Here’s a glossary of Television terms and abbreviations, covering display technologies, picture quality, smart TVs, audio features, and connectivity. This is designed as a master reference for consumers, retailers, and tech enthusiasts.
📺 TELEVISION GLOSSARY
A
Aspect Ratio – Ratio of width to height of the screen (16:9, 21:9).
Active Matrix – LCD technology controlling each pixel with a transistor.
Auto Brightness / Ambient Light Sensor – Adjusts screen brightness based on room lighting.
AV Input / Output – Audio/Video connectors for external devices.
Audio Return Channel (ARC / eARC) – Sends TV audio to external audio system via HDMI.
B
Backlight – Light source behind LCD pixels.
Brightness – Luminance of the screen, measured in nits.
Black Level – Darkness level of the display.
Blu-ray / UHD Blu-ray – High-definition disc format compatible with TVs.
Broadcast Signal – TV signal received over-the-air.
C
Chrominance / Chroma – Color information in a video signal.
Colour Gamut – Range of colors a TV can display.
Contrast Ratio – Difference between brightest and darkest areas.
Curved TV – TV with a curved display for immersive experience.
CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) – Legacy tube-based television technology.
Cloud TV / Streaming – TV services delivered via the internet.
D
Dolby Vision – HDR format providing improved brightness and color.
Dolby Atmos – Immersive audio standard for TVs with compatible sound systems.
Display Resolution – Number of pixels (HD, Full HD, 4K, 8K).
Dynamic Range – Range between darkest and brightest areas.
DVR (Digital Video Recorder) – Device or built-in TV function for recording shows.
E
Edge-Lit LED – Backlight LEDs positioned around the edges of the screen.
Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) – On-screen TV schedule.
HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) – Digital audio/video input/output.
Ethernet Port – Wired network connection for smart TV features.
F
Flat Panel Display – Thin TV display (LCD, LED, OLED).
Frame Rate / Refresh Rate – Number of frames displayed per second (Hz).
FALD (Full Array Local Dimming) – Advanced LED backlighting with zones.
G
Gamma – Brightness curve adjustment for more natural image.
Game Mode – TV mode optimized for low input lag and fast response.
Glass Thickness / Anti-Glare Coating – Reduces reflections and glare.
H
HDR (High Dynamic Range) – Enhances contrast and color in compatible content.
HD (High Definition) – Resolution standard (720p, 1080p).
Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) – HDR format compatible with broadcast TV.
Hue – Color tone adjustment.
I
Input Lag – Delay between input (gamepad, remote) and on-screen response.
IPS Panel (In-Plane Switching) – LCD technology with wide viewing angles.
Interlaced Video (1080i) – Display format scanning alternate lines.
Internet TV / Smart TV Apps – Streaming applications on TV.
J
JPEG / Image Display – TV support for photo formats.
K
Keystone Correction – Adjustment of image shape for projection TVs.
L
LED TV – LCD TV with LED backlighting.
Local Dimming – Control of LED brightness in zones to improve contrast.
Latency – Delay between signal input and display output.
Luminance – Perceived brightness of the screen.
M
Micro Dimming – Advanced local dimming with finer LED zones.
Motion Rate / Motion Interpolation – Reducing blur in fast-moving images.
Multi HDR Support – TV compatibility with multiple HDR formats.
Metal Frame / Bezel – TV housing material for durability and aesthetics.
N
NanoCell / Quantum Dot – LCD technology improving color accuracy and saturation.
Netflix / Streaming Integration – Preloaded streaming platform apps.
Noise Reduction – Reduces video grain or compression artifacts.
O
OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) – Self-emissive TV technology with perfect blacks.
Output Audio – TV audio signals sent to external speakers or soundbars.
Overscan – Cropping edges of broadcast video.
P
Panel Type – LCD, OLED, QLED, LED.
Pixel Density / PPI (Pixels per Inch) – Sharpness measurement.
Picture-in-Picture (PiP) – Displaying multiple channels simultaneously.
Peak Brightness – Maximum luminance of the TV.
Processor / Image Engine – TV chip processing picture and video enhancements.
Q
QLED (Quantum Dot LED) – LCD TV with quantum dot technology for brighter colors.
Quarter HD (QHD) – Resolution standard (2560x1440).
R
Refresh Rate (Hz) – How often screen updates per second.
Remote Control / Voice Control – TV operation tools.
Resolution Upscaling – Improving lower resolution content to higher resolution screens.
Response Time – Time for pixel color change.
RGB – Color model used in TVs (Red, Green, Blue).
S
Smart TV / OS – Operating system enabling apps, streaming, and connectivity.
Screen Size / Diagonal – Measured in inches.
Saturation – Intensity of colors displayed.
Soundbar / Built-In Speakers – TV audio output options.
Subtitles / Closed Captions (CC) – On-screen text display for dialogues.
Surround Sound / DTS / Dolby Audio – Multi-channel audio support.
T
Tizen / WebOS / Android TV – Smart TV operating systems.
Teletext / Digital Text – On-screen info and captions.
Tuner (DVB-T2, ATSC, ISDB-T) – Built-in receiver for broadcast signals.
Tone Mapping – Adjusting brightness and color for HDR content.
U
Ultra HD / 4K / 8K – High-resolution TV standards (3840x2160, 7680x4320).
USB Port – Input for external storage or devices.
Upscaling – Enhancing lower resolution content to fit screen.
User Interface (UI) – On-screen navigation and menus.
V
V-Chip / Parental Control – Restrict content based on ratings.
Viewing Angle – Maximum angle at which picture quality is maintained.
VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) – Matches TV refresh rate to source frame rate.
Video Format Support (HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision) – Compatibility with video standards.
W
Wall Mount / VESA Standard – Standardized mounting dimensions.
Wi-Fi / Wireless Connectivity – Network connection for smart TV features.
Web Browser – Built-in internet browsing.
Wide Color Gamut (WCG) – Expanded color reproduction range.
X
XGA / eXtended Graphics Array – Resolution format (1024x768).
Y
YUV / YCbCr – Color encoding format used in video processing.
Z
Zero Input Lag Mode – Gaming mode minimizing delay between controller and display.
Zoom / Picture Zoom – Digital resizing of display content.
Published 17th Feb 2026