Scanning Velocity Modulation
SVM is a feature in CRT based televisions that supposedly increases picture quality. Many have attacked it saying that it is a gimmick and that it does not actually improve the quality of the picture. You should use SVM if you personally feel that it makes the picture better.

Screen Pitch
See 'Pitch Screen'

Screen Size
The size of your display screen is usually measured in inches. To get the actual size you will need to calculate the ‘Horizontal Viewing Angle’ which is done in a diagonal fashion and not from top to bottom or left to right.

SDTV
Standard Definition TV. This is the same as 480i. It is not considered to be DTV or HDTV and is the regular NTSC broadcasts most people are used to.

SECAM
Sequential Couleur avec Memoire is the television broadcast signal used in France, the former Soviet Union and other countries. SECAM is one of three main TV broadcast signals in the world and, like PAL, it scans the CRT of a television 625 times.

Set-Top-Box
See STB

Simulcast
The process of simultaneously broadcasting on two different channels, aka paths. When it comes to DTV, this means the station is most likely broadcasting the same thing in standard definition format and in a DTV format.

S-IPS
Super-In-Plane-Switching technology that helps attain wider viewing angles and color consistency.

SKU
This is a Stock Keeping Unit Number. It allows manufacturers, distributors and retailers refer to a product by a unique identifier that can be used to look up exact product specifications without confusion.

Source Box Pass-Through
When you have the source box pass the digital signal straight through. This is contradictory to doing 1x1 pixel mapping.

Speaker Output Power
A typical speaker output might be denoted by '7 Watts (RMS) per surround satellite (x 4)'. This means each of the surround satellite speakers in your setup will output a maximum of 7 Watts. The (x4) means this is for four satellite speakers in the setup.

Speakers Included
Are speakers included in the TV / package that you bought? Many times a speaker is built into the television, however many lighter flat panels do not include speakers. More often than not speakers are included, but the quality of the built-in speakers is not what you would want to use while viewing movies and other prime time television.

Standard Definition
See SDTV

STB
STB stands for set-top-box and is the receiver you use to decode high definition signals. STBs are often called a 'decoder', a 'receiver', or a 'tuner'. The term decoder is the more appropriate term as the word receiver can often mean the stereo equipment component.

Street Value
As opposed to the MSRP, this is the value that consumer electronics can usually be found for at retail chains and on electronics focused web sites.

Superbit
These are DVDs that are encoded with higher bitrates then non superbit DVDs. They have DTS sountracks and don't contain any extras so they can maximize bitrate. A big difference will be noticed in Superbit editions for those people with big screen displays, where people with smaller displays won't notice as much of a difference.

Surround Sound Type
There is more than one type of surround sound and it might depend on the equipment you have. A 5.1 setup will have a center speaker, front-left, front-right, back-right, back-left and subwoofer. A 6.1 setup adds a single rear speaker and a 7.1 setup adds a right-rear surround speaker as well as a left-rear surround speaker.

S-Video Output
The output on your television that is to be used by S-Video cables

SVM
Scanning Velocity Modulation (SVM) will speed up or slow down how the phosphors on your CRT television are scanned. If you leave SVM on it can bring 'ringing' into the edges of your image and can reduce the detail of your image by over-enhancing the lines. Many videophiles will not buy a TV if it does not have the option to turn SVM off, but most high end televisions have this option anyway. It is strongly recommended to turn this feature off when you get your television.