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D Series Tape Formats: A series of broadcast digital formats, designated D1, D2, etc. Dx is basically a replacement for 1-inch formats. D2 and D3 combine chrominance and luminance information, whereas D1 and D5 store them separately (and are therefore higher quality).
Dailies (1): Daily raw footage shot during the production of a motion picture (AKA rushes or daily rushes). More Info: Dailies
Dailies (2): Newspapers that are published every day (or 5/6 days per week).
DAT: Digital Audio Tape.
Data Rate: The amount of data which is transferred per second. In a video file, this means the amount of data the file must transfer to be viewed at normal speed. In relation to optical disks, this means the amount of data which can be read or written per second.
DC: Direct Current. The electrical current output by batteries, etc.
Decibel (dB): Logarithmic measurement of signal strength. 1/10 of a Bel.
Deep Focus: A cinematography technique which uses a large depth of field to keep the entire contents of the frame in focus. More Info: Camera Focus
Deliverables: The final products of the filmmaking process, used to create prints and other material for distribution. More Info: Deliverables
Depth of Field: The zone between the nearest and furthest points at which the camera can obtain a sharp focus. More Info: Depth of field
Depth Perception:The ability to recognize three-dimensional objects and understand their relative positions, orientation, etc.More Info: Depth perception
Device Control: A tool which allows you to control another device. For example, a window within a video editing package from which you can control a video camera.
Differential Amplification: Method of amplifying a signal, in which the output signal is a function of the difference between two input signals.
Digital: A signal which consists of a series of discreet values, as opposed to an analogue signal, which is made up of a continuous information stream.
Digital S : Professional digital tape format, introduced by JVC in the mid-1990s.
Digital Video Editing: Editing using digital video formats and computer software. Also known as non linear editing. More info: Digital video editing tutorial
Digital Zoom: A method of zooming which digitally crops and enlarges part of the image. This is not a true zoom and results in loss of quality. More info: Digital vs optical zoom
Dissolve: A video transition in which one shot dissolves (fades) into the next. AKA mix or crossfade. More info: The dissolve transition
DLP: Digital Light Processing. A television technology that uses a colored light beam which bounces across an array of hundreds of thousands of hinge-mounted microscopic mirrors attached to a single chip called a "micro mirror device".
Docutainment: From the words documentary and entertainment. A television programme which includes both news and entertainment content, or a blending of both. More info: Docutainment
Dolly: Any apparatus upon which a camera can be mounted, which can be moved around smoothly. More info: Dolly Shot, Dolly Grip
Dolly Zoom:: A cinematography technique in which the camera moves closer or further from the subject while simultaneously adjusting the zoom angle to keep the subject the same size in the frame. More info: Dolly Zoom
Downstage: Toward the camera.
Dropout: Loss of part of a recorded video or audio signal, showing up as glitches on playback. Can be caused by damaged record heads, dirty tapes or heads, etc.
Driver: A piece of software which enables a piece of hardware to work with a computer. Usually supplied with the hardware, but can often be downloaded from the vendor's website.
Dry Run: Rehearsal, without recording or transmitting etc.
DTMF: Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency, better known as touch-tone. The standard system of signal tones used in telecommunications. More info: DTMF tones
Dutch Tilt: A camera shot which is deliberately tilted for artistic effect. More info: Dutch Tilt
DV: Digital Video. More info: The DV Format
DVCAM: Digital tape format from Sony. More info: The DVCAM Format
DVCPRO: Professional digital tape format from Panasonic, introduced in the mid-1990s.More info: The DVCPRO Format, DVCPRO50, DVCPRO HD, Illustrations : DVCPro VT Machine
DVD: (Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc). An optical disc format which provides sufficient storage space and access speeds to playback entire movies.More info: The DVD Format
DVD Authoring: The process of taking video footage, adding chapter stops, menus, and encoding the footage into MPEG files ready to be burned
DVD Burning: Taking the authored DVD files and physically writing them to a disk.
Dynamic Loudspeaker: Loudspeaker which uses conventional cone and dome drive elements.
Dynamic Microphone: A moving coil microphone, which doesn't require power. More info: Dynamic Microphones
Dynamic Range: The difference between the weakest and strongest points of a signal. More info: Dynamic Range