Explainer25 September 2026

Live Production Jargon Explained

Forty terms you will hear in a quote or a production meeting, in plain English.

Bitrate. How much data per second the stream uses. Higher means better picture and more bandwidth needed.

Bonded. Multiple internet connections combined into one, so a single failure does not take the stream down.

Broadcast audio. Audio mixed for a viewer at home rather than for the room.

Camera op. The person operating a camera. Distinct from the director.

Comms. The intercom system linking the crew. Also called talkback.

Derig. Taking everything down afterwards.

Director. The person choosing which camera the viewer sees and when.

Downstream keyer. The layer that puts graphics over the picture at the last stage.

DSK. Short for downstream keyer.

Encoder. The box that turns a video signal into a stream. Hardware encoders are more reliable than software.

FOH. Front of house. The mix position out in the room, and by extension the camera position near it.

Failover. What the system switches to automatically when the primary path fails.

Fibre. Optical cable. Carries video long distances without loss, unlike copper.

Flypack. A portable production system in cases, as opposed to a truck or trailer.

Get-in. The time you are allowed into the venue to start building.

Grams. Audio playback. Stings, walk-on music, video sound.

IMAG. Image magnification. Live cameras on screens for the audience in the room.

Iso record. An isolated recording of one camera, separate from the cut show. What makes a proper edit possible later.

Jib. A counterweighted arm that moves a camera through space.

Latency. Delay between something happening and it appearing on screen.

Lower third. The graphic naming whoever is speaking.

Mult. A split of an audio feed so several people can take the same source.

NDI. A way of sending video over a normal computer network.

OB. Outside broadcast. Production from a vehicle at a location rather than a studio.

PA feed. Audio taken from the room's sound desk rather than a camera microphone.

PPU. Portable production unit. A compact flightcased gallery.

Programme record. A recording of the cut show as it went out.

PTZ. A remote controlled camera that pans, tilts and zooms.

RAMS. Risk assessment and method statement. The safety paperwork venues ask for.

Return. A video feed sent back to someone, usually so a presenter can see themselves or the programme.

RF. Radio frequency. Anything wireless: microphones, in-ears, wireless cameras.

Rig. Both the act of building and the assembled system.

Runner. The person who fetches, carries and solves. More valuable than the title suggests.

SDI. The standard cable type for professional video over copper.

SMPTE fibre. A single cable carrying video, power and comms to a camera. Standard on large productions.

Talkback. See comms.

Tech run. A rehearsal focused on the technical elements rather than the content.

Vision mixer. Both the device that switches between cameras and, in the UK, the person operating it.

VT. A pre-recorded video played into a live show.

Whip. A short cable used to connect two things over a small distance.