Video Signals

A video signal is the data that makes up the visual portion of a transmitted video/television program, for example:

• The output of a video camera, DVD player, computer graphics card, etc.
• The modulated waveform of a television broadcast.
• The data stream used in digital transmission or streaming applications.

A video signal can be thought of as a stream of data flowing through a path in the same way as water flowing through a pipe. Although this is not a technically accurate analogy, it is a practical one.

Note: In some systems the video and audio signals are combined together, but in most systems they are kept separate.

Common Types of Video Signal

• Component Video, YUV : Different parts of the signal are kept separate (e.g. brightness and colour)
• Composite Video : Brightness, colour and technical data are all combined in a single signal.
• RF Video : The signal is modulated using radio frequencies.
• RS-170