Glossary
NAS
NAS stands for ‘Network Attached Storage’ and is simply an external hard drive which plugs into your local network. Instead of a USB cable for plugging into the side of your laptop, a NAS drive comes with either an ethernet port or built in WiFi.
Native/screen resolution
This is the number of pixels or lines displayed on the screen. Expressed as width x height. This actual measurement of an LCD display, in pixels, is given in horizontal by vertical order.
ND Filter (Neutral Density Filter)
Attached to the front of the camera’s lens, it reduces the amount of light entering the lens. When light levels are strong, such as when outside in sunshine, attaching an ND filter allows you to use both your maximum aperture and slower shutter speeds.
Network switch
Similar to network hubs in that they are used to connect many network devices, such as computers and printers. A switch contains more intelligence (and a slightly higher price tag) than a hub. Unlike hubs, network switches are capable of inspecting data packets as they are received, determining the source and destination device of each packet, and forwarding them appropriately.
NFC
Near Field Communications, or NFC, involve a low power radio transmitter which uses similar principles to that of an Oyster card (the payment card for London transport) or contactless payment chip on your credit card. Phones equipped with NFC will be able to communicate with each other and machine readers over very short ranges, to swap contact details or payment details. It’s a bit like Bluetooth, but uses even less power, is always on and can be very fast and simple to use.
NICAM (Near Instantaneous Companded Audio Multiplex)
Developed by the BBC in the 1990s, NICAM is a TV sound encoding system. It enables the transmission of programmes in stereo and at 14-bit the sound quality is almost as good as CD. To receive a broadcast with NICAM sound, your TV and/or VCR must be equipped with a NICAM decoder.
NTSC
In the US and Japan, NTSC (National Standards Television Committee) is the standard used for all video equipment. NTSC uses 525 lines to make up a TV picture and scans at 60Hz.
