Introduction to video!

1. The video format we will be using this term is Digital Video, what is the other, older format that was used recently.
Older format of video that was used recently is analog video.

2. Describe the difference between the two formats
The difference between the two formats are that analog technologies record waveforms as they are, while digital technologies convert analog waveforms into sets of numbers, recording the numbers instead.

3. What are some advantages of digital video.
Some advantages of digital video are: learning as moving pictures and sound is more effective than stills. The footage can be updated or changed with ease. They add a whole new dimension to presentation since it can be easily incorporated into computer presentations. Network capabilities, presentations can be distributed rather easily.

4. What is meant by frame rate in video
Frame rate is the number of frames or images that are displayed per second. When a series of pictures is shown to us-humans,  the pictures get shown like an animation instead of different images. That is what frame rate is meant in video.

5. Do all applications use the same frame rate, explain your answer
The higher the number of frames playing per second, the smoother the video playback appears to the user. Lower rates result in a choppy playback. As a reference point, film uses 24 frames per second to allow the viewer to perceive smooth playback.

6. What is meant by resolution, how is it measured.
It is an idea that continues to baffle even graphic artists. In terms of framework of editing photos, resolution is a measurement of the output quality of an image. The units used to measure resolution are units such as: PPI (pixels per inch), DPI (dots per inch), LPI (lines per inch), and SPI (samples per inch).

7. What is the colour system called RGB
Red, Green, Blue. These are the prime colours used to make all other colours. Its name RGB came from additive primary colour. 

8. Explain the video standards PAL, NTSC, and SECAM, what are the main differences between them.
PAL: Is short for Phase Alternate Line, it is an anlogue television encoding system used in broadcast television systems in large parts of the world.
NTSC: It is named for the National Television System Committee and it is also an analog television system mostly used in North America, South America, Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Pacific island nations and territories.
SECAM: It is the french for Sequential Colour with Memory, it is an analog colour television system first used in France.
The main difference between the three is that they are all used in different countries. Another difference is the number of frames per second.

9. Which standard do we use in Australia?
In Australia we use PAL.

10. For what type of video camera would you need to have a Video Capture Card in your computer to download video?
For an analog camera we would need to have a video capture care in our computer to download the video.

11. Why don’t we need a video capture card for the video we will be doing at school.
We dont need a video capture card for the videos we will be doing at school because we will be using digital cameras and mobiles which easily connect to the computer by a cord.

12. What is an IEEE 1394 port
It is a port for connecting devices to your personal computer.

13. Why do digital video cameras use video compression
Video compressions are used to reduce the size of the data in digitized frame or series of frames fo a video/audio. So that it is easier to transfer or send.

14. Describe what a codec is.
Codec is a technical term for compression/decompression. It also stands for compressor/decompressor and codec/decode. All these mean the same thing. A codec is a computer program that shrinks large files and makes them suitable for you computer.

15. What is meant by generation loss, where does it happen?
Generation loss is when the quality and potential increase of file size between subsquent copies of data are loss. Anything that reduces the quality of represtation when copying can be considered a form of generation loss. It is mostly in analog systems, even with the best equipment; generation loss does occur.