ABSTRACT
An adjustment that controls the voftage amplitude of the video signal in television cameras. It is possible to increase a camera’s light sensitivity by “boosting” this gain. This is similar to forcedprocessing (“pushing”) in film. The intensity of a video signal is measured in decibels (dB), rather than stops as with film. Most video cameras are calibrated to have an effective exposure index of approximately 100. A 6 dB increase doubles the effective EI to 200, and a 12 dB increase gives an effective EI of 400. Increased gain, though increasing light sensitivity, results in a noisier picture. The problem of noise is compounded in postproduction and worsens with each successive generation.
