video

(1) May refer to a computer's display system rather than TV/video as in definition #3 below. For example, a "video card" is the same as a "graphics card" or "display adapter." The video system in a computer uses different standards than TV. It sends analog (VGA) or digital (DVI) signals to the monitor. See display adapter, VGA and DVI.

(2) A generic term for a full-length movie or a short movie clip. It can refer to an analog VHS videotape, to a digital format such as a DVD disc or to a computer file (WMV, AVI, MPEG, DivX, etc.). Prior to the 1990s, the term implied that an analog TV set or monitor (TV without tuner) was used for viewing. Since then, movies can be created in digital camcorders and played on computers without ever being turned into the traditional analog NTSC TV/video format (see definition #3 below).

(3) The image capture and transmission technology that was developed for the television industry. It was later enhanced with recording and playback capabilities. In North America, NTSC is the analog TV standard, and DTV is the digital TV standard. In Europe and other countries, PAL and SECAM are the analog standards, and DVB and ISDB are the digital standards. See NTSC, DTV and VTR.

Different Color Encoding
TVs and computers use different color models. The color encoding of TV video signals (broadcast TV, cable TV, VHS tape, DVD, etc.) uses the YUV color space, whereas the computer's video system processes images in the RGB color space. However, the screen electronics in both TVs and computers render only RGB, thus, YUV video is converted to RGB to be displayed (see color space, YUV and RGB).

High Tech Video

Dating back to the late 1920s, this is one of the first video cameras. Although some stations were broadcasting TV in the 1930s, RCA began regular transmission in 1939. (Image courtesy of RCA Corporation.)

An Early Recording Star

Felix the Cat was one of the first images displayed on a television set. (Image courtesy of RCA Corporation.)