scaler - Circuitry or device that converts a video signal to a resolution other than its original format. Scaling can involve upconversion or downconversion, and may also include a conversion between progressive- and interlaced-scan formats. A scaler can be built into a TV, an HDTV set-top box, a DVD player, or another video source, or it may be a standalone component.

scan velocity modulation - TV feature; a circuit that increases the speed of electrons to their respective phosphor dots. Often produces an artificial "hard edge," which is why it should be switched off for sources such as DVD and HDTV. Used in professional projectors as a form of dithering to reduce the visibility of scan lines. Also called velocity scan modulation or, generically, edge enhancement.

SDTV - Standard-definition television. Digital television format that includes 480-line resolution in both interlaced (480i) and progressively scanned (480p) formats; offers discernible improvement over conventional analog NTSC picture resolution, with less noise; similar to DVD or satellite TV quality but not considered high-definition television (HDTV).

SECAM - Système Électronique Couleur Avec Memoire, or sequential color with memory. Analog color television broadcast standard developed in the mid-1960s and used in France, its former possessions, and some eastern European countries, including former members of the Soviet Union; offers 819 lines of horizontal resolution.

selectable aspect ratios - TV feature, especially on a wide-screen and/or digital model, that allows the adjustment of screen proportions for the material being viewed; an image can be adjusted to fill the screen or to have blank bands placed at the top and bottom of a wide-screen image, or the left and right for a 4:3 image on a wide-screen set. More info

selectable color temperature - Large-screen TV feature, especially a high-end set, that allows the adjustment of the color temperature. More info

service menu - Menu in televisions and some other electronics gear that's normally accessible only by inputting a special code. The service menu controls many parameters that, if changed, could permanently damage the product, and damage of this kind is usually not covered by the manufacturers' warranty. More info.

set-top box (STB) - External receiver that converts broadcasts (such as analog cable, digital cable, or DTV) for display on a television. HDTV-ready TVs must be connected to a compatible HDTV tuner set-top box in order to receive digital television programs.

sidebars - See windowbox bars.

SMPTE - Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, a professional engineering organization that reviews technological advancements and sets professional video standards.

solarization - See false contouring.

spatial artifact - A compression-induced DTV image imperfection that occurs in a single field or frame when an image on screen is not translated accurately; often results in fuzzy or slanted edges, often on text. Similar to temporal artifacts, both often referred to as mosquito noise.

S-Video - Common video connection that provides better picture than composite by transmitting the luminance and chrominance portions of a video signal separately. More info

SVM - See scan velocity modulation.