Safe Title Area: Generally, the center 80% of the entire overscan video image area or that area which will display legible titles regardless of how a TV monitor is adjusted.

Sampling: The first step in the process of converting an analog signal into a digital representation. This is accomplished by measuring the value of the analog signal at regular intervals called samples. These values are then encoded to provide a digital representation of the analog signal.

Saturated Colors: Strong, bright colors (particularly reds and oranges) which do not reproduce well on video; they tend to saturate the screen with color or bleed around the edges, producing a garish, unclear image.

Scalable Video: With respect to Indeo(TM) video technology, it is a playback format that can determine the playback capabilities of the computer on which it is playing. Using this information, it allows video playback to take advantage of high-performance computer capabilities while retaining the ability to play on a lower performance computer.

Scalability: The ability to vary the information content of a program by changing the amount of data that is stored, transmitted or displayed. In a video image, this translates into creating larger or smaller windows of video on screens (shrinking effect).

Scaling: Process of uniformly changing the size of characters or graphics.

SCART: An audio/video connector used in consumer equipment, especially in Europe. The SCART connector's 21 pins carry two audio in and out channels, in and out video channels, RGB signals, ground and some additional control signals. Only one SCART-to-SCART cable is needed to connect two VCRs or VCR to a monitor thereby avoiding the need for multiple cables.

SECAM: "SEquential Couleur A Memoire" (sequential color with memory). Video format used in France, Eastern Europe, F.S.U and other countries. In countries using the SECAM standard, most video production is done using PAL and converted to SECAM prior to transmission. (See NTSC and PAL.)

SECAM Format: 625 lines of resolution at 25 frames per second.

SEG: Special Effects Generator. Device designed to generate special effects. The simplest devices process a single video signal, change its color, generate sepia tones, invert the picture to a negative, posterize the image and fade or break up the image into various patterns. More sophisticated equipment uses several video sources, computer-generated graphics and sophisticated animation with digital effects.

Sepia Tone: A process used in photography to generate a brownish tone in pictures giving them an "antique" appearance. The same idea has been electronically adapted for video production where a black and white image can be colored in sepia.

Sequential Assembly: In video editing, a sequential method of auto assembly. The computerized editing system records all edits listed in the edit decision list in order from first to last, requesting source tapes as they are needed. Also called A-mode assembly.

Serial Port: A computer l/O (input/output) port through which the computer communicates with the external world. The standard serial port uses RS-232 or RS-422 protocols.

Serial Digital Video: The broadcast terminology for the SMPTE CCIR 601 standard (U.S.) which is often used in high-end post production and broadcast applications.

Shotgun Microphone: Long, highly directional microphone designed to pick up sounds directly in front of the microphone, rejecting sound from other directions. Named for its appearance.

Signal-to-Noise Ratio (S/N): The ratio in decibels (dB), of an audio or video signal, between the signal's maximum peak-to-peak signal voltage and the measured voltage of what remains when the signal is removed, (i.e., the ratio of the signal to that of the noise). In video, the higher the ratio, the less snow is visible. In audio, the higher the ratio, the cleaner the sound. Audio s/n ratios vary tremendously from compact discs/camcorder AFM Hi-Fi tracks (typically 90 dB) to VCR linear tracks (typically 40 dB).

SMPTE: Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. (See VITC)

SMPTE-VITC: SMPTE's vertical interval time code (VITC) format standard. The term VITC, used alone, usually refers to SMPTE-VITC.

SMPTE Time Code: An 80-bit standardized edit time code adopted by SMPTE.

Snow: A general term used to describe interference in a video image. It manifests as random colored or black and white dots. (See Luminance Noise.)

Solarization: Special effect in which the lightest and darkest values of a picture are made dark while the middle tones become light.

Software-based set (soft set): A set which is derived from software 3D models. Soft sets can incorporate foreground elements to bridge the gap between real and virtual sets.

Source: The tape or device from which a video or audio signal originates.

Special Effects: Artistic effects added to a video production in order to enhance the production by creating drama, enhancing the mood or furthering the story. Special effects may vary from the limited addition of patterns or the mixing of several video images together, to sophisticated digital effects such as picture compression, page flipping and three-dimensional effects. Special effects are usually created using SEGs.

Split Edit: An edit in which the audio in-edit point is different from the corresponding video in-edit point.

Split Screen: An electronic process which allows the viewing of two video images, side by side or above and below, on-screen simultaneously.

Standard: The specific signal configuration, composed of reference pulses and voltage levels, which describe the input and output requirements of a video signal.

Stereo Mixing: Simultaneous processing of both left and right audio channels.

Strobe: Special effect in which a frame is periodically held for a finite time until another frame is held.

Subsampling: Bandwidth reduction techniques which reduce the amount of digital data used to represent an image. Part of a compression process.

Subtractive Color System: Color specification system in which primary colors are subtracted from a reference color to achieve a desired color. Examples include the cyan/magenta/yellow (CMY) and luminance/red - luminance/blue - luminance (Y,R-Y,B-Y) systems.

Superimpose: To place in front of video, e.g., placing text over a video signal.

S-VHS: Super VHS. An improved version of the VHS tape format capable of recording better picture resolution (definition). A higher-density tape is required which provides a wider luminance bandwidth, resulting in sharper picture quality (> 400 horizontal lines vs. 240 for standard VHS) and improved signal-to-noise ratio. Because the equipment is usually smaller and lighter than 3/4" equipment, it is ideally suited for ENG/EFP applications.

S-VHS-C: Super VHS-C. An improved version of the VHS-C tape format capable of recording better picture resolution (definition).

S-Video: Type of video signal used in Hi8, S-VHS and some laserdisc formats. It transmits luminance and color portions separately, using multiple wires thereby keeping any signal interaction (degradation) to a minimum. S-Video avoids composite video encoding, such as NTSC, and the resulting loss of picture quality. Also known as Y/C Video.

Switcher: General term for a device used to select different signals (audio, video or RF) from various sources.

Symmetrical Compression: A compression system which requires equal processing capability for Compression and decompression of an image. This form of compression is used in applications where both compression and decompression will be utilized frequently. Examples include: still-image databasing, still-image transmission (color fax), video production, video mail, videophones, and videoconferencing.

Sync: Synchronization. A term used in electronics to describe the precise alignment of two signals or functions. In video, sync is an essential element for maintaining the proper clocking of video signals. The sync signal is used by a monitor to know where and when to draw the on-screen video image. The horizontal sync signal is a short pulse generated at the beginning of each video line which tells the video monitor when to draw each new line. The vertical sync signal is a short pulse generated at the beginning of each video frame which tells the video monitor when to start a new field. Sync signals reside in the part of a video signal in which no visual picture information is transmitted. During this blanking period or horizontal or vertical interval, the electronic beam is blanked and retraces back to the other side of the screen to start a new line or new field. Since this is done during the blanking period, it is invisible to the viewer. Both horizontal and vertical sync are required in order to maintain a stable on-screen picture. Many video processing devices provide sync restoration and correction circuitry. Sometimes, a TBC is required to recover or restore sync. (See Genlock.)

Sync Restoration: A process which replaces distorted and missing sync information by checking incoming sync, analyzing the frequencies involved and generating new fully restored sync.

Syncro-Edit: Wired control protocol which activates/deactivates a VCR's record pause function. Many non-compatible versions of this protocol exist.

Sync Stripping: A process which separates sync from the rest of the video signal for timing correction, clamping and other purposes