Multimedia and graphics
Terms related to multimedia, including graphics, animation and video definitions and words and phrases about images and sound.2D - DEM
- 2D barcode (two-dimensional barcode) - A 2D (two-dimensional) barcode is a graphical image that stores information both horizontally -- as one-dimensional
bar code s do -- and vertically. - 3-D (three dimensions or three-dimensional) - In computers, 3-D (three dimensions or three-dimensional) describes an image that provides the perception of depth.
- 3-D scanner - A 3-D scanner is an imaging device that collects distance point measurements from a real-world object and translates them into a virtual 3-D object.
- 3270 (Information Display System) - The 3270 Information Display System, a product from IBM, was, prior to the arrival of the PC, the way that almost the entire corporate world interfaced with a computer.
- 360-degree photograph - 360-degree photos simulate being in the shoes of a photographer and looking around to the left, right, up and down as desired as well as sometimes zooming.
- 360-degree VR (360-degree virtual reality) - 360-degree VR (360-degree virtual reality) is an audiovisual simulation of an altered, augmented or substituted environment that surrounds the user, allowing them to look around them in all directions, just as they can in real life.
- 3D audio (three-dimensional audio) - 3D audio is a simulation of the natural positioning of sounds for various applications including video presentations and games, virtual environments and sound stages.
- 3D camera - A 3D camera is an imaging device that enables the perception of depth in images to replicate three dimensions as experienced through human binocular vision.
- 3D gaming - 3D gaming is interactive computer entertainment that is graphically presented in the three dimensions of height, width and depth; the addition of depth to 2D gaming enabled the exploration of virtual worlds with more realistic representation.
- 3D mesh - A 3D mesh is the structural build of a 3D model consisting of polygons.
- 3D model - 3D models are used to portray real-world and conceptual visuals for art, entertainment, simulation and drafting and are integral to many different industries, including virtual reality, video games, 3D printing, marketing, TV and motion pictures, scientific and medical imaging and computer-aided design and manufacturing CAD/CAM.
- 3D modeling - 3-D modeling is the use of software to create a virtual three-dimensional model of some physical object.
- 3D mouse - A 3D mouse is a pointing and control device specialized for movement in virtual 3D (three-dimensional) environments.
- 4K video resolution - 4K video resolution is high-definition (HD) video that has four times the resolution of 1080p HD video.
- 720p - 720p is the standard high-definition (HD) display resolution of 1280x720 pixels, with progressive scanning, at a 16x9 aspect ratio.
- A Symphony of Lights - A Symphony of Lights is a multimedia event in Hong Kong featuring a spectacular lighting display synchronized to orchestral music.
- a2b - a2b was a Web site that let you download and play samples or complete songs from popular music recordings, using a music player developed by AT & T.
- AC-3 (Dolby Digital) - AC-3, also known as Dolby Digital, is a perceptual digital audio coding technique that reduces the amount of data needed to produce high-quality sound.
- acceleration hardware - Acceleration hardware is a general term that refers to devices that speed up data communications, storage and retrieval, encryption and decryption, mathematical operations, graphics, and Web page viewing.
- Acrobat - Acrobat is a program from Adobe that lets you capture a document and then view it in its original format and appearance.
- ADAT (Alesis Digital Audio Tape) - The ADAT (a registered trademark of Alesis) is an eight-track digital tape recorder that caught the recording industry by storm when it was first released in the early 1990s.
- AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) - AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) is one of the two most-used audio file formats used in the Apple Macintosh operating system.
- aliasing - In sound and image generation, aliasing is the generation of a false (alias) frequency along with the correct one when doing frequency sampling.
- alt text (alternative text) - Alt text (alternative text) is a word or phrase that can be inserted as an attribute in an HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) document to tell Web site viewers the nature or contents of an image.
- AMOLED (active matrix OLED) - AMOLED (Active Matrix OLED) is a screen technology based on pixels made of tiny red, blue and green organic material-based light emitting diodes.
- animated GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) - An animated GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) file is a graphic image on a Web page that moves - for example, a twirling icon or a banner with a hand that waves or letters that magically get larger.
- anime - Anime (pronounced AH-nee-may) is a term for a style of Japanese comic book and video cartoon animation in which the main characters have large doe-like eyes.
- anisotropic filtering (AF) - Anisotropic filtering (AF) is a feature of some video cards that sharpens the details of the fading-away part of a 3D object that recedes into the distance.
- antialiasing - Antialiasing is the smoothing of the image or sound roughness caused by aliasing.
- Apple CarPlay - Apple CarPlay is an automotive software interface that integrates an end user's iPhone’s operating system (OS) with a car's infotainment display.
- Apple Retina display - The Apple Retina display is a backlit LCD (liquid crystal display) that provides resolution levels of 220 to 326 pixels per inch.
- Apple TV (Apple TV 4) - Apple TV is a set-top box that allows end users to stream multimedia content from the Internet over a television.
- ARCore - ARCore (Google ARCore) is a development platform for building augmented reality apps (AR apps) for Android mobile devices.
- ARKit - ARKit (Apple ARKit) is Apple’s augmented reality (AR) development platform for iOS mobile devices.
- artificial passenger (AP) - An artificial passenger (AP) is a device that would be used in a motor vehicle to make sure that the driver stays awake.
- aspect ratio - Aspect ratio is an image projection attribute that describes the proportional relationship between the width of an image and its height.
- audio introduction - This page provides a brief overview of audio and its production for computer users.
- augmented reality (AR) - Augmented reality (AR) is the integration of digital information with live video or the user's environment in real time.
- augmented reality app (AR app) - An augmented reality app (AR app) is a software application that integrates digital visual content (and sometimes audio and other types) into the user’s real-world environment.
- augmented reality gaming (AR gaming) - Unlike virtual reality gaming, which often requires a separate room or confined area to create an immersive environment, augmented reality gaming uses the existing environment and creates a playing field within it.
- autoplay video - Autoplay video is audiovisual content that starts automatically when someone goes to the host web page.
- AutoRun - AutoRun is a feature of the Windows operating system that causes predetermined actions when certain media is inserted.
- AVI file (Audio Video Interleaved file) - An AVI (Audio Video Interleaved) file is a sound and motion picture file that conforms to the Microsoft Windows Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF) specification.
- backward mapping (inverse mapping or screen order) - Backward mapping (also known as inverse mapping or screen order) is a technique used in texture mapping to create a 2D image from 3D data.
- Betamax - Betamax is a videocassette recording (VCR) technology that uses magnetic tape 1/2 inch (1.
- betamaxed - To be betamaxed is to have your superior product lose out in the market to an inferior one as a result of marketing, influence or some other factor unrelated to product quality.
- bevel - In graphic design, bevel is a raised effect created by applying highlight and shadow colors to the inside and outside edges of the border of an image or text area in order to create the illusion that the image or text area has three dimensions.
- Bezier curve - A Bezier curve is a mathematically defined curve used in two-dimensional graphic applications.
- bi-level image - A bi-level image is a computer image in which each pixel (picture element) is represented by only one bit, which can be either on or off.
- binaural sound (binaural beats) - Binaural sound is audio that is recorded through specialized dual microphone setups, allowing for a stereophonic 3D audio effect that simulates sound as heard when physically present.
- bit depth - In digital audio, bit depth describes the potential accuracy of a particular piece of hardware or software that processes audio data.
- bit map - A bit map (often spelled "bitmap") defines a display space and the color for each pixelor "bit" in the display space.
- black level (brightness) - On a display or television monitor, black level is the technical term for what is usually called brightness.
- Blu-ray - Blu-ray is an optical disc format designed to display high definition video and store large amounts of data.
- Blue Book - The Blue Book is the informal name for the standard specification document for stamped multisession (also known as the enhanced CD or E-CD) disk format, developed in 1995 from a supplement to Philips and Sony's 1988 Orange Book.
- body cam (bodycam) - A body cam (bodycam) is an audio/video recording device that is clipped to one’s clothing, on the torso.
- bookmarklet - A bookmarklet is a JavaScript applet that runs directly in the browser.
- Braille display - A Braille display is a device, typically attachable to a computer keyboard, that allows a blind person to read the contents of a display one text line at a time in the form of a line of Braille characters.
- brain hijacking - Brain hijacking is the application of principles from fields including neuroscience, behavioral psychology and sociology to develop compulsive elements for consumer technologies.
- bump mapping - Bump mapping is a technique used in graphics programs to produce the appearance of textured surfaces.
- BURN-Proof (Buffer Under Run Error Proof) - BURN-Proof (Buffer Under Run Error Proof) is a technology developed by Sanyo that allows compact disc (CD) recording to automatically stop in the event of an unplanned interruption and then to resume recording.
- butt splice - In digital audio production, a butt splice is the abrupt connection of one audio file to another audio file so that they become one continuous audio file.
- C3D - C3D (pronounced SEE-THREE-DEE) is a combined hardware/software process that captures a pair of two-dimensional images, objects, or scenes and automatically reconstructs them into a digital three-dimensional (3-D) model.
- CAD (computer-aided design) - CAD (computer-aided design) software is used by architects, engineers, drafters, artists, and others to create precision drawings or technical illustrations.
- CAD/CAM (computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing) - CAD /CAM (computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing) is software used to design products such as electronic circuit boards in computers and other devices.
- cam - A cam, homecam, or Webcam is a video camera, usually attached directly to a computer, whose current or latest image is requestable from a Web site.
- camcorder (camera recorder) - A camcorder (camera recorder) is a portable electronic recording device capable of recording live-motion video and audio for later playback.
- capacitive touch screen - A capacitive touch screen is a touch-sensitive control display that uses the conductive touch of a human finger or a specialized device for input.
- Cartesian coordinates (rectangular coordinates) - Cartesian coordinates, also called rectangular coordinates, provide a method of rendering graphs and indicating the positions of points on a two-dimensional (2D) surface or in three-dimensional (3D) space.
- CAVE (Cave Automatic Virtual Environment) - CAVE (Cave Automatic Virtual Environment) is a virtual reality environment consisting of a cube-shaped room in which the walls, floors and ceilings are projection screens.
- CD burner (CD recorder) - A CD burner is the informal name for a CD recorder, a device that can record data to a compact disc.
- CD-Bridge Disc - A CD-Bridge Disc (sometimes just called a bridge disc) is a compact disc (CD) format that includes extra information on a CD-ROM XA (extended architecture) track, so that the disc can be played on either a CD-i (interactive) player attached to a television, or a CD-ROM XA drive attached to a computer.
- CD-i (Compact Disc - interactive) - CD-i (Compact Disc - interactive) is the multimedia CD format specified in 1986 (in the Green Book).
- CD-Magneto Optical (CD-MO) - CD-Magneto Optical (CD-MO) is a compact disc format that uses magnetic fields for data storage.
- CD-ROM XA (Compact Disc - read-only-memory, extended architecture) - CD-ROM XA (Compact Disc - read-only-memory, extended architecture) is a modification of CD-ROM that defines two new types of sectors that enable it to read and display data, graphics, video, and audio at the same time.
- CGI (computer-generated imagery) - CGI (computer-generated imagery) is used to produce visual content for many purposes including visual art, advertising, anatomical modeling, architectural design, engineering, video game art and film special effects, as well as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications.
- chorus - In audio production, chorus is one of the two standard audio effects defined by the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI).
- Chromecast - Chromecast is a streaming media adapter from Google that allows users to play online content such as videos and music on a digital television.
- cinematography (cinematographer) - Cinematography is a blend of science and art used to capture, manipulate and store moving images for the purpose of creating a motion picture.
- clip art - Clip art, frequently used in desktop publishing before the arrival of the Web, is "canned" artwork designed for use in publications or Web pages by artists or non-artists.
- clipboard hijack attack - A clipboard hijacking is an exploit in which the attacker gains control of the victim's clipboard and replaces its contents with their own data, such as a link to a malicious Web site.
- closed captions - Closed captions are a text version of the spoken part of a television, movie, or computer presentation.
- CMOS sensor - A CMOS sensor is an electronic chip that converts photons to electrons.
- CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, key) - CMYK is a scheme for combining primary pigments.
- color thin film transistor (CTFT) - Color thin film transistor (CTFT) displays are Thin Film Transistor displays with color.
- compositing - Compositing used to create layered images and video in advertisements, memes and other content for print publications, websites and apps.
- compression artifact - A compression artifact is the fuzz or distortion in a compressed image or sequence of video images.
- computational photography - Computational photography is the use of computer processing capabilities in cameras to produce an enhanced image beyond what the lens and sensor pics up in a single shot.
- Computed Dental Radiography (CDR) - Computed Dental Radiography (CDR) is a technology for capturing a computerized image or radiograph of your teeth and gums that requires 90% less radiation than conventional x-ray film.
- computer worm - A computer worm is a type of malicious software program whose primary function is to infect other computers while remaining active on infected systems.
- continuous media - Continuous media is data where there is a timing relationship between source and destination.
- counterfeit detector pen - A counterfeit detector pen is a felt tip pen containing an iodine solution that can be used to help identify computer-generated counterfeit bills.
- CPI - For a given font, cpi (characters per inch) is the number of typographic character that will fit on each inch of a printed line.
- crossfade - In digital audio production, a crossfade is editing that makes a smooth transition between two audio files.
- D-VHS (Digital Video Home System) - D-VHS (Digital Video Home System) is a digital enhancement of the Video Home System (VHS) videocassette recording (VCR) technology that was developed by Japan Victor Company (JVC) in 1976.
- d3.js (data-driven documents) - D3.js (data-driven documents) is a library of JavaScript code that enables users to input their own data into prebuilt visualizations.
- data compression - Data compression is a reduction in the number of bits needed to represent data.
- data glove - A data glove is an interactive device, resembling a glove worn on the hand, which facilitates tactile sensing and fine-motion control in robotics and virtual reality.
- dead pixel - A dead pixel is a picture element in which all three RGB sub-pixels are permanently turned off, which creates a black spot in the display.
- demo and demoscene - A demo is a non-interactive multimedia presentation that is rendered in real time.