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page descriptor
File containing both vector and bitmap information in addition to text, page layout and device information.
PAL
The television standard used throughout most of Europe and elsewhere. Within the realm of digital video PAL and SECAM can be considered identical. See also NTSC.
palette
The set of colours assigned to a colour look-up table, thus the range of possible colours the image can have.
pan
A sideways change in where the video camera is pointing as opposed to a tilt. Note that the camera doesn't change position but only the direction in which it points. See also tracking, dolly and crab.
PCM
Pulse-Code Modulation. 'Raw' digital audio data, consisting of a stream of sampled values. Usually delivered within a 'wrapper' such as AIFF or WAV.
Portable Document Format, an open file format developed by Adobe which is independent of the parent program. There are a range of programs available to open these documents some of which are also open source.
perceptual modelling
A technique used to analyse the way that we perceive sensory input, which can then be used to make decisions about which parts of an image, or of an audio or video signal can be removed with least subjective degradation. Used in MP3 and AAC audio compression.
phantom power
Many microphones - usually condensers - require a small power source, needed either to polarize the capsule or to amplify the signal internally. This is often achieved by using an internal battery. If your microphone needs a battery always carry a spare.
Alternatively, a method was developed for delivering power through the microphone's audio cable which does not interfere in any way with the audio signal itself, hence it's name "phantom power". This 48V supply will meet the power needs of most professional and semi-professional microphones, and is provided by the microphone pre-amplifier. There will usually be a "48V" button on each channel, or a single global switch for a set of channels or the entire mixing console.
Phantom power does not affect the audio signal, and is ignored by microphones which do not require it. Only vintage ribbon microphones (very rarely encountered) are liable to damage by phantom power.
photographic film
Substrate coated with emulsion containing light sensitive silver halide grains.
Photo CD
Compact Disk type storage technology developed by Kodak in the early 1990s.
Photoshop
Image editing computer application program widely used in imaging. Published by Adobe, it is generally regarded as the industry standard.
pixel
Picture element, smallest element of a digital image.
pixelation
When an image is displayed at a normal viewing magnification and the pixels are apparent it is said to be pixelated.
Pop shield
A thin mesh or gauze shield, which can be placed a couple of inches in front of the microphone head to eliminate ‘popping' noise caused by plosives (‘b' and ‘p') in close-up vocal recording. These have a negligible effect on audio quality and are not required when speaker is more than 12-18” away.
PNG
Portable Network Graphics is an open image file format which supports 24-bit colour, transparency and lossless compression. For more information see the PNG website.
ppi
Pixels per inch, a measure of the spatial resolution of a digital image or a capture device. See also dpi and spi.
preservation master
See master archive.
progressive
This refers to a type of television signal where the complete picture is redrawn at each refresh as compared with interlaced. It is a common feature of HD television systems.
proprietary format
A file format which is protected by a patent, use of which may require the payment of royalties. The native Adobe Photoshop format is an example of a proprietary format.
prosumer
Descriptive of equipment which is used for low-end professional work as well as the high-end consumer market.
psychoacoustic modelling
A type of perceptual modelling specifically concerned with audio perception.
PVR
Personal video recorder. The term usually refers to devices used for recording TV in a digital format. These boxes may record to DVD, hard disk or both.
