Nonlinear (editing)

Nonlinear means not linear – that the recording medium is not tape and editing can be performed in a non-linear sequence – not necessarily the sequence of the program. It describes editing with quick access to source clips and recording space – usually using computer disks to store footage. This removes the spooling and pre-rolls of VTR operations so greatly increasing the speed of work. Yet greater speed and flexibility are possible with realtime random access to any frame (true random access). See also: FrameMagic, Linear (editing), On-line (editing), True random access

NTFS New Technology File System – the standard file system of Windows NT and its descendants Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Vista. It replaced Microsoft’s FAT file system used in MS-DOS and earlier Windows versions. Advantages include improved metadata support, advanced data structures, reliability, disk space use and extensions such as security access control lists (who can access), permitted operations and file system journaling that logs file changes. Full details are a Microsoft trade secret.

NTSC

The National Television Systems Committee. A U.S. broadcast engineering advisory group.

NTSC (television standard) The analog color television system used in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan and more, where NTSC M is the broadcast standard (M defining the 525/60 line and field format). It was defined by the NTSC in 1953. NTSC is rapidly becoming part of history, with analog switch-off scheduled to happen in April 2009 in the USA. Note that ‘NTSC’ is often incorrectly used to describe the 525-line format even when it is in component or digital form.

NVOD Near Video On Demand – rapid access to program material on demand often achieved by providing the same program on a number of channels with staggered start times. Many of the hundreds of TV channels now on offer will be made up of NVOD services. These are delivered by transmission servers.

Nyquist (frequency)

The minimum frequency that will faithfully sample an analog signal so it can be accurately reconstructed from the digital result. This is always twice the maximum frequency of the signal to be sampled. See also: 13.5 MHz

OFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing is a broadband multicarrier modulation method that offers superior performance and benefits over older, more traditional single-carrier modulation methods because it is a better fit with today’s high-speed data requirements and operation in the UHF and microwave spectrum. The primary advantage of OFDM over single-carrier schemes is its ability to cope with severe channel conditions

OFDMA

A multi-user version of the OFDM digital modulation method. Multiple access is achieved in OFDMA by assigning subsets of subcarriers to individual users. This allows simultaneous low data rate transmission from several users. Website: www.runcom.com

Offline (editing)

A decision-making process using low-cost equipment to produce an EDL or a rough cut which can then be conformed or referred to in a high quality online suite – so reducing decision-making time in the more expensive online environment. Most offline suites enable shot selection and the defining of basic transitions such as cuts and dissolves which are carried by EDLs. It is only with the arrival of AAF that there has been an open standard for transporting a much wider range of decisions, including DVE, color corrections, as well as other metadata, between systems from different manufacturers. See also: AAF

OMFI

Open Media Framework Interchange is an open standard developed by Avid, for post production interchange of digital media among applications and across platforms. Website: www.avid.com

One light (pass)

A one-light pass refers to a film-processing lab giving the same exposure to a defined length of film, during printing. This is the simplest, quickest and cheapest way to print all the film and the results are typically used for making rushes, dailies, etc. These are often subsequently telecined and recorded to videotape as a reference for the offline decision-making process. See also: Best light

Online (editing)

Production of the complete, final edit performed at full program quality. Being higher quality than offline editing, time costs more but the difference has narrowed as the cost of equipment has come down. Preparation in an offline suite will help save time and money in the online. To produce the finished edit, online has to include a wide range of tools, offer flexibility to try ideas and accommodate late changes, and to work fast to maintain the creative flow and to handle pressured situations.

Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) The OSI Basic Reference Model describes a general structure for communications, defined by the ISO, which comprises seven layers and forms a framework for the coordination of current and future standards – but not defining the standards themselves. Website: www.iso.ch

OpenEXR

OpenEXR is a file format developed by Industrial Light & Magic for high dynamic range (HDR) images that are used in computer imaging applications. It is used by ILM on motion pictures, has become ILM’s main image file format, and is released as free software. See also: Color Transform Language

Operating system (OS)

The base program that manages a computer and gives control of the functions designed for general purpose usage – not for specific applications. Common examples are MS-DOS, Windows and Linux for PCs, OSX for Apple Macintosh and UNIX. For actual use, for example as a word processor, specific applications software packages are run on top of the operating system.

Optical disks

Disks that use optical techniques for recording and replay of material without the read/ write heads touching the disk. These offer large storage

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GLOSSARY OF TERMS