This camera setting measures the size of the opening in the lens. It controls the amount of light that gets into the camera. The aperture setting is measured in f-stops that follow the format f/number. For example, f/22.

The relationship of width to height for a given image or graphic. Keeping or maintaining the aspect ratio refers to the process of maintaining size relationships when either the width or height of an image or graphic is changed. In video, the two most common aspect ratios are 4:3 and 16:9 for Standard definition (SD) and High definition (HD) Widescreen video formats.

Audio-Video Interleave is a digital video file format designed specifically for the Microsoft Windows environment, now commonly used as storage for several audio and video codecs.

Advanced Video Codec High Definition is a video format that is designed for camcorder use. It uses a disc structure designed for Blu-ray Disc / high definition compatibility and can be burned on standard DVDs.

Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc format that uses a blue laser for high definition video recording and playback. Each disc also allows more information to be burned in 25-GB (single-layer) and 50-GB (dual-layer) discs, offering more than five times the capacity of standard DVDs.

The recording of video or images to a computer hard disk.

These are utilities integrated with Corel VideoStudio that allow the program to recognize capture devices and automatically detect them when they are connected to the computer.

A short section or part of a movie. A clip can be audio, video, still images or a title.

A remote storage space that can be used for saving files. Instead of storing documents and media files on a local drive, files are saved in a remote database that can be accessed using a Web-connected device. Several companies offer cloud-based storage services that are available in both free and paid accounts.

A special algorithm or program that is used to process video. The origin of the word is compression/decompression or coder/decoder.

A simple background color used in a movie. It is often used for titles and credits since they stand out clearly against the solid color.

Compression is achieved through a codec and works by removing redundant data or describing it in terms that can be decompressed. Nearly all digital video is compressed in some way or another but differs on the degree of compression. The more compressed, the more resources needed for playback.

The amount of data per second that is transferred from one part of your computer to another. These data rates vary in different types of media.

A software driver that allows programs to control video sources like the camcorder or VCR.

Digital Non-Linear Editing is a method of combining and editing multiple video clips to produce a finished product. DNLE offers random access to all source materials at all times during the editing process.

A software program that controls the connection between a specific device and a computer.

A type of camera that uses removable lenses and takes images using a reflex mirror system. The acronym DSLR stands for digital single-lens reflex. Compared to compact point and shoot cameras, DSLRs offer more manual controls and higher image quality.

Digital Video with a capital “D” and a capital “V” stands for a very specific format of video, just like VHS or High-8. This format can be understood (played back, recorded) by DV camcorders and your computer, if you have the proper hardware and software. DV can be copied from your camcorder to your computer, and then back to your camcorder (after editing, of course) without any loss of quality.

DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) is popular in video production because of its high quality and broad compatibility. Not only does it guarantee audio and video quality, DVDs make use of the MPEG-2 format, used to produce discs that are single- or double-sided, and single- or dual-layer. They can be played on standalone DVD players or on the DVD-ROM drive of your PC.

In Corel VideoStudio, an effect is a special computer generated attribute applied to video clips that alters the appearance and quality of video to achieve a certain look.

The acronym stands for Exposure Value or the combination of settings for the aperture, shutter speed and ISO when the camera is in P (Programmed), S or Tv (shutter priority), or Av (aperture priority) mode. Adjusting the Ev can either overexpose or underexpose an image deliberately.

The process of sharing files. When you export a file, the data is usually converted into a format that is recognizable by the receiving application. The original file remains unchanged.

A transition effect where the clip gradually disappears or appears. In video, the picture would gradually change to or from a solid color; or from one image to another. For audio, the transition would be from full volume to complete silence or vice-versa.

A standard interface used for connecting digital audio/video devices such as DV camcorders to computers. It is Apple’s trademarked name for the IEEE-1394 standard.

A length of recorded film intended for use in a larger project.

A single image in a movie.

The number of frames per second in a video. NTSC video is commonly 29.97 frames per second (fps) while PAL has 25 fps, but smaller video files can be created on the computer by using lower frame rates.

The size of displayed images in video or animation sequences. If an image intended for the sequence is larger or smaller than the current frame size, it must be resized or cropped.

HDV is a format for recording and playback of high-definition video on a DV cassette tape. Announced in 2003 as an affordable high definition format, HDV video supports resolutions up to 1440 × 1080 and is compressed with MPEG-2. HDV audio is compressed using MPEG-1 Layer 2.

A version of the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) standard that has increased feature support compared to previous versions. HTML5 is particularly useful in integrating audio and video files into web pages.

Also known as Firewire, 1394 is standard that allows high-speed serial connections between the computer and an HDV/DV camcorder, or other high speed peripheral device. Devices conforming to recent updates to this standard are capable of transmitting digital data at 400 megabits per second.

Allows you to view the entire project without rendering. It instantly plays all the clips in the Preview Window without creating a temporary preview file in your system. Playback quality is dependent on your hardware configuration.

If Instant Playback results in drop frames, then use High Quality Playback to preview a project.

This camera setting measures the sensitivity of the image sensor. A lower setting is ideal when there is enough light, while a higher setting is best when it is dark. Choosing the correct ISO setting reduces the noise or grain on the captured image.

A specific frame in a clip that is flagged for special editing or other activities in order to control the flow, playback or other characteristics of the completed animation. For example, when applying a video filter, assigning different effect levels on the beginning and end frames shows a change in the appearance of the video from start to end of the video clip. When creating a video, assigning key frames on parts where there are high data transfer requirements helps control how smoothly the video plays back.

The Library is the repository for all of your media clips. You can store video, audio, title, or color clips in the Library and instantly retrieve them for use in a project.

A method of storing previously saved information in another program without significantly affecting the size of the resulting file. Linking offers another advantage in that the original file can be modified in its original program and the changes will automatically be reflected in the program where it is linked.

Points in a clip that have been marked for editing and trimming purposes. A section can be selected from a longer clip by setting its beginning (Mark in) and ending (Mark out).

This camera setting adjusts the exposure according to the brightness of the subject. The common options for metering mode include Evaluative, Partial, Spot, Center-weighted, and Multi-zone.

A cinematic and video production technique that tracks specific objects in video clips. Video elements can be tracked by using selected and distinct sets of pixels that are used to track movement. This process can be done by the program automatically, tracked manually, or a combination of both. It creates moving paths that can be used in seamlessly adding 2D and 3D graphics that appear to exist originally when shooting the video clip.

Abbreviation of MPEG Audio Layer-3. MP3 is an audio compression technology that produces near CD audio quality at a very small file size, making it transfer quickly over the Internet.

A standard for video and audio compression used in products like DVD.

A video and audio compression format that is commonly used in mobile devices and video streaming in the Internet that provides high-quality videos at lower data rates.

Non-Linear Editing. In the past, conventional editing on a VCR was necessarily linear because of the need to access clips on a video tape in order. Computer editing can be done in any order that is convenient.

Noise may be found in audio and video. In audio, it manifests as unwanted residual hiss while they are random image specks and dots onscreen in video. These are electronic interferences that are most common in analog audio and video.

NTSC is the video standard in North America, Japan, Taiwan, and some other regions. Its frame rate is 29.97 fps. PAL is common in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, China, Thailand, and some other Asian places, which has a frame rate of 25 fps. There are other differences. In the world of DV and DVD, NTSC has the video resolution of 720 × 480 pixels, while PAL has 720 × 576 pixels.

These are superimposed video or image clips over existing clips in your project.

Plug-ins are utilities that add more functions and effects to a program. In Corel VideoStudio, plug-ins have made it possible for the program to automatically recognize capture devices as well as output videos for different purposes such as for e-mail, Web page, video greeting cards, and DV recording.

A profile covers various attributes for a file such as bit rate, number and type of streams, compression quality, frame size and so on.

In Corel VideoStudio, a project file (*.VSP) contains the required information to link all associated image, audio, and video files. With Corel VideoStudio, you must open a project file before you can edit a video.

Rendering is the process of making a finished movie from the source files in a project.

A scene is a series of continuous frames. In Corel VideoStudio, each scene that is captured by using the Split by Scene feature is based on the recording date and time of the footage. In a captured DV AVI file, scenes can be separated into several files based on the recording date and time of the footage or based on changes in the content of the video. In an MPEG-2 file, the content changes are used to separate scenes into files.

This camera setting measures the amount of time that the shutter remains open. The shutter speed is measured in seconds. Fast shutter speeds are usually in fractions of a second (1/500, 1/250, 1/125, etc.). Slow shutter speeds are measured as whole numbers (1, 10, 30, etc.).

Smart Render technology saves time when generating previews by rendering only the parts that have been modified from your last render operation.

This feature automatically splits up different scenes into individual files. In Corel VideoStudio, the way scenes are detected depends on which step you are in. In the Capture workspace, Split by Scene detects individual scenes based on the original footage's recording date and time. In the Edit workspace, if Split by Scene is applied to a DV AVI file, scenes can be detected in two ways: by the recording date and time, or by the changes in the content of the video. Whereas in an MPEG file, scenes are detected only based on the content changes.

A Storyboard is a visual representation of your movie. Individual clips are represented as image thumbnails on the Timeline.

Allows large files to be played as they are being downloaded. Streaming is commonly used for large video and audio files that are made available on the Internet through video-sharing Web sites.

A work pattern in a software program. They are predefined formats and settings to serve as guides in making projects.

The timecode of a video file is a numerical way of representing the position in a video. Timecodes can be used to make very accurate edits.

The Timeline is a graphic representation of your movie in chronological order. The relative size of clips on the Timeline gives you an accurate idea of the length of your media clips and the relative positions of titles, overlays and audio.

A title can be a movie title, a caption or credit. Any text that overlays your video can be referred to as a title.

A transition is a method of sequencing between two video clips, like fading from one into another.

The process of editing or cropping a video clip. Videos can be trimmed frame by frame.

A video resolution that is approximately 4,000 pixels in width. It is also known as Ultra High-Definition or Ultra HD. The term is used to refer to all screen standards that are at least 3840 x 1080 pixels.

A video filter is a method of changing the appearance of a video clip, like mosaic and ripple. It can be used as a corrective measure by compensating for shooting errors and can also be creative by achieving a certain effect to video.

The narration of a video or movie is commonly called the voice-over. This is most notable in documentary films.

This camera setting measures the color temperature of the subject. Different lighting conditions affect the way a camera measures the colors in a scene. Most digital cameras provide preset settings for automatic, sunlight, cloudy, fluorescent, and incandescent environments.