Glossary -P-
PA — Public address, an amplifier generally used with a microphone by speechmakers who wish to be heard by a crowd or in several rooms at one time.
Paint or 2-D paint — Electronic graphics technique or software that allows you to draw flat images on the computer screen, like drawing on a piece of paper. The images can be colored, warped, rotated, resized, and manipulated in various ways, then stored electronically.
PAL — Phase alternate line—a European video standard incompatible with the U.S. NTSC system.
Palette — Some graphics adapters can keep track of a limited number of colors, not all that are presented to it. The palette is the small selection of colors that the graphics adapter uses to approximate the original picture.
Palmcorder — Tiny camcorder that fits in the palm of your hand.
Pan pot — Pot (short for potentiometer or volume control) that adjusts whether a signal will go to the left channel or the right, or be shared between the two by a selected amount.
Parabolic microphone — Attached to a small bowl-shaped reflector, the microphone picks up weak or distant sounds.
Parabolic — Shape of a reflector dish that focuses incoming signals on a tiny point (making the signals stronger there).
Parallax — How the positions of objects change relative to one another as you move by them. If your camera looks at a subject from one position and you look at the subject from another, the two of you will see slightly different pictures.
Parallel — A way of sending computer data over several wires at once. Printers usually use multiwire parallel connections with computers.
Parallel cutting — Editing raw footage so that similar or parallel actions are seen one after another, making it look like “everybody’s doing it.”
Parametric equalizer — A tunable equalizer on which you can select a particular frequency or band of frequencies to boost or cut, perhaps to remove much of an unwanted sound from a recording.
Parametric equalizer — Audio device that adjusts to reduce or boost a selected range of frequencies.
Passive — A device that does not use electrical power to operate, and does not add anything to a signal passing through it.
Passive — Electrical device which doesn’t need electrical power (i.e., batteries or power from the wall outlet) to operate.
Passive matrix — Inexpensive liquid crystal used in LCD panels that show static pictures and data.
Patch bay — In audio, several rows of sockets connected to the inputs and outputs of various audio devices. Plugging a patch cable into a pair of sockets connects them so that the signal can travel from one device to the other.
Patch bay — Like a telephone switchboard, a console of sockets leading to the studio lights and another set of sockets leading to the dimmer circuits. Connecting the two via patch cords allows various dimmers to activate various lights.
Patch bay — Several rows of sockets connected to the inputs and outputs of various devices. Plugging a patch cable into a pair of sockets connects them so that the signal can travel from one device to the other.
Patch cable — This special heavy-duty lighting cable plugs into the patch bay to carry current from the dimmer circuit to the grid circuit and studio lamp.
Patch cord — A short cable that connects the output of one device to the input of another.
Patch cord — Used with a patch bay. The patch cord is a cable with plugs that connect to sockets in the patch bay to carry signals from one device to another.
Pattern — An aluminum cutout that fits into a pattern spotlight to create the shapes projected by the light.
Pattern spotlight — Lighting instrument that accepts aluminum cutouts to project patterns such as venetian blinds, leaves, or other figures on the background.
Pause edit — Editing of a video tape while recording by pressing the pause button between takes.
Pay-per-view — Cable or broadcast television for which you pay to see each show, usually by activating a descrambler which makes the programs visible on your TV. Pay-per-view usually consists of movies and sports without commercials.
PCI bus — Peripheral Component Interchange bus which can pipe data between computer components at 132 MBps.
PCI bus — Peripheral Component Interconnect, a very fast pathway for data traveling from one board to another in the computer. PCI video cards require little configuration (plug-and-play) in order to work.
PCM or pulse code modulation — Method of recording digital high fidelity sound on 8mm and hi8 tapes. The spinning video head places the PCM signal at the end of each diagonal video track.
PCM — Pulse Code Modulation, a second method of recording hi fi sound with 8mm and Hi 8 VCRs. Unlike AFM, PCM audio can be edited without affecting the picture.
Peak clamping — Electronically limiting the maximum video signal level to a certain strength, like 100 IRE.
Peak hold — On LED signal level meters, the top LED illuminated in the bar graph will stay “on” for a few moments to show the peak loudness of a sound even after it goes away.
Peak level indicator — Tiny light often built into mixers and audio recorders that blinks when sound volume is too loud.
Pedestal — Electronic control on a camera which adjusts the brightness of the picture. Proper adjustment yields blacks which are the right darkness.
Pedestal — The elevation control on a camera tripod. “Pedestal up” means raise the camera higher.
Per diem — An additional daily living expense payment made to employees working away from home.
Phantom power — Power fed from a mixer’s mike input to run a condenser microphone.
Phase reversal — Undesirable situation where one audio signal has its vibrations going the opposite to another audio signal so that when combined the result is weak and tinny sounding.
Phase — The timing of when electrical or sound vibrations reach a place, like an input or a microphone. When IN PHASE, the vibrations strengthen each other, making a strong signal. OUT-OF-PHASE signals cancel each other out, weakening the result. Electrical and sound signals need to be kept IN PHASE.
Phono or RCA plug — Small connector used to carry audio signals and, in home video equipment, video signals and sometimes RF signals.
Photoflood — Light bulb, available at photo stores, that can screw into normal lamp sockets but gives off proper color temperature for TV or film work.
Photographic tape — Colored adhesive tape (usually black) used for framing pictures.
Pica — A measure of a line’s width. A pica equals 1/6 inch.
Pickup — An individual temporarily hired to perform a specific task. Often a free-lance camera operator brought in for a single show.
Pickup chip — The light-sensitive part of a TV camera which “sees” the picture and turns it into video signals.
Pickup pattern — The areas in which a microphone picks up the best sound. Also a diagram depicting a microphone’s sensitivity in different directions.
Pickup tube — Vacuum tube light sensor on an older TV camera. Plumbicon, saticon, and vidicon are three types.
Picon — Picture ICON, a thumbnail image of the first frame (or a representative frame) of a clip.
Picture stop — A coded instruction on a level 1 videodisc telling the player to freeze-frame when it comes to a particular picture. Works while the machine is in the play mode.
Picture-in-a-picture (PIP) — Digital effect where one picture is squeezed smaller and placed over another.
Piezo autofocus — Electronic autofocus method that focuses by maximizing contrast in the picture.
Pinch roller — Rubber wheel near the capstan that pinches the tape against the capstan, so it can grip the tape as it pulls it through the mechanism.
PIP, or Picture In A Picture — TV set feature allowing you to view two channels simultaneously on one TV screen.
Piracy — Building or using a device to descramble satellite TV (or other broadcast programming) without paying the subscription fee.
Piracy — Duplicating copyrighted tapes without permission.
Pixels — Picture elements, tiny dots that make up the picture. In a camera, pixels represent the tiny light-sensitive transistors that store the image.
PL259 or UHF connector — A male industrial plug used for video and sometimes RF. Goes into SO259 socket. Rarely used today.
Playhead — The marker on an audio editing screen that shows where in the timeline you are playing the sound. The playhead moves across the events in the timeline, playing clips as it comes to them.
Playlist — The list of clips to be played in order on the timeline.
Plug and play — Ability of a card to operate in a computer automatically without you having to throw DIP switches and run setup software to configure the card to work in your system.
Pluge — Part of a color bar test signal used for adjusting TV monitor brightness.
Pneumatic studio pedestal — Heavy duty studio camera pedestal and dolly that allow the camera to be raised and lowered smoothly with ease.
Point — A measure of the height of lettering. 72 points equals one inch.
Point-to-point videoconference — Videoconference between two locations or individuals.
Polar mount — Satellite dish support that is oriented along the earth’s axis to ease the tracking of geosynchronous satellites.
Polarized — An orientation imparted to electromagnetic waves, such as vertical, horizontal, circular left-handed (like a corkscrew spiraling counterclockwise), and circular right-handed. Antennas must be oriented the same way as the signal to be sensitive to it.
Polarizing filter — Like Polaroid sunglasses, these lens attachments cut out glare and reflections.
Polygon based modler — Modler using user-selected dots connected by the web of the wireframe to form objects. Round objects are made of tiny straight lines; zooming in on one will reveal these facets.
Positioner arm or actuator — Motorized aiming mechanism for a satellite dish.
Post production house — Video service company that edits your tapes, perhaps adding video and audio effects.
Post Production switcher — A switcher/SEG with automated features designed to be controlled by computer, editor-controller, or manually, often using menus to select functions.
Posterization — Visual effect of reducing a picture’s varied brightness levels down to just one or two, giving it a flat poster-like or cartoon-like look.
Potentiometer — Also called a pot, it is a volume control on a mixer or other audio device.
POTS — Plain Old Telephone Service, the analog telephone line that goes to most homes.
Power line antenna — TV antenna connection which uses house wiring as the antenna.
Power line filter — Removes unwanted signals, electrical pulses (”spikes”), and other interference mixed in with your power from your wall outlet.
Power supply — Circuit in electronic equipment which converts household electricity to the kind of power (correct voltage and frequency) the equipment needs in order to run.
Premaster — The video tape sent to the mastering facility and transformed into videodiscs. Also, the act of making such a tape.
Premastering software — Computer software that helps you properly record a CD-ROM.
Premium channel — Cable channel that is unavailable to the basic service viewers unless an additional monthly fee is paid.
Preread or read-before-write — DVR ability to play what’s on the tape at the same time it’s recording new material on the tape a moment later.
Preroll — Begin a tape playing so it is up to speed and its signals are stable before the VCR switches to record.
Presentational set — Background and furniture that is abstract in design. Most news and talk show sets are presentational.
Preset — on multichannel dimmers, the dimmers can be set up (preset) for one lighting arrangement on one channel, and then the channel is turned off, essentially “storing” the lighting setup for use later when the channel is reactivated.
Pressure zone microphone — Microphone mounted on a flat plate that senses sound reflected from the plate.
Prestripe — Record time code on a tape while blacking it, before recording or editing the actual audio and video on it.
Preview — A channel on a switcher/SEG that sends out to your preview monitor a view of an effect so that you can adjust or perfect the effect before using it. Like audition in audio.
Preview — Electronic graphics window that lets you see a sample of what your picture will look like after filtering, without going through a time-consuming render.
Preview — Part of a 3-D graphics package that allows you to assemble the lights, camera angle, objects, atmosphere, and motion paths, and audition the resulting scene.
PRI — Primary Rate Interface multiplexes together 23 ISDN lines to yield 1.544Mbps data rate.
Primary colors — Three colors which can be combined together to create all the other colors. TVs in the United States use red, green, and blue as primary colors.
Print to tape — Process where a digital non-linear editor will play its data back to a VCR that records the show on tape. Also the process where an analog NLE will follow the edit decision list to drive the VCPs, VCR, and SEG to create the final edited show from the raw footage.
Private network — A connection between sites allowing a group of subscribers to videoconference with each other but no one else. The system is leased from the phone or cable TV company on a monthly basis.
Processing amplifier — Electronic device that modifies and stabilizes video signals by separating the video from the sync and regenerating brand new, “clean” sync as well as adjusting video and color levels.
Producer — Creator and organizer of a TV show, usually responsible for budgets, salaries, etc.
Producer/director — Combined job title for a person in charge of undertaking a TV show, handling financial matters, and carrying out TV production details.
Program (PGM) — bus — The group of buttons on a switcher that directly selects (when pressed) which picture or special effect is broadcast or recorded.
Program — On audio mixers, the sound channel sent out to the VCR.
Program — The final output from a switcher that is broadcast or recorded.
Programmable — Ability to tell a machine to do something on its own. A VCR’s programmable timer stores instructions for when to start and stop recording and what channel to record. It may remember several such instructions covering a period of days or even months.
Progressive scan — Method of making a computer picture by drawing all the scan lines sequentially from top to bottom.
Proportional or Optical spacing — Typography where the space between letters depends on the shape and size of the letters.
Prosumer — Professional consumer, someone halfway between a professional videographer, and an amateur, often working in video as a sideline. Equipment halfway between professional and amateur, typically costing more and performing better than common hone equipment, but not as good as true professional gear.
Protocol — Standard method of communications so that one machine can send/receive data or commands to/from another.
Proximity effect — Thunderous bass boost heard when people speak or instruments are played too near the face of a directional microphone.
Public domain — A work that is not copyrighted; anyone may use it freely.
Pull focus — Adjusting the focus of a lens, often to keep a moving subject sharp, while your camera is “on”.
Pulse distribution amplifier or PDA — Electronic device that takes one sync signal and makes several from it, each as strong as the original.
Pulse-cross monitor — TV monitor which can shift the picture down and sideways so that the corners of the pictures are in the center of the screen. This professional monitor is used to observe picture and sync problems.
Punch-in assemble edit — An assemble edit executed manually, live, while the actors perform.
Purity — An internal color TV adjustment done to a picture tube to make the screen colors even and uncontaminated by other colors or patches of colors.
Push-on F connector — Special F connector which pushes on and pulls off rather than screws onto an F socket.
