Below is a list of terms often used by our support team when communicating with our customers. This glossary serves as a basic overview of how we would use the term in conversation. While some of these terms may be more detailed or technical, we hope that these quick terms will help clarify our own usage and intent.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Aspect Ratio | The correlation between width and height of an image or video. The most common variants are 4:3 (traditional televisions) and 16:9 (widescreen and HD). |
| Audio Ducking | Adjusting audio levels throughout or at specific points on a specific track to allow audio from another track to be heard. |
| Bandwidth | A measurement of the amount of data transferred from a server to all consumers. Calculated by taking the size of the file stored on a server, and multiplying by the number of times that file has been downloaded. |
| Bit Rate | The amount of image or audio data delivered over a period of time. For video, a higher bit rate will mean larger file size and longer load times, but possibly better quality. |
| Buffering | Preloading data into a reserved area of memory. In streaming audio or video from the internet, buffering refers to downloading a certain amount of data before starting to play the music or movie. |
| Canvas | The visual workspace for a video or image. Represents what will be seen in the final product. |
| Chroma Key | Removing a particular color and replacing it with transparency. In video, this effect is often used to remove a solid background color so the original image can be superimposed on a new background. Also known as blue/green screen. |
| Clip | A piece of media on the timeline, with a finite duration. |
| Codec | Short for compressor/decompressor. A piece of software that provides specific control over how video files are created or viewed. |
| Compression | A way of encoding a file to reduce file size but still maintain high quality. |
| Constant Framerate | A video file that has a set number of frames that display each second. Videos encoded with a constant framerate will play back more consistently in video players and editing software than those encoded at a variable framerate. |
| Crop | Removing material from the outside edge of a video or image to put focus on a certain area and reduce the dimensions of the media. |
| Dimensions | The width and height (in pixels) of an image or video. |
| Embed | Embedding content on a website or blog allows it to play or display within the page without launching an external player or a new browser window. |
| Encode | The process of creating a video file using specific settings such as bitrate, format, framerate, audio frequency, etc. |
| Export | To take a file and create a standalone copy for sharing and viewing, without requiring the original application. |
| Format | A term for the variety of ways information can be saved to a file. Image, video, and audio files will all have their own unique formats that provide certain features, benefits, or drawbacks. |
| Frame | A single static image from a video file. The series of frames playing one after another creates a video. |
| Frames Per Second (FPS) | The number of individual images that show for every second of time in a video file. |
| Gain | The input level of the clips and volume is the output. |
| H.264 | The most common video compression format used for MP4 files. Also used by Snagit and Camtasia. |
| HD/High Definition | A video file that has a resolution higher than 640x480. Common standards are 1280x720 or 1920x1080. |
| Hosting Platform | A type of Internet hosting service that allows individual and organizations to upload their content to make available to their viewers. |
| Hotkey/Shortcut | A key or a combination of keys providing quick access to a function within a program. |
| Import | Bringing a piece of media into another application for editing. |
| Key Frame Rate | A video compression method used by the MPEG standard. In a motion sequence, individual frames of pictures are grouped together (called a group of pictures, or GOP) and played back so that the viewer registers the videos spatial motion. |
| Letterboxing | When a video with a widescreen aspect ratio is displayed at a standard size, but maintains the widescreen aspect ratio. This results in black bars above and below the video. |
| Media | Any image, audio, or video file. |
| Mono | Short for monophonic, mono sound only has one channel. That single channel of audio may play through the left and right channels simultaneously, or one or the other respectively. |
| Picture-in-Picture (PIP) | The visual effect of one video playing in a small region, overlayed on a larger video that is also playing. Commonly used in conjunction with webcams. |
| Pillarboxing | When a video with a standard aspect ratio is displayed at a widescreen size, but maintains the standard aspect ratio. This results in black bars to the left and right the video. |
| Pixel | A unit of measurement on a computer display. Unlike physical measurements like centimeters or inches that have a set size, a pixel is a digital unit that can appear different in size depending on the display. Measurements for dimensions and resolution are done based on the pixel unit. |
| Player | An application, webpage, or piece of code used to interpret and display a piece of media. Different players will offer different features such as pausing, speeding up or slowing down video, table of contents, quizzing, or interactive hotspots. |
| Playhead | Visual indication of what point in time you are viewing a piece of media. |
| Produce | To take a file and create a standalone copy for sharing and viewing, without requiring the original application. |
| Render | To take a file and create a standalone copy for sharing and viewing, without requiring the original application. |
| Resolution | The width and height, in pixels, of an image or video. |
| Ripple Delete | When a clip, or section of a clip, is deleted and the subsequent clips move in to fill the gap. |
| Scale | Changing the display dimensions of an image or video in order to make it appear larger or smaller. |
| Scrub | Dragging the playhead along a timeline in order to see or hear a preview. |
| SD/Standard Resolution | A video with a 4:3 aspect ratio, most commonly a resolution of 640x480 pixels. |
| Source File | A file that contains original or essential data that is the starting point for a system of publishing or other processing. |
| Stereo | Short for stereophonic, stereo sound has a distinct left and right channel. Both channels play back at the same time, and each typically has different audio or information. |
| Timeline | The area where media is arranged to create a video. The video will show all media, playing from left to right. |
| Track | Tracks represent the sequence of all media within a video. Drag media and assets onto a track on the timeline to include it in the video. The track order controls how media is displayed within the video. The top track displays media front-most in the video. |
| Transcode | Converting a piece of media from one format to another. Frequently used in terms of video files, such as going from AVI to MP4. |
| Trim | Cutting or deleting a section of video at the very beginning or end. |
| Upload | Putting content out to a web server for sharing online. |
| Variable Framerate | A video file that will have different framerates depending on the amount of motion or change in the visual data. High motion areas will have a higher framerate, while static or low motion sections will be a low framerate. Used to reduce overall file size of videos. |
| Waveform | Visual representation of audio levels at a point in time. The higher the wave, the higher the audio levels. |
