Glossary

3G wireless network:: Third-generation wireless networks, available primarily in Asia and Europe. Most American wireless network are considered second generation.
3-point lighting:: The standard method of lighting a video subject, using a key light, a fill light, and a back light.

Analog:: Describes data flowing in a continuous, often variable manner.
Announcement file:: Also called a metafile, the announcement file contains the URL for the Windows Media audio or video file to be played via a Windows Media Server.
Archive:: A set of on-demand streaming files.
Artifacts:: Lines, distortion, snow or other unwanted data in a video image usually introduced by poor quality equipment. Artifacts can appear in audio as odd sounds, dropouts, or distortion.
Aspect ratio:: The ratio of width to height of a video frame. Common ratios are 4:3 and 16:9.
ASP:: Active server page.
ASX:: The Microsoft Windows Media Services metafile file type.
Attenuate:: In audio production, turning down the volume level.
Authentication:: A process that verifies a user's identity.

See also Authorization:.
Authorization:: A process of granting access to a server or set of files with certain access rights.
AVI:: Audio video interleaved. A standard uncompressed or compressed video format for personal computers.
Back light:: A light shone behind a subject to bring it out of the background.
Bandwidth:: The amount of data that can be transmitted over a network in a given moment.
Bit:: A single unit of data.
Bit rate:: The flow rate of data (bits) over a computer network.

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Hands-On Guide to Windows Media