To place in front of video, e.g., placing text over a video signal.
- S-VHS (Super-VHS)
- An improved version of the VHS tape format capable of recording better picture resolution (definition). The two formats are incompatible although S-VHS equipment can record and play standard VHS tapes. A higher-density tape is required which provides a wider luminance bandwidth, resulting in sharper picture quality (> 400 horizontal lines vs. 240 for standard VHS) and improved signal-to-noise ratio. Because the equipment is usually smaller and lighter than 3/4" video equipment, it is ideally suited for ENG/EFP applications.
- S-VHS-C (Super VHS-C)
- An improved version of the VHS-C tape format capable of recording better picture resolution (definition).
- S-VIDEO (Separated Video)
- Describes a system of electronics, plugs and jacks used to interconnect camcorders, VCRs and TV monitors, which keep composite chrominance and luminance information separate. Also called Y/C connectors (luminance/chrominance), this system greatly improves picture quality by keeping any signal interaction (degradation) to a minimum.
- SWITCHER
- General term for a device used to select different signals (audio, video or RF) from various sources.
- SYNC (Synchronization)
- A term used in electronics to describe the precise alignment of two signals or functions.
- In audio, synchronization usually refers to the locking of audio equipment to other audio or video equipment in order to do audio post-production.
- In video, sync signals is an essential element for maintaining the proper clocking of video signals. The sync signal is used by a monitor to know where and when to draw the on-screen video image.
The horizontal sync signal is a short pulse generated at the beginning of each video line which tells the video monitor when to draw each new line. The vertical sync signal is a short pulse generated at the beginning of each video frame which tells the video monitor when to start a new field.
Sync signals reside in the part of a video signal in which no visual picture information is transmitted. During this blanking period (horizontal or vertical interval), the electronic beam is blanked and retraces back to the other side of the screen to start a new line or new field. Since this is done during the blanking period, it is invisible to the viewer. Both horizontal and vertical sync are required in order to maintain a stable on-screen picture. Many video processing devices provide sync restoration and correction circuitry. Sometimes, a TBC is required to recover or restore sync. (See GENLOCK)
- SYNC RESTORATION
- A process which replaces distorted and missing sync information by checking incoming sync, analyzing the frequencies involved and generating new fully restored sync.
- SYNCRO-EDIT
- Wired control protocol which activates/deactivates a VCR’s record pause function. Many non-compatible versions of this protocol exist.
- SYNC STRIPPING
- A process which separates sync from the rest of the video signal for timing correction, clamping and other purposes.
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