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We have compiled a list of audio, video and home theater terms that you
might find helpful as you research your next purchase.
From A-Z, this glossary should have all the answers.
Glossary of Terms:
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L
Laser Disc
Now-defunct 12-inch disc format with excellent analog, FM-recorded video image, and either analog or CD-quality PCM-encoded audio. Later discs used one of the analog channels to record an RF-modulated Dolby Digital/AC3 soundtrack and/or used the PCM tracks to encoded a DTS soundtrack.
LCD
Liquid Crystal Display. A display that consists of two polarizing transparent panels and a liquid crystal surface sandwiched in between. Voltage is applied to certain areas, causing the crystal to turn dark. A light source behind the panel transmits through transparent crystals and is mostly blocked by dark crystals.
LCOS
Liquid Crystal on Silicon. This new microdisplay technology (developed by Intel) consists of a liquid crystal layer on top of a pixelated, highly reflective substrate. Below the substrate is a backplane that includes the electronics to drive the pixels. The backplane and liquid crystal are combined into a panel and packaged for use in a projection subsystem or light engine. The LCOS light engine is a projection subsystem built around LCOS panels which enables an RPTV or front projector. An LCOS light engine is assembled from a number of high-quality optical components: lamp, lenses, filters and precision glass, in addition to one, two or three LCOS panels.
Letterbox
Format used widely on laser disc and many DVDs to fit wide-aspect-ratio movies (1.85:1 and 2.35:1, for example) into a smaller frame, such as the 1.78:1 area of an anamorphic DVD or the 1.33:1 area of a laser disc or video tape. The image is shrunk to fit the screen, leaving blank space on the top and bottom. This process sacrifices some vertical detail that must be used to record the black bars.
LFE
Low Frequency Effects track. The .1 channel of a Dolby Digital, DTS, or SDDS soundtrack. The LFE is strictly low-frequency information (20 to 120 Hz, with 115 dB of dynamic range) that's added to the soundtrack for extra effect. This track does not inherently contain all the bass of the soundtrack.
Line-Level (Low-Level)
A level of electrical signals too low to make the average speaker move sufficiently. Amplifiers receive line-level signals and amplify them to speaker level.
LNB
Low-Noise Blocker. The receiving end of a satellite dish.
Low Pass
A filter that lets low frequencies go through but doesn't let high frequencies go through. Same as high cut.
Luminance
The black and white (Y) portion of a composite, Y/C, or Y/Pb/Pr video signal. The luminance channel carries the detail of a video signal. The color channel is laid on top of the luminance signal when creating a picture. Having a separate luminance channel ensures compatibility with black-and-white televisions.
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