TV Jargon Buster

D

 

• DNLA

An industry-supported standard for connectivity between digital devices. DNLA-compliant devices are designed to ‘talk’ to each other easily, and should be simple to connect. DNLA covers devices such as TVs, PVRs, media centre devices, and even some cameras and smartphones.

 

• Dolby Digital

A superior sound standard delivering high quality audio with surround sound through up to 5.1 speakers.

 

E

 

• EPG

Or ‘Electronic Program Guide’. An on-screen listing of what’s on, with show descriptions and times, plus most importantly, the ability to select a show for recording, or to alert you when the show is starting. Many set top boxes come with a built-in EPG, while Foxtel and TiVo include excellent EPGs as part of the package.

 

H

 

• HDMI

A type of cable that is now the standard across home entertainment devices. The beauty of HDMI is that in a single cable both audio and video signals are carried, as well as data that’s used by the devices to communicate with each other and enable control of multiple devices with a single remote control. There are several HDMI cable standards, all feature the same end connectors, with higher specification cables able to carry more data and support advanced features like 3D.

 

L

 

• LCD

'Liquid Crystal Display'. The same technology as used on your mobile phone, computer monitor and old pocket calculator. Modern LCDs now deliver bright and finely detailed images and are the best general purpose solution, offering great images regardless of ambient room lighting.

Dick Smith 31.5inch Full High Definition LED LCD TV

 

• LED

This is an evolution of LCDs that overcomes LCDs one weakness, being poor contrast. LED screens replace the cathode backlighting (basically several fluorescent tubes) with hundreds of LEDs, which are each actively controlled. This allows different parts of the screen to have varying levels of backlighting, so dark areas really are black, while bright areas get the boost they need.

 

P

 

• Plasma

Or 'PDP' ('Plasma Display Panel'). A different technology to LCD, but with very similar end results. PDP panels are comprised of many small gas-filled glass cells, which are electrically charged to produce an image.
While the LCD vs Plasma debate is almost religious in intensity to many, the differences are negligible. It is true that a good Plasma will look better in a darkened room, where the more vivid colours look their best.

 

• PVR

Or ‘Personal video recorder’. A device that includes an internal hard drive that’s used to record digital content. Dedicated PVRs are available from several manufacturers, while most Foxtel and TiVo boxes also function as a PVR.

 

S

 

• Surround sound

Films are pre-coded to deliver separate sounds through each surround speaker. For example, the Center speaker usually carries voices, while Side and Rear speakers carry ambient effects like rain, or positioned sounds like an explosion or a car racing past your ears. '5.1' is most common, which refers to 5 main speakers (Center plus two + Front left and right and two rear left and right) plus the subwoofer. 7.1 adds an extra set of 'Side' speakers

 

U

 

• Upscale

Many Blu-ray and some DVD players are capable of increasing the native resolution when displayed on your screen. For example, if a movie is 720, it can be displayed at 1080 on your screen. Results vary here, sometimes excellent, sometimes not so good. The term is also sometimes used to describe upscaling done by the studio before a disc is pressed. So, an old film made before the HD era could be 'remastered' to 720 or 1080 before the disc is manufactured. Again, sometimes the results are excellent, but often the result is a 'grainy' look that ends up detracting from the experience.

 

W

 

• Widgets

Widget is a term that you should familiarise yourself when delving into the capabilities of internet-capable TV sets. In this context, a widget refers to an application that is downloaded and automatically installed on your TV, ready for use. They can be as simple as news-aggregating widgets or more complex such as Skype, which allows users to make and receive internet-based calls from their TV. Widgets can be practical and offer up the ability to keep up to date with your email, or entertainment focused and allow direct access to popular video-streaming websites such as YouTube.

Source: TechLiving Magazine: Issue 10 – Updated Summer 2011