Television and Streaming Video

Bandwidth

a communication channel’s information-carrying capacity

nipkow disc

first workable device for generating electrical signals suitable for the transmission of a scene

pixel

the smallest picture element in an electronic imaging system such as a television or computer screen

iconoscope tube

first practical television camera tube, developed in 1923

kinescope

improved picture tube developed by Zworykin for RCA

coaxial cable

copper-clad aluminum wire encased in plastic foam insulation, covered by an aluminum outer conductor and then sheathed in plastic

microwave

audio and video transmitting system in which super-high-frequency signals are sent from land-based point to land-based point

spot commercial sales

in broadcasting, selling individual advertising spots on a given program to a wide variety of advertisers

community antenna television (CATV)

outmoded name for early cable television

importation of distant signals

delivery of distant television signals by cable television for the purpose of improving reception

global television audience metering (GTAM) meter

video ratings technology that will actively and passively measure viewing across all platforms

nonlinear tv

watching television on our own schedules, not the programmer’s

c3 and c7 ratings

measures of viewing of commercials that appear in a specific program within 3 or 7 days of its premiere telecast

longtail viewing

true measure of a TV program's viewership over time, across multiple platforms, and on-demand

total viewer impressions

TV audience measurement using the actual number of people watching rather than a percentage of possible viewers who tune in

multi currency approach

In television audience measurement, accepting different forms of measurement for different types of viewing and audiences

share

the percentage of people listening to radio or of homes using television tuned in to a given piece of programming

all channel legislation

1962 law requiring all television sets imported into or manufactured in the United States to be equipped with both VHF and UHF receivers

time-shifting

taping a show on a VCR for later viewing

zipping

fast-forwarding through taped commercials on a VCR

digital video disc (dvd)

digital recording and playback player and disc, fastest-growing consumer electronic product in history

digital video recorder

video recording device attached to a television, which gives viewers significant control over content

clear time

when local affiliates carry a network’s program

reverse compensation

fee paid by a local broadcast station for the right to be a network’s affiliate

retransmission

money a local cable operation pays to a broadcast station to carry its signal

off-network

broadcast industry term for syndicated content that originally aired on a network

pilot

a sample episode of a proposed television program

first-run syndication

original programming produced specifically for the syndicated television market

stripping

broadcasting a syndicated television show at the same time five nights a week

premium

cable television channels offered to viewers for a fee above the cost of their basic subscription

fiber optics

signals carried by light beams over glass fibers

tiers

groupings of channels made available by a cable or satellite provider to subscribers at varying prices

expanded basic cable

in cable television, a second, somewhat more expensive level of subscription

multiple system operator (mso)

a company owning several different cable television operationss

subscription tv

early experiments with over-the-air pay television

cord-cutting

viewers leaving cable and DBS altogether and relying on Internet-only television

cord-never

viewer who never had cable TV

over-the-top (ott)

television delivery without the involvement of an MSO

zero-tv homes

homes that have sets but receive neither over-the-air nor cable/satellite television

peak tv

a time of significant viewer choice and high-quality video content

digital cable television

delivery of digital video images and other information to subscribers’ homes

video on demand (vod)

service allowing television viewers to access pay-per-view movies and other content that can be watched whenever they want

broad band

a channel with broad information-carrying capacity

FAST (free ad-supported tv)

streaming channels offering free content with commercials

AVOD (ad-supported video-on-demand)

streaming services offering a mix of original and acquired content, free with commercials

virtual multichannel video programming distributers (vmvpd)

services that aggregate live and on-demand television and deliver it over the Internet