Vectorscopes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An instrument used in video and audio to visualize the amplitude and phase of signals with a display representing the chromaticity and luminance of images
2. A device that represents signal values in terms of coordinates, helping technicians assess color information and balance in multimedia production
3. A specialized tool for analyzing visual outputs by plotting color and brightness, aiding in accurate color grading and correction processes

Etymology: "Vectorscopes" is the plural of "vectorscope," a noun for a device that displays color signals, most often in video engineering. Its parts are "vector" and "-scope." "Vector" comes from Latin "vector," meaning a carrier or one who conveys, from "vehere," to carry. "-scope" comes from Greek "skopein," to look at or examine, so it is a standard suffix for instruments used to observe something, as in "microscope" or "oscilloscope." Because "vector" was used in mathematics and physics for a quantity with direction and magnitude, the combination describes an instrument that plots color information as a vector diagram rather than as a waveform. The device shows where each color's signal falls on a circular display, letting engineers check that the color is accurate.

Synonyms: vector scope, vectorscope