'Pixel' is short for Picture Element which are little tiny dots of illumination, from which an image is composed from on either flat screens or TV boxes. They are so tiny that you can't psychically see them individually, which is better as blocky images are known as 'pixelated'. However, if you set your monitor to a low resolution, such as 640x480 and look closely at your screen, you will may be able to see the individual pixels. As you may have guessed, a resolution of 640x480 is comprised of a matrix of 640 by 480 pixels, or 307,200 in all.
Resolution
Screen resolution is on a digital TV, a computer monitor or a display device such as a phone. It is the number of distinct pixels in each dimension that is currently displayed. It also refers to the sharpness and clarity of the screen, sort of like HD.
Screen Ratios
Screen ratios is the aspect proportional relationship between the height and width of an image such as X:Y. The most common ratio used today in presentation of films in cinema is 1.85:1 and 2.39:1. The two common ratios for video graphics (games) are 4:3 and 1.33:1. The aspect for universal 20th Century Fox is 16:9, and for high definition television as well. The most common ratios for photography are 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 which is found in most common cameras.
Frame Rate
Frame rate or as it may be commonly known, frame frequency, is the rate at which an image moves on an electrical device. This term applies to cameras, TV's, video cameras and motion graphics. Frame rate is often shortened to FPS,which the human eye can process 10-12 FPS, perceiving them individually.
Video Formats
Video format is the electronic medium for recording, copying and broadcasting of a moving image. Video formatting also reduces the amount of pixeleation and reduces the storage space. The main types of video format would be HD, SD, PAL etc. HD is the highest resolution. It either runs on 720p or 1080p. The ‘p’ means progressive.
Video Compression
Video Compression is made up of sequences of images. Video compression algorithms use the statics that there are usually only small transitions from one frame to the next so they only need to encode the starting frame and a sequence of differences between frames. This is known as inter-frame coding or 3D coding.
Video Composting
Video composting is combining elements from different sources into one single image, to create the illusion that it is all part of the same image originally. The most popular ways of video composting today are green screens, chroma keys and blue screens. Not all composting is done by digital manipulation in person, others can include apps such as Adobe After Effects.
