GLOSSARY

A

ANSI
Acronym for American National Standards Institute; coordinates the development of U.S. voluntary standards in the public and private sectors. ANSI has established the standard followed by projector manufacturers for measuring lumen brightness.

Aspect Ratio
The ratio of height to width of a frame or screen. The aspect ratio for video is 3:4.

B

Brightness
The factor that makes darkness go away, measured in lumens on a projector.

Bulb
A light source commonly mistaken for the light source within a projector. Bulbs power incandescent room lighting. Lamps power projectors.

C

Contrast Ratio
The ratio of the maximum white to the minimum black levels possible for a particular spot on the image with the background light levels factored out.

Compatibility
Relates to the video and computer signal formats the projector is capable of displaying.

Composite Video
Most common form of analog video signal.

D

Dimensions
The physical size, length, width and height of a projector, measured in inches.

Digital Video
A signal in computer data form, which creates images and sound.

DLP
Acronym for Digital Light Processing, a data projection technology developed by Texas Instruments using a microprocessor to display bright, colorful images in fully lit rooms. Used primarily in portable and ultra-portable projectors, the DLP chip is the size of a postage stamp and contains millions of microscopic mirrors - one for each pixel - that flip on an axis, reflecting light through a color wheel to create an image.

F

Focus
A point at which rays of light converge. It is adjusted to clarify a blurry image.

H

HDTV
Acronym for High Definition Television, a high-resolution television standard using an 1125-line broadcast signal.

K

Keystone/Keystoning
The distortion of an uncorrected image projected on a wall or screen, typically shown to be wider across the top and shorter across the bottom, resembling a keystone of an arch.

L

Lamp
The bright source of a projector partially responsible for the sharpness and clarity of an image.

LAN
Acronym for Local Area Network; (See also network).

LCD
Acronym for Liquid Crystal Display. Liquid crystals exist in an intermediate state between liquid and solid, and realign under electrical stimulation. Exceptionally slim and lightweight, they are ideal in word processor, computer and TV displays.

Lumen
A unit of measurement of the amount of visible light energy that comes from a light source and is perceived by the eye.

M

Mini Jack
An audio connection interface common on personal cassette/CD players, computers and some projectors.

Multimedia
A computer technology that enables the presentation of information using graphics, sound, animation and text.

N

Network
Connecting two or more computers and/or networkable devices for data sharing or remote control of devices.

NTSC
Acronym for National Television Systems Committee, the television standard for the United States, administered by the Federal Communications Committee (FCC). NTSC is 525 lines of resolution transferred at a rate of 30 frames per second.

P

PAL
Acronym for Phase Alternate Line, the standard color system used throughout Western Europe except in France. PAL-M is the standard system in Brazil. It uses an interlaced format with 25 frames per second and 625 lines per screen.

Pin
The connector used in computer/projector cables. Cables are often identified by the number of pins they contain. A typical computer video cable has 15 pins and is called a 15-pin video cable.

Pixel
Short for picture element. The smallest graphic unit that can be displayed on the screen, usually a single-colored dot.

Power Down
A modern term for turning something off.

R

RGB
Acronym for red, green, blue. Represents the chrominance information in a video signal, the primary colors from which all other colors can be construed.

RCA
Also called Composite, RCA jacks are a common connection interface for audio and video sources.

Remote
A small handheld device separate from the projector, which contains projector controls such as volume, brightness, etc.

Resolution
The visual quality of a computer screen or projected image measured by the number of pixels wide by the number of pixels high. More pixels per unit of area produce a higher resolution giving more detail in the display of an image.

S

S-video
A video connection interface. Also a generic name for Y/C, applied to S-VHS or Beta E. This format offers a higher quality than composite video, but a lower quality than component video.

SECAM
Acronym for Systeme En Couleur Avec Memoire (sequential color with memory); the color TV system used in France and throughout the Eastern Block republics.

Stereo
An audio playback technology that divides sound into two or more sources, creating a more realistic sound.

Subwoofer
An audio device dedicated to replicating the lowest, deepest sounds ascertainable by the human ear.

SVGA
A video resolution equating to 800 x 600 pixels in size; acronym for Super Video Graphics Display.

T

TFT
Acronym for Thin Film Transistor, a technology used with LCD screens also known as Active Matrix.

U

UHP
Acronym for Ultra High Performance and/or Ultra High Efficiency, a term typically used with metal halide lamps that power ultra-bright projectors.

Uniform Brightness
The lack of brighter or dimmer areas of a projected image across a lighted surface.

USB
Acronym for Universal Serial Bus, a peripheral connection interface for low-speed devices notable for its hot-swapability.

V

Ventilation
Airflow through a projector's internals for the purpose of cooling the lamp or light source.

VGA
A video resolution equating to 640x480 pixels in size; acronym for Video Graphics Array.

W

Weight
The weight of the projector minus power cord, bag and other optional accessories.

X

XGA
A video resolution equating to 1024 x 768 pixels in size; acronym for Extended Graphics Array.

Z

Zoom
To make an area of an image larger.

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