This whole online video and downloading thing can be a bit much to get your head around. You're faced with a whole host of different systems from different companies all offering different content in different ways and under different terms and conditions.
So here is our handy guide to try and simplify some of the jargon that gets bandied around online, on this site and especially in the forums. Please feel free to mail us with any omisions or mistakes that we may have made. Nobody's perfect and we're always happy to be put straight.
2.5G
Or GPRS - a mobile netowrk service that makes it easier to download content to your phone. The iPhone uses it
3G
A full "third generation" high speed mobile network
4OD
Channel 4's current TV On Demand service. Read our review
ADSL phone line
A technology for transmitting digital information at high bandwidths on existing phone lines.
Apple TV
Digital TV service from Apple that enables you to rent movies from your TV. Learn more about Apple TV.
BBC - iPlayer
The BBC's internet based catch up TV service. Watch TV shows from the last 7 days from the BBC iPlayer website or by downloading them to your computer. Read our review
Bandwidth
The amount of data that can be transmitted via a given communications channel.
Bluetooth
Specification for low power radio communications to wirelessly link devices like computers and phones and headsets over short distances.
Blu - ray
The surviving "next generation" DVD format left standing after the great HD-DVD vs Blu-ray punch up. Built into Sony PS3 consoles.
Broadband
High speed internet connections that allow transmission of large amounts of data, voice, and video.
BT Vision
Digital TV service from BT. Read our review.
DAB
Digital Audio Broadcast or Digital Radio to most of us. Allows more channels than analogue in a given amount of bandwidth.
Digital Switchover
Starting in 2008 and ending in 2012, TV services in the UK will go completely digital, TV region by TV region. Learn more about the switchover.
Digital TV
Digital television is the transmission of television signals using digital rather than conventional analog methods. Why? More channels can fit into less space.
DRM - Digital Rights Management
Technology that protects a piece of intellectual digital property such as a music, video, or text file.
DVB-H
Digital Video Broadcasting - Handheld. Europe's official digital TV platform for mobile phones and other devices.
EST
Electronic Sell Through - you buy it to keep. Like picking up a DVD in Tesco - except this is done online, so there's no waiting at the checkout.
EPG
Electronic programme guide. This is how you navigate your TV services.
Five Download
Channel Five's TV show download service. Read our review.
Freeview
The UK's terretrial digital TV service that allows you to watch extra channels via your TV aerial. Learn more about Freeview.
GPRS
General Packet Radio Service - or 2.5G. Not as fast as proper 3G.
Hardware
Hardware is the general term that is used to describe physical artifacts of a technology. In short, it means the boxes you own that run all this fun stuff...
HDTV
High definition Television. Usually this means 720p (progressive) or 1080i (interlaced). 1080p is also now available. If your TV can "do" any of these - you have HDTV. But you'll also need an HDTV source like Sky HD or Virgin.
ISP
Internet Service Provider. This is the company who you pay for your broadband internet. Everyone's at it now and some are much ISPs are much better than others.
iPhone
Apple's next generation multimedia and internet-enabled mobile phone. Remember though - it's not 3G and currently only available on the O2 network. Learn more about the iPhone
iPod
Oh come, if you don't know what an iPod is you've must have just been let out on good behaviour after a long stretch. Apple's portable video and music player.
iTunes
iTunes is a Apple's music and video library software. The user can buy and store digital music and video files. Read our review.
Joost
A way of watching TV content online from the people who invented Skype. Great image quality but some rubbish programmes. A case of a great solution waiting for a problem. UPDATE: rumours are that instead of having to download it, soon Joost is going browser based. Stay tuned for more!
Kontiki
The P2P network used by Sky Anytime, 4OD and the BBC iPlayer. Can cause problems with both your computer (not all of these systems always play nice together if they're installed on the same computer) and can eat up your bandwidth allowance if your ISP monitors your usage.
Microsoft Silverlight
A browser plugin that allows you to receive rich media such as video. Think Adobe Flash but by Microsoft. Learn more about Microsoft Silverlight.
MP3
Mpeg layer 3. A compressed audio format.
P2P - Peer To Peer Networking
Instead of you simply pulling down something you want from a provider, the P2P software makes your computer a single node on a network made up of thousands of other single nodes. Instead of pulling that content down directly from the source, you're actually taking it from someone else on the network. the problem is this can cause problems if your ISP monitors your usage. Leave you computer on and online all day and night and you millions of people could be pulling down last week's Eastenders Omnibus from your computer.
Pay per View
Paying to download a movie or show each time. Most PPV content has a short time window in which to watch it.
Powerline
Technology that allows you to turn your home's electrical wiring into a broadband network. Be warned. There are a couple of incompatible types - don't try and mix adapters.
PS3 - Playstation 3
Sony's "next generation" games console that comes with a network connection slot. This is going to be big...Learn more about the PS3
PVR
Personal video recorder. Sky+, Tivo and Virgin + are all forms of PVR.
Quicktime
A format for video and audio data from Apple that can be created and played back on different computer platforms. Learn more about Quicktime.
RSS
Really Simple Syndication. An XML-based system for aggregating and rapidly scanning information from blogs, news and current event Web sites, and other Web sites that update content frequently.
SeeSaw
A project from ITV, Channel 4 and BBC Worldwide to sell their programming online. Launches Spring 2009.
Sky Anytime
Sky Anytime is the brand-name of a range of on demand services from Sky. If you have a Sky TV subscription you can get some of all of this content for free. Read our review.
STB - Set Top Box
Ok, now I don't know anyone who actually has one of these boxes on top of their TV set, but that's the name they were given back in the day and it's stuck. It might be your Virgin+ box or your Sky+ box or anything else that pulls in TV and shows it on your telly.
Streaming
Delivering a file from a server in "real time," ie, play a file as it is being downloaded.
Tiscali TV OD
A digital TV service from Tiscali. Read our review.
TV on Demand
The concept of being able to what a film or TV programme whenever you like, without having to wait for the programme to start or worrying about forgetting to record.
Virgin TV OD
A digital TV service from Virgin. Read our review.
VoD or VOD - Video on Demand.
There are several flavours of Video on Demand and here is as good a place as any to list them:
NVoD
Near Video on Demand. Sky Box Office is one of these services with films showing every 15 or 30 minutes. Not true VoD, but getting there.
Push VoD
Video pushed to your box (PC or STB). Sky Anytime for HD and Sky+ customers is a push VoD service as you have no control which bits of content you take.
Pull VoD
Now this is what we're all aiming at. A VoD service where you select what you want, download it and consume it which ever device you want.
TVoD - Transactional VoD
A service where you pay to pull down the content you want. Like Five Download.
Vodcast
The online delivery of video-on-demand (VOD) content via RSS enclosures.
VoIP
Voice over Internet Protocol. This is your voice calls being routed over the internet rather than a traditional phone system.
Windows Media Player
A digital media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and images. Learn more about Windows Media Player.
Xbox Live
Enables you to connect your Xbox 360 to the internet, play games online and download trailers, full movies and other video. Learn more about Xbox Live.
YouTube
A free video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips. Learn more about YouTube.
Last updated - April 1st 2008 - 21:00