Glossary

Unique Panasonic digital signal processing technologies deliver true-to-life detail and color, with whiter whites, deeper blacks, and superb rendering of fine details such as individual strands of hair.

Digital signals need to be converted into analogue so that we can see or hear them. Panasonic TVs with an Acuity digital chassis use high quality converters for superb picture quality and feature 10-bit processing at a sample rate of up to 60MHz. That means the processor samples 10-bit chunks of digital data, 60 million times before it delivers the optimum picture signal.

This increases the range of the optical zoom by electronically enlarging the image , bringing distant subjects up close.

The Direct Linear Drive motor provides constantly moving inner blades with 13.000 rpm even when battery level is getting lower, or shaving thick hairs.

Dolby Digital is a form of digital audio coding which makes it possible to store and transmit high quality digital sound. This audio coding can be used for mono, stereo or multi-channel soundtracks. Dolby Digital 5.1 is a multi-channel system used by film producers to deliver five discrete (ie the signals for each channel are recorded independently), full range channels: front left, front right, front centre, left surround and right surround. The .1 refers to the Low Frequency Effects (LFE) channel which is purely for bass and is therefore not full range.

Dolby Pro Logic IIx lets you enjoy virtually any programme - music, radio, TV, etc - in surround sound. It converts any stereo or 5.1 sound signal into 6.1 or 7.1 channel output and creates a seamless, natural surround soundfield. Dolby Pro Logic IIx also incorporates an exclusive Game mode that delivers full-impact special effects signals panned to the surrounds.

Dolby's original Pro-Logic surround sound system developed in the 1980s used four channels - front left, front right, centre and a mono rear. The rear channel's treble frequencies were also limited. Pro-Logic II is an enhanced version with full range stereo output and greatly improved steering logic. It can be used with any kind of stereo programme - CDs, older film and TV material, games, etc - to give surround sound effects.

Abbreviation for "Dots per Inch." Indicates the resolution of a printer, scanner, or monitor. Refers to the number of dots in a one-inch (approx. 25.4-mm) line.

Digital Print Order Format allows the user to mark their recorded still images with printing instructions, such as which photos they want to print and how many copies are required. This makes it easier to get prints made at a photo laboratory or to print them at home.

Digital Theater Systems is an alternative digital audio coding system to Dolby Digital and offers high quality audio coding for digital movies, music, TV broadcasts, games, etc. The data rate is much higher than Dolby Digital so in theory it should provide a superior sound.

DTS-HD is the next generation multi-channel audio format designed for High-definition disc media such as Blu-ray. DTS-HD delivers wider frequency response and greater dynamic range for both movies and music. Higher sampling frequencies and greater bit depth mean more realistic sounds and greater dynamic punch. Music and dialogue will sound more clear and accurate, and the dynamic range of action sound effects will be dramatically improved. It offers a higher bit rate than the standard DTS Digital Surround format found on many DVD’s. It has two versions with each offering up to 7.1 channels of stunning audio performance: DTS-HD High Resolution Audio & DTS-HD Master Audio. Both formats are extensions to the core DTS audio which means that even if your amplifier or player does not contain a decoder for the HD formats you can still enjoy the core DTS audio at a higher than DVD bit rate.

DTS-HD High Resolution Audio provides a multi-channel compressed audio with up to 7.1 channels. At a constant bit rate of up to 6.0 Mbps it delivers a surround sound experience surpassing that of DVD. Movies come alive with sound as lifelike as the picture, and music becomes as real as a live performance.

DTS-HD Master Audio provides lossless audio that matches, bit-to-bit, the original movie's studio master soundtrack and is fully backward-compatible with all DTS decoders. With the ability to reproduce up to 8 discrete channels at up to 24.5 Mbps, DTS-HD Master Audio delivers surround sound with unprecedented accuracy and realism.

Like Dolby Pro Logic IIx, DTS Neo:6 can convert multi-channel surround sound from two-channel stereo. However, DTS says its system offers significant improvements. These include the provision of up to six full-band channels of matrix decoding from stereo matrix material; optimium decoding of Extended Surround soundtracks; the creation of a centre surround channel from 5.1 material; a natural soundfield with precise localisation and a Music mode for expanding stereo recordings into five or six channels without diminishing?the subtlety and integrity of the original sound.

DVD is capable of holding far more digital data than a CD. This data can include audio as well as video signals. DVD-Audio is the next generation audio format and can carry extremely high quality music. DVD-Audio can reproduce frequencies up to 192kHz - that's nearly five times higher than the average person can hear and while these ultra high frequency components are beyond our audible range they play a key part in conveying delicate musical nuances, venue ambience and soundstage imaging. In order to take advantage of music on DVD-Audio, you need a compatible DVD player.

DVD-Audio demands a high frequency range from both amplifier and speakers. DVD-Audio ready components are equiped to offer the wider frequency response and better signal to noise ratio required of the format

If you want to record using a VCR, you use videocassette. To record using a DVD-RAM recorder you need a blank DVD-RAM disc. Two types are currently available from Panasonic - a 4.7 gigabyte disc which offers 120 minutes of record time and a double-sided 9.4 gigabyte version offering 240 minutes. Of course, with Panasonic's new hard disk recorder you needn't use any type of disc to record.

DVD-Recordable is a write-once format. Once finalised a recorded disc can be played back in virtually any standard DVD-Video player. All Panasonic DVD-RAM recorders are compatible with DVD-R for recording and playback.

Re-writable version of DVD-R. Does not offer the flexibility and versatility of DVD-RAM and cannot be used in Panasonic DVD recorders.

DVD+R is primarily designed for data as well as video recording. DVD+R is a write-once format so discs cannot be re-written, while DVD+RW can be erased and used again. Unlike DVD-R and DVD-RW, the DVD+ format offers some editing features, but they do not offer DVD-RAM's flexibility in terms of switchable recording modes, Time Slip functions, instant recording, simultaneous record and playback, etc. Panasonic's DVD-RAM recorders for 2005 offer compatibility with this format.

Allows DTS or Dolby Digital signals to be taken from a DVD player and fed to an external decoder.

Dolby Digital Plus is the next-generation audio format that delivers "better-than-DVD" sound in high-definition media such as Blu-ray (1.7 Mbps). Because it requires less compression and provides more channels (up to 7.1), Dolby Digital Plus also provides new coding efficiencies for future broadcasting (such as HDTV) and streaming of multichannel audio.

Dolby TrueHD is Dolby’s next-generation lossless technology developed for high-definition disc-based media, such as Blu-ray. Dolby TrueHD delivers tantalizing sound that is bit-for-bit identical to the studio master, (up to 18 Mbps) unlocking the true high-definition entertainment experience available on next-generation discs. When coupled with high-definition video, Dolby TrueHD offers an unprecedented home theatre experience that lets you enjoy sound as stunning as the high-definition picture.

Dynamic range describes the ratio of the softest sound to the loudest sound in a musical instrument or piece of electronic equipment. This ratio is measured in decibels (abbreviated as dB) units. Dynamic range measurements are used in audio equipment to indicate a component's maximum output signal and to rate a system's noise floor. As a reference point, the dynamic range of human hearing, the difference between the softest sound we can perceive and the loudest, is about 120 dB. Compressors, expanders, and noise gates are processing devices that are used in audio to alter the dynamic range of a given signal. This is done to achieve a more consistent sound when recording or as a special effect (by radically altering the dynamics of a sound, thereby creating a sound not possible from the original source).