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When putting together and reviewing an audiovisual proposal for an event it is crucial to make sure you understand all the video terms that it contains. That way, you’ll avoid any unpleasant surprises at your next event.
Sometimes, as you communicate with your AV partner, you can find yourself facing highly technical vocabulary. So in this post, we bring you 10 video terms that are key to comprehending any audiovisual proposal. We hope they’ll be helpful when it comes to understanding and improving any audiovisual proposal you handle from now on.
Let’s get started!
1. Aspect Ratio
To put it briefly, this video term refers to the width-to-height proportion of any image, presentation or screen. It’s the ratio between the width and height of any given content.
There are always two numbers, which stand for X units of width and Y units of height. For example, if a screen has an aspect ratio of 16:9, it could be 16 centimetres by 9 centimetres or 16 metres by 9 metres. Ideally, the aspect ratio of the original material and screen will be the same.
Suppose you have an important event coming up, and your team and AV partner have spent a lot of time preparing presentations with graphics, tables, and other visual or video elements. On the day of the event, the presentation gets projected, but the picture does not really fill out the screen. There are empty spaces around the edges that could have been used to make the projected image bigger. Although your screens are big enough, now the presentation looks too small. What just happened? The aspect ratios of the original material and the screen don’t match.
For any event, it’s important to maximise the visual impact of the presentations or images shown on screen.
2. Resolution
This video term refers to the amount of detail that an image, monitor or projection has. In simplified terms, it’s the quality of any visual content. It is expressed in pixels, DPI (dots per inch) or PPC (pixels per centimetre). The last two are unique numbers that stand for the quantity of pixels per inch or centimetre, also called pixel density. For example, a 1920 x 1080 screen shows 1920 pixels horizontally and 1080 vertically.
When comparing two screens of the same size, but with different resolutions, the screen with the highest resolution (the one with the most pixels) will show more than what you are working on. Therefore, you won’t have to move around as much.
As that screen has more pixels, the image it shows will be sharper. But remember, higher resolution also means that elements on the screen, such as icons and text, will appear smaller.
Nowadays, when it comes to screen resolution, there are more options than ever before. Today, you can buy monitors that are high-definition (1366 x 768), full high definition (1920 x 1080), Wide Ultra Extended Graphics Array (1920 x 1200) and even ultra-high definition (3840 x 2160) or 4K.
It’s important to avoid the common mistake of only looking at the screen resolution, forgetting about what counts most: your screen’s resolution only matters if your content is at the same level. A 1080p screen won’t make a low-resolution picture or video suddenly become high-definition. If you want to achieve the best quality for your event, the quality of your content is the place to begin.
3. Pitch
Pixel pitch defines the distance between the centre of a pixel and the centre of the adjacent pixel on a LED screen. In general, screens with lower pitch have less space between pixels, and the pixels themselves are smaller. Therefore, more pixels fit in a module, and their density will be greater. A 3x2 metre LED screen with a pitch of 2.6 mm has more resolution than a screen of the same size and a pitch of 3.9 mm. There are some models that have two pixel pitch values, one for vertical and another for horizontal pitch.
4. 4K
The “K” in 4K means kilo (1000). Therefore, this video term refers to screens that achieve a horizontal resolution of some 4,000 pixels. It’s a type of resolution also known as UHD (Ultra High Definition).
4K screens have four times as many pixels as traditional Full HD screens (1920 x 1080). Even in TV screens of the same size, 4K TV image quality ends up being more vivid and detailed thanks to a greater pixel density. This difference is especially obvious when it comes to large screens.
5. Fibre optics
This video term refers to technology that transmits information as pulses of light along a glass or plastic fibre. It’s a way to transmit high data bandwidth over long distances.
Fibre optics cables are often used thanks to the advantages they offer over copper cables. Greater bandwidth and faster transmission velocity are just two of them.
There are 2 types of fibre: single mode and multimode. The differences, besides the fibre core size, are in the way the light is transmitted and the distances they can make the signal travel. The first variety transmits light through the centre of the core. On the other hand, the second type uses several light rays that bounce back and forth inside the core until reaching the other end. This way, single-mode fibres can transmit information over distances of many kilometres. For example, this is the fibre optics technology used by television and/or mobile telephony companies for their Internet installations in their customers’ homes. On the other hand, multimode fibre optics, in general and depending on the manufacturer, go no further than 600 metres. This is the type of fibre your AV partner will use at events, as it can transmit signals that copper cables do not allow.
Fibre optics can be used with many types of extenders. HDMI, SDI, DVI, ethernet, ethernet to connect 2 switches and USB. Using 2 switches with fibre, Dante and ARCNET networks can be built for machines that are situated at long distances from each other.
What’s more, fibre optics can also be combined with copper threads, creating what is known as hybrid fibre.
6. Lumens
ANSI lumens represent the amount of light that a projector can generate. The bigger the projection screen, the bigger the projector you’ll need. You may also need a bigger projector depending on the amount of light in the room.
For example, a 10,000 ANSI lumen projector provides 1671 lux on a projection screen of 3 x 1.69 m. The same projector on a 4.5 x 2.53 m screen provides 742 lux. To get the same amount of lux on a screen of 4.5 x 2.53 m, you’ll have to change the projector to a model that produces 20,000 ANSI lumen, thus generating some 1580 lux.
In the same way, if you have 450 lux of general light in the room, the difference between ambient light and the projection with the 20,000 ANSI lumen projector will be some 1130 lux. Compared to the 10,000 ANSI lumen projector, there will be a difference of some 292 lux. What’s more, when you have a projector of 20,000 lumen, you not only have the advantage of a brighter screen, but also better contrast and image colour.
7. Synoptic
The term “synoptic” refers to a schematic image of the flow of signals and the relationship among the elements in a video, sound, lighting or electrical power installation. In other words, it’s like a road map, but one that shows types of wiring and signals instead of highways and towns.
8. Media Server
The hardware or software (physical server or application programme) that supplies on-demand multimedia content is known as a media server. They are commonly used at professional live events such as concerts or in theatre.
It is a content player for large-format screens, or multiple smaller screens. These systems are usually scalable to the design needs of the audiovisual elements.
Media servers feature a deep and diverse tool box to configure how content is played. For example, video mapping and warping output. They can also interact with other components in the audiovisual installation, receiving and sending data. They can receive signals from infra-red cameras or button pads, and send signals to projectors or motors connected to parts of your scenography.
Some models have integrated video capture cards, enabling them to play or show content from external sources such as multi-camera systems. Media servers are widely used at live music events, such as concert tours.
9. Cue Light
The cue light, sometimes called a “traffic light”, is a video term that refers to the remote control equipment for content presentations. The main trait that sets it apart from a standard clicker is that in most cases, the cue light is capable of controlling more than one computer at a time. With a cue light, users can activate or disable the control of each of the computers individually. They also make it possible to change the computers after every presentation, adding another layer of flexibility to manage contents.
If your speaker would rather not work the remote control themselves, it can be disabled from the computers. As the Cue Light has an integrated screen, the graphics operator can manually advance the content, whenever the Cue Light screen indicates that the presenter wishes to move ahead. Not just that, if your event has more than one presenter, or you’d simply like to configure a back-up system, different remote controls can be programmed.
The last major difference between the Cue Light and a normal clicker is that its radio-frequency is stronger. That means you can be further from the control centre where the AV system operators are stationed.
10. Graphic Switcher
A graphic switcher is a piece of hardware used to change or choose between different sources of audio or video. Although their main function is to select between audio and video sources, sometimes they are used to mix video, and add sequences or special effects in a secondary source. They can also transmit or receive ASCII code and help produce colour video signals. AV partners use graphic switchers in film and video production settings, such as production trucks and television studios, though they are also found among the audiovisual equipment for events.
Their operation is similar to that of audio mixers. They use multiple input sources, apply the desired effects and produce one or more outputs. Modern graphic switchers have additional characteristics such as the capacity to store complex mixer configurations, and serial communications with the capacity to use patented communication protocols.
We hope that you’ve found this article useful, and you now know a few of the video terms that are key when it comes to evaluating or reviewing an audiovisual proposal. If you’d like to know more about the technical side of events, key processes and mistakes you should avoid when working with your AV partner, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us!
This article was first published in Dushow Spain, you can read the original Spanish version here.
