terminations The fittings on the end of a cable: RCA plugs, spade lugs, banana plugs, etc.

THD See “Total Harmonic Distortion.”

three-chip DLP A DLP-based video display in which the image is created by three separate DMDs, one each for the three primary colors of red, green, and blue. Three-chip devices project the three colors simultaneously. All LCD and LCoS displays use three panels. Contrast with single-chip DLP in which the three primary colors are projected sequentially.

throw distance The distance between a front projector and the screen.

THX A set of patents, technologies, and technical/acoustic performance criteria for film-sound reproduction in movie theaters; see also “Home THX.”

THX-certified An A/V product that correctly implements the THX technologies and meets stringent technical performance criteria for film-sound reproduction.

THX Surround EX Original name for Dolby Digital EX.

timbre The tonal quality or characteristic of a sound.

timbre matching A THX technology that ensures sounds arriving from the listener’s sides have the same timbres as sounds arriving from the front, in order to ensure smooth panning of sounds.

time shifting Recording a television or DBS program for later playback.

tonal balance Relative levels of bass, midrange, and treble in an audio component or audio presentation.

TosLink A fiber-optic-based connection for carrying digital audio. Many DVD players have a TosLink digital output.

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) A measure of all the harmonic distortion components (i.e.,second harmonic, third harmonic,etc.) produced by an audio device, expressed as a percentage of the fundamental signal. Called “total” because it is the sum of all the individual harmonic-distortion components created by the component.

transcoder A device that converts video from one format to another, such as VGA to component video.

transient A short-lived sound, often at high level. The sound of a snare drum is an example of a musical transient.

transistor Device made from solid semiconductor material that can amplify audio signals.

treble High audio frequencies, generally the range from 3kHz to 20kHz.

tweeter A speaker driver designed to reproduce treble signals.

two-way speaker A loudspeaker that splits the frequency spectrum into two parts (bass and treble) for reproduction by two or more drivers.