Notes on "Production Glossary":
This is a compilation of terms used to produce and review the technical content on electronic
media. Many of these terms were created within the television broadcast environment, but are
transferrable to electronic media as a whole. The move from magnetic tape storage formats (like
VHS) to digital storage formats (like DVD) demonstrates the universal applicability of these
technical designations. Especially useful for implementing Quality Control programs, these terms
refer to the basic or "foundational" content that is expected of commercially, market-worthy,
audience-friendly, and eminently archiveable media content.
This can also help raise and address questions such as why a specific, apparently useless
versions of a program might be created, such as textless version of a program (answer: for
international distribution, so the local distributor can apply local-language text content for their
specific market).
3.2 Pulldown: a technique used to convert 24 frames-per-second film to 30
frames-per-second video. Every other film frame is held for three video fields
resulting in a sequence of three fields, 2 fields, 3 fields, 2 fields, etc. (See fields,
frames)
4 fsc: Composite digital video as used in D2 and D3 VTRs. Stands for “four
times the frequency of subcarrier”, which is the sampling rate used.
4:2:2 : The sampling ratio used in the D1 (CCIR 601) digital video signal. For
every four samples of luminance there are two samples each of the color
difference signals, R-Y (Red minus Luminance) and B-Y (Blue minus
Luminance).
4:1:1 : The sampling ratio used in the DV or DVC digital video signal. For every
four samples of luminance there is one sample each of the color difference
signals, R-Y (Red minus Luminance) and B-Y (Blue minus Luminance).
4:2:0 : The sampling ratio used in some variations of DV digital video signal. For
every four samples of luminance there is a sample of one of the color difference
signals, followed by a sample of the other color difference signal on the next
luminance sample.
4:4:4 : A sampling ratio that has equal amounts of the luminance and both
chrominance channels. Can also be used for RGB sampling, the color space
used in most computer programs.
16x9: (16 by 9) A wide screen viewing format in which the aspect ratio of the
screen is 16 units wide by 9 high as opposed to the typical 4x3 format of a
television screen. When a 16x9 formatted program is viewed on a 4x3 television
screen, areas of black will be seen on the top and bottom of the viewing area.
Air Date: The date a show is scheduled to be broadcast on a network. See also
week number.
A-Frame Edit: A video edit which starts on the first frame of the five video frame
(four film frame) sequence created when 24 frame film is transferred to 30 frame
video (see 3:2 pulldown). The A-frame is the only frame in the sequence where
a film frame is completely reproduced on one and only one complete video
frame. Here is the full sequence (the letters correspond to film frames) : Aframe=video fields 1 & 2, B-frame=video fields 1&2&1, C-frame=video fields 2&1,
D-frame=video fields 2&1&2.
Got it?
A-Mode Edit: An editing method where the footage is assembled in the final
scene order, i.e., scene one, scene two, etc.
Active Picture Area: The part of the TV picture that contains actual image
information as opposed to sync or other data. Vertically the active picture area is
486 lines for NTSC and 576 lines PAL. The inactive area is called “blanking”.
AES/EBU: The digital audio standard set by the Audio Engineering Society and
European Broadcast Union and used by most forms of digital audio from CDs to
D1.
Air Master: 1) A duplicate of the protection master that is created for shipping to
the Uplink facility. The audio must be configured as follows: Ch.1 & 2 Full Mix, Ch
3 & 4 Mix & Effects (or also Full Mix if there is no separate Mix and Effects audio
available).
2) A Cut-to-Clock edited master created in an online session that is shipped
directly to the Uplink facility. In this case no protection master is created for the
library.
Aliasing: Defects in a video image caused by too low a sampling rate or poor
filtering. Usually see as “jaggies” or “stair steps” in diagonal lines.
Analog: A signal that varies continuously over a range of amplitudes. By
comparison a digital signal has only two values, representing one or zero, and
can therefore be said to be a much more reliable way of transmitting signal
information.
Anthology: A series of shows which air under an umbrella title determined by
Discovery. Examples are Discovery Sunday, Wild Discovery, and Sci-Trek. See
also series and stunt.
Anti-Aliasing: The process of removing aliasing artifacts.
Artifact: A visual effect in a video image caused by an error or limitation in the
system. Anarchists and artists can often consider artifacts to represent
possibilities, not problems.
Aspect Ratio: The ratio of width to height in a picture. Theater screens generally
have an aspect ratio of 1.85 to 1, widescreen TV (16x9) is 1.77 to 1, and typical
TV (4x3) is 1.33 to 1.
Audio Time Tag: The part of the voice-over (VO) in a promotion that audibly
states the time the show being promoted will air.
Auto Assembly: An edit in which an off-line edit decision list (EDL) is loaded into
an on-line edit computer and all the edits are assembled automatically with little
or no human interference.
Auto-conform: A function of an online edit controller that automatically
assembles a series of events in an EDL.
Azimuth recording: the use of a variation in angle between two recording heads
that are recording data so close together on magnetic tape that crosstalk (an
undesirable combining of otherwise discreet signals) would otherwise likely
occur. Normally, the head is perpendicular to the movement of the tape, and this
is considered zero degrees. However, if the heads are mounted at slightly
different angles (such as + or - 7 degrees in VHS), destructive interference will
occur at high frequencies when reading data recorded in the cross-talking
channel but not in the channel that is intended to be read. At low frequencies
relative to the maximum allowed by the head gap, however, this technique is
ineffective.
B-Mode Edit: An editing method where the footage is assembled in the order it
appears on the source reels. Missing scenes are left as black holes to be filled in
by a later reel. Requires fewer reel changes and generally results in a faster edit
session.
Back-end: Refers to the last part of a PCB where the promoted show’s title slate
dissolves into the network logo.
Bandwidth: The amount of information that can be passed through a given
circuit in a given time. In the case of video, the larger the bandwidth the greater
the picture detail can be.
Bit: A single element (1 or 0) of digital information.
Bit Rate: The amount of data transported in a given amount of time, usually
defined in Mega (million) bits per second (Mbps). Bit rate is one means used to
define the amount of compression used on a video signal. Uncompressed D1
has a bit rate of 270 Mbps. Mpeg 1 has a bit rate up to 1.2 Mbps.
Bit Stream: A continuous series of bits.
Blacked Stock: Previously blacked (displays black screen when played) stock
for editing. Also called edit stock (due to the addition of time code when the stock
is dubbed with black.).
Blanking: The part of the video signal that contains no picture information. Used
for synchronizing, timecode, closed captions, etc.
Breaks: A length of time between segments on a tape, absent of video or audio
content, connoting where non-program additions such as advertising will go.
Broadcast Quality: A generically vague term used to describe the output of a
manufacturer’s product. Usually at least indicates that the technical specifications
meet FCC rules for broadcasting.
Bug: 1) An error in a computer program. 2) A logo appearing in the lower right
corner of the screen to identify a network or channel. Can be translucent or
opaque, and animated as well. Generally appears intermittently throughout a
program. 3) A small insect likely destined to be crushed under the triumphant
boot-heel of progress.
Bump: A brief show announcement. A bump-out is immediately before a
commercial break and announces that a show will return. A bump-in is
immediately after a commercial break and announces that a show is now
returning. Programmable bumps are supplied to uplink on a separate tape and
assigned their own uplink number in the programming schedule, much like
promos. Attached bumps are on the air master itself and are considered part of
the segment.
Burn-In: Visible time code displayed on the screen of a dub that matches the
source. This is typically used as a reference for the producer or offline editor.
Byte 8 bits: The combination of 8 bits into 1 byte allows each byte to represent
256 possible values.
CBR: Constant Bit Rate. A variety of MPEG video compression where the
amount of compression does not change.
CCIR 601: The standard for digitizing component video. Also sometimes called
D1 after the VTR format that first used this signal (see also 4:2:2 ).
Chrominance: The signal which carries the color information in video.
Client Alert: A term used during the QC review process when a tape does not
adhere to network specifications. This alerts all involved that the content is not
ready to be aired and is not suitable for air until fully approved by a QC
Coordinator. Tapes marked as Client Alert can only be duplicated or used in an
edit session as sources ONLY if approved by the assigned QC Coordinator.
Clip Reel (Triples): Collection of :03 to :05 clips from the shows airing in a
particular week used in promotions.
Clone: An exact duplicate of a tape. A non-exclusive term that can be used
concurrently with protection master, vendor master, etc.
Color Frame: A sequence of four fields (two frames) of NTSC video. Since the
phase of the color subcarrier reverses every frame in NTSC (which makes the
color information essentially invisible on a black-and-white receiver) two
complete frames are required to carry a complete sequence of color information.
Color Subcarrier: The portion of the NTSC signal that carriers the color
information. Color signals are quadrature modulated onto a subcarrier of
3.579545 Mhz.
Comp Reel: A compilation reel containing mastered versions of promotions.
Producers assigned to creating promos will generally have a collection of comp
reels in the promos library, containing the promos those individual producers
have made.
Component Video: A video signal in which the Luminance and Chrominance
signals are kept separate. This requires a higher bandwidth, but yields a higher
quality picture.
Composite Video: The Luminance and Chrominance signals are combined in
an encoder to create the common NTSC, PAL, or SECAM video signals. Allows
economical broadcasting of video.
Compositing: The layering of multiple pictures on top of each other. A cutout or
matte holds back the background and allows the foreground picture to appear to
be in the original picture. Used primarily for special effects.
Compression, Data or Video: The process of reducing the size of digital
information, usually by removing redundant information.
Compression Ratio: The ratio of the amount of data in the original data
compared to the amount of data after compression. The higher the ratio the
greater the compression.
Control Track: A signal recorded on video tape to allow the tape to play back at
a precise speed in any VTR. Analogous to the sprocket holes on film.
Count-down Slates: Ten second slate that counts down from 10 and provides
the spot’s vital information such as title, airdate, uplink number, run-time, etc.
Credit Bed: A video background upon which the text of the credits are
superimposed. Some people refer to the completed credits (including the text) as
a “credit bed” but this is not actually correct. To minimize confusion, you should
refer to a credit bed as “clean” or “textless” if there are no credits present, and
“texted” if it includes the credits. When credit beds are created in program editing
sessions, both the texted and textless beds are kept to allow for any subsequent
changes. Credits for commercial television programming are generally supposed
to run no longer than 30 seconds, but this rule is occasionally lifted.
Credits: Text on a program, generally at the end of the show, listing those
people or services used to create the show.
CRT: An abbreviation for Cathode Ray Tube. The technical name for the picture
tube in a television set or video monitor, a camera tube, or the scanning tube in a
flying spot telecine.
Cut-to-Clock: A master that has been edited into segments conforming to a
specific clock (or run time). There are several different clocks, identified by
unique numbers, which dictate the number and length of commercial breaks and
when they can occur.
Cut Sheet: Sheets of promotions listing uplink numbers, length, tag information,
airdates and the producer responsible for them. A list created by a network of
numbered spots needed to promote a show.
Cutout: See Matte.
CTC: Common abbreviation for cut-to-clock.
Dam I.D. #: A numbering scheme given to identify and track shows in a
production library system, nine digits long, a combination of the program number
and property ID. The Dam I.D. numbering system is now considered out-of-date
and no longer referred to. Considered to have been replaced by the “P.A.I.D.”
numbering system.
DBC: An abbreviation for Digital Betacam, a video tape format. As of now, the
generally required tape format for vendors to deliver their program content on.
DCT: Discrete Cosine Transform. A widely used method of video compression.
Also an Ampex CCIR 601 digital VTR using DCT to compress the video before
recording it to tape.
DDR: Digital Disk Recorder. A digital video device on high-speed computer disk
drives. Commonly used as a means to get video into and out from computers
and for editing.
Digi List: List (generally created by a producer) of clip reels to be digitized.
Digital: A form in which everything is defined by a series of numbers, usually
ones and zeros, i.e., binary code.
Digitizing: The act of taking analog video and/or audio and converting it to digital
form. In 8-bit digital video there are 256 possible steps between maximum white
and minimum black.
Dub: 1) A duplicate copy of an audio or video tape. 2) The process of duplicating
audio and video tapes.
DV or DVC: Digital Video or Digital Video Tape
Edge Numbers: Code numbers printed on the edge of 16 and 35mm motion
picture film every foot, which allows for frames to be easily identified in the
creation or use of an edit list.
Edit Stock: Previously used stock that has generally been blacked over, to be
used again for editing.
EDL: Edit Decision List. A list created for cutting a program to a specific clock.
Specifically, a list of times codes, descriptions, and notes generated after an edit
session, to be used or referred to in additional edit sessions that work with the
same material.
EDL Billboard: A basic database that producers post their EDLs to, to create a
means of common reference for any edit sessions that may involve the particular
programming involved.
Event: One item or event within an EDL.
Field: One half of a complete interlaced video picture (frame), containing all the
odd or even scanning lines of the picture.
Format: A general term (in the context of production work) referring to a type of
recording stock used. Thus, DA88, BetaSP, Digital Betacam, are all particular
formats.
Frame: One complete video image, containing two fields. There are 30 frames in
one second of NTSC video.
Guard band: in video recording, refers to the unused space between tracks on
magnetic tape which prevents interference from adjacent tracks when reading
from a particular track on the tape.
Globe Keys: Final part to complete Triples involving opening to reveal and
closing shell of a Triple (see key).
HD: An abbreviation referring to High Definition, a recording standard.
HDTV: High Definition Television, a TV format capable of displaying on a wider
screen (16x9 as opposed to the conventional 4x3) and at a higher resolution.
High Definition: a video recording standard that is considered to be of
exceedingly high display quality.
House Number: A term which is used almost interchangeably with uplink
number. A five-digit number assigned to a specific program for general
information tracking purposes. The house number and uplink number for a show
will generally be the same, unless the show is repackaged for an anthology or
stunt, in which case the uplink number for the newly repackaged show will be
changed.
IMX: It’s green. It’s a green tape. Green!
Incoming QC: A complete evaluation and record of the technical quality of a
vendor master or air master relative to predefined technical specifications. Slate
information and audio configuration can also be evaluated for consistency and
accuracy. In the case of a cut-to-clock tape, the running time of segments,
breaks, and credits are compared to the program slate and to the clock under
which the program is supposed to air. In some QC processes, a library copy is
created on a lesser recording stock (such as VHS or ¾”) and sent to the
production library after the QC staff has completed and passed the show.
Interlace: A process by which the picture is split into two fields by sending all the
odd numbered lines to field one and all the even numbered lines to field two. This
was originally necessary when there was not enough bandwidth to send a
complete frame fast enough to create a non-flickering image.
ISDN: Abbreviation for “Integrated Services Digital Network”. World-wide fiberoptic network used for transferring audio signals. This network cannot be used
for video transmissions.
Key: An edit switcher function used to insert video into or over video or graphic
elements.
Keycode: A machine-readable code printed on the edge of motion picture film
which allows the film edge numbers to be electronically read and inserted into an
edit list. Very useful for generating a negative cut list from a video off-line EDL.
Layback: The process of recording mixed audio to a video master. This is often
done at the conclusion of a mix session.
Letterbox: Placing a wide screen image on a conventional TV by placing black
bands at top and bottom of screen.
Library Copy: Typically, a lower-standard dub of a protection master with Visual
Time Code (VTC) and Address Track Time Code (ATTC). These copies are
usually made during incoming QC. A copy of the QC sheet is placed inside the
library copy and the assigned barcode number of the protection master is
included on the label of the dub for reference purposes. Every library copy of a
show that passes QC is given to the library by the involved QC staff.
Long Sheets: Discovery schedule in a grid layout form for a particular week.
Lotus Notes: An collaborative computer application system used in some larger
corporate production houses. In the past Notes had been criticized for being
'clunky'—at one time, the now defunct Interface Hall of Shame web site had an
entire section devoted to the Notes 4 client's perceived user interface
shortcomings. However, most, if not all, of those problems were addressed in
subsequent releases. Notes 6.5, in particular, paid some long needed attention to
the email client, which has traditionally been regarded as the product's Achilles
heel. Features such as unread counts on folders, drag and drop of folders,
follow-up flags, reply and forward indicators and the ability to edit an attachment
and save the changes back to an email were all things that product's competitors
had enjoyed for years. In terms of usability, this release went a good way
towards redressing the balance with arch-rival, the Microsoft Outlook/Microsoft
Exchange combination.
LTC: Linear Time Code. Time code recorded on a linear analog track on a video
tape. Also called Longitudinal Time Code.
Luminance: The black and white, or brightness, part of a component video
signal. Also called the “Y” signal.
Master: 1) An original copy of a program, 2) a generic term referring to a
program tape. Often, clients of commercial post-production houses do not
receive masters of show programs, instead receiving clones of those masters,
referred to as protection masters or vendor masters. This allows the post-house
to utilize the masters themselves in future work for the same client or project.
Mastering: 1) Process of creating a final master. 2) a term used specifically
during the promos process, referring to creating specific promotions by adding
time tags and other elements.
Matte: A black & white high contrast image that suppresses or cuts a hole in the
background picture to allow the picture the matte was made from to seamlessly
fit in the hole.
Mix: The process of combining multiple tracks of audio into a finished product.
An audio mix suite allows many separate audio elements to be individually
adjusted and combined. See also layback.
MPEG: Moving Picture Experts Group. A group of standards for compressing
moving images.
MPEG 1: A standard of compression that uses a data rate of 1.5 Mbps,
the speed of CD-ROM.
MPEG 2: supports higher quality with a data rate (also called a bit rate) of
2 to 10 Mbps, and is the format used for satellite broadcasting (DSS),
digital terrestrial broadcasting, and DVD.
MPEG 3: MPEG-3 was designed to handle HDTV signals in the range of
20 to 40 Mbit/s. It was soon discovered that similar results could be
obtained through slight modifications to the MPEG-2 standard. Shortly
thereafter, work on MPEG-3 was discontinued.
MPEG 4: introduced in late 1998, absorbs many of the features of MPEG1 and MPEG-2 and other related standards, adding new features such as
(extended) VRML support for 3D rendering, object-oriented composite
files (including audio, video and VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling
Language) objects), support for externally-specified Digital Rights
Management and various types of interactivity.
Next Clip Reel: The second half of a PCB that promotes what is next on a
network channel. The Next Clip Reels contain clips from shows that air after the
current show. These reels are labeled with sequential numbers, with the last
number being the most recent reel to have been created.
Non-linear Editing: An editing system based on storage of video and audio on a
computer disk, where the order or lengths of scenes can be changed without the
necessity of re-assembling or copying the program. Examples include Final Cut
Pro. Also something called Avid, which is the favorite non-linear system of most
editors over the age of 50.
NTSC: A video recording standard, used in the United States for most broadcast
and cablecast. The letters stand for “National Television Systems Committee”,
the organization responsible for the implementation of this particular standard.
The information contained within the standard consists of 525 horizontal lines of
video image, with 60 fields of lines per second appearing on a standard viewable
screen, with two fields composing one complete frame of image. Only 486 lines
are used for picture, the rest contain additional information such as Closed
Captioning.
Off-line Editing: A low-resolution, usually computer-and-disk-based system, in
which the creative editing decisions can be made at lower cost and often with
greater flexibility than an expensive fully-equipped on-line suite. See also NonLinear Editing.
On-Line Editing: An editing system where the actual video master is created. An
on-line bay usually consists of an editing computer, video switcher, audio mixer,
one or more channels of DVE, character generator, and several VTRs.
One Up: A single show that airs by itself and is not part of a series. Sometimes a
program is taken out of its series and is aired as a one up. Occasionally one ups
are grouped together under an anthology or stunt title and aired together. In
cases like this, the individual programs should not be considered as being
episodes in a newly created series. They are still one ups, regardless of what
anthology or stunt they may be airing under.
Outgoing QC: A partial evaluation of a vendor master or air master according to
network specs to confirm that it is suitable for broadcast. Air masters that are
created in online program editing sessions need to pass an outgoing QC before
being shipped to the uplink.
P.A.I.D.: A “PAID” number is the consolidation of the Property ID, the Episode
Number, the Version ID, and the Network Code. The term “PAID” stands for
Program Asset ID.
Pad or Pad of Black: A short segment of silent black video. The postproduction/editing process generally includes 15-60 frame pads of black at the
beginning and the end of program segments or programs when calculating their
running time. Editors and vendors that are new to specific production procedures
often miscalculate segment times by not including these pads.
PAL: a video standard used in most of Europe and variously throughout the
world. The letters stand for Phase Alternate Line. There are 625 lines of
information contained within the field, although the field rate is 50, slightly lower
than NTSC. 576 lines are used for picture, the rest are retained for additional
information such as Closed Captioning. A PAL tape delivering from a vendor may
be alternatively labeled with the number “625” instead of being specifically
labeled as “PAL”, the 625 referring to the line count PAL uses and serving as
designation that the tape is in fact recorded in the PAL standard.
PALplus: A widescreen (16x) television standard in use in Europe that is
compatible with existing 4x3 TV sets. Non-16x9 TVs display the picture in a
letterboxed form.
Pass: The show has gone through a QC session and met requirements
approved by the client or receiver. It is now considered as suitable for broadcast,
editing, or duplication.
PCB: Abbreviation for Programmable Credit Bed.
Pixel: a near-abbreviation, a term standing for “Picture Element”. The basic unit
from which a video or computer is made. Essentially a dot with a given color and
brightness value. D1 images are 720 pixels wide by 486 high. NTSC images are
640 by 480 pixels.
P.O.P.: Proof-of-Performance. A type of promo that contains a sample of an
already-broadcast special program.
Pre-Read: Various particular machines’ capability to use the record material as a
source during recording.
Promo: A commercial advertisement for a television show, often airing on the
same network as the advertised program.
Pull List: 1) List (generally from a producer) of show masters needed to be
clipped onto the clip reels. 2) A term specific to the library, referring to a list of
titles a client needs retrieved, or “pulled”.
Programmable Credit Bed:
Protection Master: 1) an exact duplicate of a master kept as an unused, pristine
back-up copy. 2) An exact duplicate of a master, delivered to serve as the
primary in-house master.
Pull Sheet: List generated from long sheets of show masters needed to be used
in the online clip reel session.
QC Sheet: A form filled out in a QC session. Indicates the specific content of a
tape, such as whether the tape is cut-to-clock or seamless, as well as segment
times and audio content. A copy of the QC sheet can be kept with every QC’d
master as well as the library copies made from those masters, for quick but
accurate content reference.
Ratings Bug: A small graphic element in upper left corner of the screen labeling
a program’s rating. See also Bug.
Raw Stock: Straight out-of-the-box stock; non-blacked stock for duplication.
Renarrated: a program master that has had its narration replaced with a new
narrated track, a version that supersedes any previous versions.
Resolution: The amount of detail in an image. Higher resolution equals more
detail. Generally expressed in “lines”. It is the number of vertical line pairs that
the system can distinguish, and has no relationship to the number of horizontal
scan lines. Also used to describe the size of a computer image, usually in pixels.
Resolution Independent: A term describing equipment that can work in more
than one resolution. For example, most equipment can do film resolution or video
resolution, but not both. Resolution independent equipment can work in both.
Recycled Edit Stock: Previously used stock that has generally been blacked
over to be used again for editing. AKA Edit Stock.
Reversioned: A program master that has been substantially re-edited or repackaged to add or change graphics, music, narration, or other elements. This
version supersedes all previous versions.
RGB: Red Green Blue. The primary colors of light. Computers and some analog
component devices use separate red, green, and blue color channels to keep the
full bandwidth and therefore the highest quality picture.
Sampling Frequency: The number of sample measurements taken from an
analog signal in a second, generally expressed in MegaHertz. These samples
are then converted into digital numeric values to create the digital signal.
Scratch Audio: VO recorded in the edit session used to time out the spot length.
Seamless: A program master that is continuous and uninterrupted. A seamless
program master will be used to create a cut-to-clock program master.
Series: A succession of shows produced by a vendor as episodes under a single
unifying title. Not to be confused with an anthology or stunt.
Short Sheets: Discovery schedule for a particular week in a list form, illustrating
which shows are short after they are cut-to-clock.
Simple Slate: Simple Slate information consisting typically of white text on a
black background. Generally used for elements and clips.
Sized: Refers to footage that has been resized to fit into the PCB wedge.
Slate: A field of text placed on a master before the start of the program,
indicating general information such as the title and length of the show. Can also
includes an uplink number, producer name, airdate, etc.
SMLSS: an abbreviation for seamless.
SMPTE: Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, a major standardssetting organization for the motion picture and television industries. Established
the standards for time code and for all the major video tape formats. Local
chapters meet monthly and present technical TV topics of interest. Also cited by
Frank Zappa in his song “Baby Snakes.”
Sound Design: An audio editing session. Often takes place prior to a mix
session.
Spot Check QC: A partial evaluation of a vendor master or air master according
to network specs. This is done on masters that have been dubbed or modified
using source tapes that have already passed an incoming QC. When airmasters
are duplicated from vendor masters that have already passed incoming QC, the
dubs are spot checked to confirm that their quality is consistent with the source
tapes.
Standard: a term connoting a type of video encoding. NTSC, PAL, and HD are
examples of video standards.
Stunt: A group of shows that are aired together under a theme. Example: Shark
Week.
Sub Master: 1) Partially assembled program, considered to be non-final or
“source” material. 2) A term used in the promos creation process referring to a
spot before time tags are added.
Tease: An enticing show-specific introduction that describes what that show is
about.
Telecine: A device that creates video from motion picture film.
Texted: A term connoting the inclusion of any text-related content, such as
lower thirds, titles, credits. A show that is listed on the QC sheet as being fully
texted would generally contain all three of these types of text elements.
Texted Comp Reel: Refers to the D2 compilation reels containing partial,
textless PCB’s. These reels are labeled in sequentially numbered order, with the
last number being the most recent comp reel.
Textless: The dull and un-ornamented flip side of the text/no-text “coin”.
Connotes a program tape, which contains no texted elements at all. Devoid of all
text-related content. Barren, bereft, or, should one not appreciate or enjoy text,
perhaps alternatively considered as free, unburdened and un-cluttered. However,
a textless show is generally considered an incomplete product, any unfortunate
potential illiterate proclivities notwithstanding.
Time Code: A time reference recorded on tape to identify each individual frame.
Title Safe: Standard area of a television screen “guaranteed” to show titles or
picture.
Title Slate: The graphic of a particular show’s title (i.e. Dragnet or Star Trek)
Title Time Tag: Similar to Title Slates, but additionally including a time tag (i.e.,
Trading Spaces, 7 et/pt).
Tomorrow Clip Reel: The first half of a PCB that promotes what is tomorrow on
a network channel. These reels are labeled with sequential numbers, with the
last number being the most recent reel to have been created.
Triples: A special form of promotion where three shows are promoted back-toback generally within one :15 promotion, and usually airing during prime time.
Each Triple promotes three shows with a rotation. For example, Triples #1
promotes shows A, B and C. Triples #2, airing one hour later, promotes shows B,
C and D. Triples #3, airing one hour after Triples #2, would then promote shows
C, D and E- and so on. Triples are also assigned their own specially-created
music and graphics packages. These spots are generally created one week
before they air.
TV: Abbreviation for Television. Duh. Oh, and also, you’re fired. Turn in your
badge immediately. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
TXT: an abbreviation for texted.
Uni-Coast Tag: Time tag with both coasts.
Uni-Coast Master: Compilation reel for both coasts.
Unsized: Refers to clip reels that have not been sized to fit the PCB wedge.
Uplink Number: A five-digit number created and assigned to identify a particular
program or programmable element. Also known as the master control number.
An airmaster’s uplink number does not always match the uplink number of the
program used to create it; for example, a seamless vendor master that would be
used to create an Animal Planet air master often has a different number assigned
to it at the particular uplink facility. See also house number.
VBR: Variable Bit Rate. MPEG video compression where the amount of
compression can be varied to allow for minimum degradation of the image in
scenes that are harder to compress.
VCR: A common abbreviation for Video Cassette Recorder. Must have both
Video and Cassette to ensure proper operation of this device.
Vendor: the production company that has contracted with Discovery to provide a
one-up or series.
Vendor Master: 1) a generic term connoting a master created by an outside,
independent group. 2) An exact copy or clone of a master or protection master,
created ideally to be kept in secure archive storage in the event of damage or
loss of the protection master, and only used to create a replacement clone.
Video Time Tag: Visible text that visually states the time the show being
promoted will air.
VITC: Vertical Interval Time Code. Timecode stored in the vertical interval of the
video signal. Has the advantage of being readable by a VTR in either “still” or
“jog” playback mode. Multiple lines of VITC can be added to the signal allowing
the encoding of more information than can be stored in normal LTC.
VO: Abbreviation for “Voice Over”, a track of audio generally featuring a narrative
voice. Often used to replace existing narration tracks when content needs to be
changed.
VTR: Abbreviation for Video Tape Recorder (any tape format).
VYVX: A digital transmission service that is used to send and receive audio and
video signals. It is costly and generally only used as a last resort for delivery of
content that would otherwise not make it to air.
Wedge: The portion in the upper right part of the PCB graphic that contains the
promo footage.
Week Number: A number assigned to each broadcast week on a network. Each
week starts on Monday and ends on Sunday. Week numbers used by each
channel DO NOT match the week numbers used by any other channel. For
instance, the week numbers used by Discovery Channel do not match the week
numbers used by Animal Planet, and vice-versa. All air masters must be labeled
with that network’s week number in which they air.