AV, Streaming, and PTZ Camera Glossary for Beginners

It doesn’t take long to understand that there are a ton of technical terms, phrases and other jargon in the professional video or AV space. If you’re new you’re going to be running into these phrases and terms all over the place so this beginner glossary exists to help you understand what the terms that you’ll commonly find across the pro-av and broadcasting space mean!

AV & Video Basics

AV (Audio-Visual)
A general term that refers to equipment and systems used to handle audio and video signals.

AV-over-IP (AVoIP)
A method of sending audio and video over a standard network using Ethernet cables instead of traditional video cables.

Resolution
The size of a video image which is measured in pixels. The most popular of these currently are 1080p and 4K. Thanks to having more pixels, a higher resolution means that you get to enjoy a sharper image.

Frame Rate
A video is made of up frames which are broken down into how many frames are shown in one second. For video, the common frame rates are 24fps, 30fps and 60fps. However, higher framerates have grown in popularity for things like gaming, and the higher the framerate is the smoother the image is. 

Latency
The delay between when video is captured and when it appears on a screen or stream. Lower latency is better for live events and video conferencing.

Bandwidth
The amount of data your network can carry. Higher bandwidth allows for a  higher quality video and also allows more devices to run at the same time.

PTZ Camera Terms

PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom)
PTZ cameras are a type of camera that have a motorized body that allows for moving left, right (panning), up and down (tilting), and zooming in and out remotely. 

Preset
Pretty simple, this is just a saved camera position or shot so that you can instantly move your camera to that angle or zoom whenever you want to at a press of a button. 

VISCA
A camera control protocol used to send movement and zoom commands to PTZ cameras.

VISCA over IP
A version of VISCA that works over a network instead of traditional serial cables.

Camera ID
A number assigned to each camera so controllers know which camera to control when multiple cameras are connected.

Streaming & Production Terms

Streaming
Sending live video and audio over the internet to platforms like YouTube, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams.

Encoder
A device or software that converts video into a format suitable for streaming or recording.

Decoder
A device that receives and converts streamed video back into a viewable signal.

Bitrate
The amount of data sent per second during streaming. Higher bitrates usually improve video quality but require more bandwidth.

RTMP
A common streaming protocol used for sending live video to platforms like YouTube and Facebook.

NDI
A network video standard that allows high-quality video to be sent over a local network with low latency.

OBS
Short for Open Broadcaster Software. A popular free program used for live streaming and video recording.

Connectivity & Hardware Terms

HDMI
A common cable used to send high-quality audio and video between devices.

SDI
A professional video connection designed for long cable runs and reliable signal transmission.

USB
A connection often used to connect cameras to computers for video conferencing or recording.

PoE (Power over Ethernet)
A technology that allows network cables to provide both power and data to devices like cameras.

Fiber Optic Cable
A cable that uses light to transmit data over very long distances at high speeds.

Networking Basics

IP Address
A unique number that identifies a device on a network.

DHCP
A network feature that automatically assigns IP addresses to connected devices.

Static IP
A manually assigned IP address that does not change.

Network Switch
A device that connects multiple network devices together.

Managed Switch
A switch that allows advanced configuration, often required for AV-over-IP systems.

Final Notes

As mentioned, this glossary is here to help you understand common terms that are used in AV and broadcast. If you’re a beginner please don’t hesitate to reference this! You’ll definitely be seeing these terms all over the place!

For step-by-step tutorials and setup instructions, explore the rest of the Knowledge Base or contact technical support for assistance.