Glossary
Acrobat - (See PDF) Software from Adobe that allows documents created on one platform to be displayed and printed exactly the same on another, no matter which fonts are installed in the computer.
Aspect Ratio - The ratio of width to height of an object. The aspect ratio of the screen of a standard computer monitor and TV is 4:3. The high-definition TV (HDTV) format is 16:9.
Bandwidth - Bandwidth is transmission capacity. Think about bandwidth as a water pipe and digital information as water. A large pipe can deliver a large volume of water more quickly than a small pipe. That water isn't moving any faster in the large pipe, it's just able to carry more than the small pipe every second. The same is true for network "pipes." Regular phone lines with regular modems are considered low bandwidth. Cable modems, DSL lines, ISDN, and T-1 lines are considered high bandwidth.
Bit Rate - Also known as data rate or video bandwidth. The amount of information required to represent digital audio or video, often measured in bits per second (bps), kilobits per second(kbps) or megabits per second (mbps). As screensize, picture quality, sound quality, and fluidity of motion increase, so does bandwidth. If the bandwidth a movie requires is greater than your connection to the Internet, then you will have to download the movie before viewing it.
Bps - (Bits per Second) The measurement of the transfer speed of digital information often referring to Internet connections or video files.
Web Browser - A program that lets you see information on the Internet. Netscape Communicator and Microsoft Internet Explorer are two popular examples. Web browsers interpret a simple programming language called HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) and display it graphically.
Cable Modem - Cable modems are devices that allow users to connect to the Internet at very high speeds. Cable TV is delivered over "coaxial" cable which can, in addition to carrying hundreds of channels of television, carry large amounts of computer data. Cable modems are asymmetrical, which means they don't send data at the same rate they receive it. Typically they receive data at up to 10 mega bits per second and send it at up to 100 kilo bits per second. Unlike ISDN, which is also digital but travels through the regular telephone network, cable modems provides "always-on" operation.
CODEC - (Compressor/DECompressor) A codec is a software component that transfers video or audio between its uncompressed form and the compressed form in which it is stored. Digital video files are very large and therefore difficult to move (e.g. from a web site to your home) and store (e.g. on a hard drive). There's a lot of unnecessary information in many files. Codecs remove the unnecessary information making them smaller and easier to move, display and store.
Compress - To compact data, such as video files, to save space. Compressing a file often removes redundant pieces of data that are restored when the file is decompressed. More agressive compression schemes can result in partial loss of data in favor of a small file size.
Connectivity - The devices that connect your computer to a network and/or the Internet. See Bandwidth.
Convergence - The notion that as various media, such as television and music are produced on computers and bandwidth to the average person increases, all media will meld and become available over the Internet.
Cookies - Tiny files stored on your computer that hold preferences such as passwords for web sites. If you login to a web site and check a box that says "remember my password," a cookie is created on your computer. The next time you visit the site from that computer, you shouldn't have to re-enter your password.
Cookies can only be seen by the web site that created them, so no one can steal your password. If more than one person uses the same computer, using cookies to save your password does raise a security question: someone using your computer to browse a site would automatically be logged in as you and thus may gain access to private information.
CPU - (Central Processing Unit) The part of a computer that does the computing. The CPU is the brain of the computer. Having a powerful CPU is important to your overall computer system performace.
Data Rate - Also known as bit rate or video bandwidth. The amount of information required to represent digital video or audio, often measured in bits per second (bps), kilobits per second (kpbs) or megabits per second (mbps). As screensize, picture quality, sound quality and fluidity of motion increase, so does bandwidth. If the bandwidth a movie requires is greater than your connection to the Internet, then you will have to download the movie before viewing it.
Digitize - To convert something analog (e.g. a conventional video or audio signal) to something digital. To put something into a computer's "language." Photographs and video must digitized to be viewed or manipulated on a computer.
Digital Video - A set of moving images (with or without sound) that is viewable and manipulatable on a computer. Digital video can originate on a computer or be digitized from an analog source. DV (short for digital video) is a specific video format used in digital video cameras and other hardware. QuickTime, MPEG, AVI and Real Video are just a few of the many popular formats for digital video.
Digital Watermark - A visible or invisible (to the naked eye) symbol or pattern that is used to identify the owner, author or originator of material on a computer. Because digital files (e.g. photos or video) can be duplicated an infinite number of times without degradation in quality, digitial watermarks have been developed as a means of tracing media.
Download - To receive a file over a network (e.g. the Internet). The opposite of uploading, which is to send a file over a network. The speed of a download depends on the size of the file and the speed of your connection to the network.
DSL - (Digital Subscriber Line) is a technology for bringing high-bandwidth connectivity to homes and small businesses over ordinary copper telephone lines. DSL lines are asymmetrical which means they don't send data at the same rate they receive it. Typically they receive data at up to 1.5 mega bits per second and send it at up to 500 kilo bits per second. Unlike ISDN, which is also digital but travels through the regular telephone network, DSL provides "always-on" operation.
Firewall - A method for keeping a network secure. It is a combination of technologies sometimes implemented in a single device that allows users in a local network (e.g. small office) to access files on the outside network (e.g. the Internet), but does not allow users in the outside network to access files on the inside network.
FireWire - A high-speed computer communication technology developed by Apple and Texas Instruments that supports for the connections of up to 63 devices. FireWire allows users to attach and detach devices without shutting them off ("Hot Swapping"). Firewire is often built into digital video cameras and other related hardware.
Flash - A popular multimedia technology made by Macromedia that delivers good quality animation and audio while being renowned for its small file size and download time.
FPS - (Frames Per Second) In motion graphics fields like film and video, it is the number of frames shown in any given second. Also known as framerate. Conventional film is shown at 24 frames per second, conventional video at 30. Lowering the frame rate (to 12 or 15 frames per second) is one aspect of compressing digital video files for use on the Internet.
Hard Drive - The mechanism on which most computers store data, also known as hard disks. Most often, hard drives are housed with other computer components inside the computer's case, but there are also external models. The "size" of a hard drive is generally measured in gigabytes and is fixed. When hard drives fill up the user must either throw away old, unwanted data or buy additional hard drives. Through they store digital information, hard drives are basically magnetic media (like an audio cassette) and thus prone to degrade over time and fail.
Install Program - Also called a Setup Program, an installer puts the various parts of a computer program in the right place on a computer. Modern computer programs are often comprised of a maze of files, settings and preferences that all need to be in specific places for the program to operate properly. Installers are programs designed to make adding software to a computer a more user-friendly experience. "Uninstallers" are programs that remove the same maze of files when the program is no longer needed.
JavaScript - A scripting language from Netscape that is only similar to Java in name. Javascript is often used by people who develop web sites to add additional functionality and/or interface enhancements to a web page. In order for web users to enjoy the benefits of Javascript, they must use a Javascript-enabled browser such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 or kigher.
MiniDV - A digital video format endorsed by all the major video hardware vendors that employs relatively compact tape cassette. MiniDV is a popular format for so-called "prosumer" digital video equipment.
Modem - (MOdeulator-DEModulator) A device that allows computers to use regular analog phone lines to transmit and receive digital information. A computer talks digital to a modem, the modem converts the information to analog and sends it over analog phone lines to another modem. The other modem then converts it to digital and passes it on digitally to the computer it's connected to.
MP3 - (MPEG Audio Layer 3) An audio compression technology that is a part of the MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 specifications. It compresses CD-quality audio so that it can be downloaded more easily over the Internet.
MPEG - (Moving Pictures Experts Group) A standard for compressing video. DVD movies are encoded using a form of MPEG. It is a compression scheme that requires a lot of CPU power to encode and decode, and usually requires a special hardware processor for full-screen movies.
Operating System - The master control program that runs all the other programs on a computer. It is the first program loaded into memory. The Macintosh OS, UNIX and Windows are three well-known operating systems in use today.
Password - A word or code that only certain people (or a certain person) knows. It protects against unauthorized access to something. A registered user of a web site might have a password that protects their personal information on that web site.
PDF - (Portable Document Format) The file format used by Adobe Acrobat document exchange system. It allows documents created on one computer or platform to be viewed or printed out on another and look the same. All fonts and images are embedded in the document so they don't need to be sent separately from the document.
Plug-in - A small piece of software that is intended to extend the functionality of a larger program. Netscape and Internet Explorer use plug-ins to add features such as the ability to play high-quality animation and video.
Present Mode - A way of viewing movies in Apple's QuickTime Pro that blocks out the computer desktop and resizes the video for a more TV-like effect. A user with QuickTime Pro can go to the file menu and pull down to "Present Movie," and then press OK to view a movie in Present mode. This feature is only available in the Pro version of QuickTime which costs $30.
Profile - On a web site, a profile is a web page that contains information about a user or member. On Undergroundfilm.com, members may add, delete and update information on their own profile page as they wish. The information may be biographical, job or hobby-related. A profile page can contain links to other web sites. Profile pages help build a sense of community of a web site.
Proxy Server - Also called a Proxy or Application Level Gateway, it is an application that breaks the connection between sender and receiver. All information a person downloads first goes to a proxy server, which immediately forwards the information. This protects the identity of the receiver.
QuickTime - A multimedia technology developed by Apple Computer which allows Windows, UNIX, Macintosh and other users to share high-quality audio and video files. There is a free and feature-enhanced Pro version ($30).
Real Player - A multimedia technology that plays streaming media over the Internet.
Screen Name - An alias for a web site user. It allows people to post their opinion on a web site without revealling their real name. A screen name doesn't have to have anything to do with your real name or what you do. Within any given site, screen names are unique (i.e. three can only be one person with the screen name "shmoopie").
Server - A computer in a network shared by multiple users. A server is ususally a free-standing computer that has a specific task, as the case of a mail server that only sends and receives email. Often, a server is a repository for shared data. Web sites "serve" many different individuals the same or similar data.
Streaming - Playing audio or video in "real time" as it is downloaded over the Internet as opposed to storing it in a local file first. When the data rate (read "bandwidth") required to play a movie is less than the available bandwidth of a downloading user, the movie can be viewed as it downloads.
Threaded Discussion - A running log of remarks or opinions about a subject. When a user posts a comment about or replies to a particular message on an Internet discussion forum, it is filed with the original message. If someone reads the original message and all its corresponding replies they are said to be "following the thread."
T1 - A term developed by AT&T, a T1 is a point-to-point dedicated, digital circuit provided by the telephone companies. T1s carry 1.544 megabits per second symmetrically, meaning they upload as fast as they download. They are "always on" like DSL and cable modems. T1s are the standard for corporate network connectivity.
Upload - To send a file over a network (e.g. the Internet). Uploading is the opposite of downloading, which is to receive a file over a network. The speed of an upload depends on the size of the file and the speed of your connection to the network.
URL - (Uniform Resource Locator) The address used to find resources (web sites, pages, etc...) on the Internet. URLs are generally typed in the "location" box of a web browser or they are activated by clicking on a link in a web page. URLs are often in a format similar to "http://www.Undergroundfilm.com/".
Username - The name a person uses to identify him or herself when logging onto a web site. Generally a username is coupled with a password, and both must be entered correctly before the person gains access to the web site. On Undergroundfilm.com, a user's email address functions as their username.
VBR - (Variable Bit rate) A method of compressing audio or video that examines the material to be compressed in two passes. On the first round, passages that are "difficult" or "easy" to compress are identified. On the second pass, the movie is compressed in a way that allows a higher bit rate for the difficult passages and a lower bit rate for the easier passages while maintaining a consistent bitrate overall. Passages like "talking head" interviews are considered easy to compress because the difference between any two frames is nominal. The entire frame doesn't need to be redrawn, only the part that's changed. If the same interview took place in a moving car, it would become difficult to compress. The constantly changing background forces the entire screen to be repainted in every frame.
Video Bandwidth - (see Bit Rate)
Aspect Ratio - The ratio of width to height of an object. The aspect ratio of the screen of a standard computer monitor and TV is 4:3. The high-definition TV (HDTV) format is 16:9.
Bandwidth - Bandwidth is transmission capacity. Think about bandwidth as a water pipe and digital information as water. A large pipe can deliver a large volume of water more quickly than a small pipe. That water isn't moving any faster in the large pipe, it's just able to carry more than the small pipe every second. The same is true for network "pipes." Regular phone lines with regular modems are considered low bandwidth. Cable modems, DSL lines, ISDN, and T-1 lines are considered high bandwidth.
Bit Rate - Also known as data rate or video bandwidth. The amount of information required to represent digital audio or video, often measured in bits per second (bps), kilobits per second(kbps) or megabits per second (mbps). As screensize, picture quality, sound quality, and fluidity of motion increase, so does bandwidth. If the bandwidth a movie requires is greater than your connection to the Internet, then you will have to download the movie before viewing it.
Bps - (Bits per Second) The measurement of the transfer speed of digital information often referring to Internet connections or video files.
Web Browser - A program that lets you see information on the Internet. Netscape Communicator and Microsoft Internet Explorer are two popular examples. Web browsers interpret a simple programming language called HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) and display it graphically.
Cable Modem - Cable modems are devices that allow users to connect to the Internet at very high speeds. Cable TV is delivered over "coaxial" cable which can, in addition to carrying hundreds of channels of television, carry large amounts of computer data. Cable modems are asymmetrical, which means they don't send data at the same rate they receive it. Typically they receive data at up to 10 mega bits per second and send it at up to 100 kilo bits per second. Unlike ISDN, which is also digital but travels through the regular telephone network, cable modems provides "always-on" operation.
CODEC - (Compressor/DECompressor) A codec is a software component that transfers video or audio between its uncompressed form and the compressed form in which it is stored. Digital video files are very large and therefore difficult to move (e.g. from a web site to your home) and store (e.g. on a hard drive). There's a lot of unnecessary information in many files. Codecs remove the unnecessary information making them smaller and easier to move, display and store.
Compress - To compact data, such as video files, to save space. Compressing a file often removes redundant pieces of data that are restored when the file is decompressed. More agressive compression schemes can result in partial loss of data in favor of a small file size.
Connectivity - The devices that connect your computer to a network and/or the Internet. See Bandwidth.
Convergence - The notion that as various media, such as television and music are produced on computers and bandwidth to the average person increases, all media will meld and become available over the Internet.
Cookies - Tiny files stored on your computer that hold preferences such as passwords for web sites. If you login to a web site and check a box that says "remember my password," a cookie is created on your computer. The next time you visit the site from that computer, you shouldn't have to re-enter your password.
Cookies can only be seen by the web site that created them, so no one can steal your password. If more than one person uses the same computer, using cookies to save your password does raise a security question: someone using your computer to browse a site would automatically be logged in as you and thus may gain access to private information.
CPU - (Central Processing Unit) The part of a computer that does the computing. The CPU is the brain of the computer. Having a powerful CPU is important to your overall computer system performace.
Data Rate - Also known as bit rate or video bandwidth. The amount of information required to represent digital video or audio, often measured in bits per second (bps), kilobits per second (kpbs) or megabits per second (mbps). As screensize, picture quality, sound quality and fluidity of motion increase, so does bandwidth. If the bandwidth a movie requires is greater than your connection to the Internet, then you will have to download the movie before viewing it.
Digitize - To convert something analog (e.g. a conventional video or audio signal) to something digital. To put something into a computer's "language." Photographs and video must digitized to be viewed or manipulated on a computer.
Digital Video - A set of moving images (with or without sound) that is viewable and manipulatable on a computer. Digital video can originate on a computer or be digitized from an analog source. DV (short for digital video) is a specific video format used in digital video cameras and other hardware. QuickTime, MPEG, AVI and Real Video are just a few of the many popular formats for digital video.
Digital Watermark - A visible or invisible (to the naked eye) symbol or pattern that is used to identify the owner, author or originator of material on a computer. Because digital files (e.g. photos or video) can be duplicated an infinite number of times without degradation in quality, digitial watermarks have been developed as a means of tracing media.
Download - To receive a file over a network (e.g. the Internet). The opposite of uploading, which is to send a file over a network. The speed of a download depends on the size of the file and the speed of your connection to the network.
DSL - (Digital Subscriber Line) is a technology for bringing high-bandwidth connectivity to homes and small businesses over ordinary copper telephone lines. DSL lines are asymmetrical which means they don't send data at the same rate they receive it. Typically they receive data at up to 1.5 mega bits per second and send it at up to 500 kilo bits per second. Unlike ISDN, which is also digital but travels through the regular telephone network, DSL provides "always-on" operation.
Firewall - A method for keeping a network secure. It is a combination of technologies sometimes implemented in a single device that allows users in a local network (e.g. small office) to access files on the outside network (e.g. the Internet), but does not allow users in the outside network to access files on the inside network.
FireWire - A high-speed computer communication technology developed by Apple and Texas Instruments that supports for the connections of up to 63 devices. FireWire allows users to attach and detach devices without shutting them off ("Hot Swapping"). Firewire is often built into digital video cameras and other related hardware.
Flash - A popular multimedia technology made by Macromedia that delivers good quality animation and audio while being renowned for its small file size and download time.
FPS - (Frames Per Second) In motion graphics fields like film and video, it is the number of frames shown in any given second. Also known as framerate. Conventional film is shown at 24 frames per second, conventional video at 30. Lowering the frame rate (to 12 or 15 frames per second) is one aspect of compressing digital video files for use on the Internet.
Hard Drive - The mechanism on which most computers store data, also known as hard disks. Most often, hard drives are housed with other computer components inside the computer's case, but there are also external models. The "size" of a hard drive is generally measured in gigabytes and is fixed. When hard drives fill up the user must either throw away old, unwanted data or buy additional hard drives. Through they store digital information, hard drives are basically magnetic media (like an audio cassette) and thus prone to degrade over time and fail.
Install Program - Also called a Setup Program, an installer puts the various parts of a computer program in the right place on a computer. Modern computer programs are often comprised of a maze of files, settings and preferences that all need to be in specific places for the program to operate properly. Installers are programs designed to make adding software to a computer a more user-friendly experience. "Uninstallers" are programs that remove the same maze of files when the program is no longer needed.
JavaScript - A scripting language from Netscape that is only similar to Java in name. Javascript is often used by people who develop web sites to add additional functionality and/or interface enhancements to a web page. In order for web users to enjoy the benefits of Javascript, they must use a Javascript-enabled browser such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 or kigher.
MiniDV - A digital video format endorsed by all the major video hardware vendors that employs relatively compact tape cassette. MiniDV is a popular format for so-called "prosumer" digital video equipment.
Modem - (MOdeulator-DEModulator) A device that allows computers to use regular analog phone lines to transmit and receive digital information. A computer talks digital to a modem, the modem converts the information to analog and sends it over analog phone lines to another modem. The other modem then converts it to digital and passes it on digitally to the computer it's connected to.
MP3 - (MPEG Audio Layer 3) An audio compression technology that is a part of the MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 specifications. It compresses CD-quality audio so that it can be downloaded more easily over the Internet.
MPEG - (Moving Pictures Experts Group) A standard for compressing video. DVD movies are encoded using a form of MPEG. It is a compression scheme that requires a lot of CPU power to encode and decode, and usually requires a special hardware processor for full-screen movies.
Operating System - The master control program that runs all the other programs on a computer. It is the first program loaded into memory. The Macintosh OS, UNIX and Windows are three well-known operating systems in use today.
Password - A word or code that only certain people (or a certain person) knows. It protects against unauthorized access to something. A registered user of a web site might have a password that protects their personal information on that web site.
PDF - (Portable Document Format) The file format used by Adobe Acrobat document exchange system. It allows documents created on one computer or platform to be viewed or printed out on another and look the same. All fonts and images are embedded in the document so they don't need to be sent separately from the document.
Plug-in - A small piece of software that is intended to extend the functionality of a larger program. Netscape and Internet Explorer use plug-ins to add features such as the ability to play high-quality animation and video.
Present Mode - A way of viewing movies in Apple's QuickTime Pro that blocks out the computer desktop and resizes the video for a more TV-like effect. A user with QuickTime Pro can go to the file menu and pull down to "Present Movie," and then press OK to view a movie in Present mode. This feature is only available in the Pro version of QuickTime which costs $30.
Profile - On a web site, a profile is a web page that contains information about a user or member. On Undergroundfilm.com, members may add, delete and update information on their own profile page as they wish. The information may be biographical, job or hobby-related. A profile page can contain links to other web sites. Profile pages help build a sense of community of a web site.
Proxy Server - Also called a Proxy or Application Level Gateway, it is an application that breaks the connection between sender and receiver. All information a person downloads first goes to a proxy server, which immediately forwards the information. This protects the identity of the receiver.
QuickTime - A multimedia technology developed by Apple Computer which allows Windows, UNIX, Macintosh and other users to share high-quality audio and video files. There is a free and feature-enhanced Pro version ($30).
Real Player - A multimedia technology that plays streaming media over the Internet.
Screen Name - An alias for a web site user. It allows people to post their opinion on a web site without revealling their real name. A screen name doesn't have to have anything to do with your real name or what you do. Within any given site, screen names are unique (i.e. three can only be one person with the screen name "shmoopie").
Server - A computer in a network shared by multiple users. A server is ususally a free-standing computer that has a specific task, as the case of a mail server that only sends and receives email. Often, a server is a repository for shared data. Web sites "serve" many different individuals the same or similar data.
Streaming - Playing audio or video in "real time" as it is downloaded over the Internet as opposed to storing it in a local file first. When the data rate (read "bandwidth") required to play a movie is less than the available bandwidth of a downloading user, the movie can be viewed as it downloads.
Threaded Discussion - A running log of remarks or opinions about a subject. When a user posts a comment about or replies to a particular message on an Internet discussion forum, it is filed with the original message. If someone reads the original message and all its corresponding replies they are said to be "following the thread."
T1 - A term developed by AT&T, a T1 is a point-to-point dedicated, digital circuit provided by the telephone companies. T1s carry 1.544 megabits per second symmetrically, meaning they upload as fast as they download. They are "always on" like DSL and cable modems. T1s are the standard for corporate network connectivity.
Upload - To send a file over a network (e.g. the Internet). Uploading is the opposite of downloading, which is to receive a file over a network. The speed of an upload depends on the size of the file and the speed of your connection to the network.
URL - (Uniform Resource Locator) The address used to find resources (web sites, pages, etc...) on the Internet. URLs are generally typed in the "location" box of a web browser or they are activated by clicking on a link in a web page. URLs are often in a format similar to "http://www.Undergroundfilm.com/".
Username - The name a person uses to identify him or herself when logging onto a web site. Generally a username is coupled with a password, and both must be entered correctly before the person gains access to the web site. On Undergroundfilm.com, a user's email address functions as their username.
VBR - (Variable Bit rate) A method of compressing audio or video that examines the material to be compressed in two passes. On the first round, passages that are "difficult" or "easy" to compress are identified. On the second pass, the movie is compressed in a way that allows a higher bit rate for the difficult passages and a lower bit rate for the easier passages while maintaining a consistent bitrate overall. Passages like "talking head" interviews are considered easy to compress because the difference between any two frames is nominal. The entire frame doesn't need to be redrawn, only the part that's changed. If the same interview took place in a moving car, it would become difficult to compress. The constantly changing background forces the entire screen to be repainted in every frame.
Video Bandwidth - (see Bit Rate)
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