SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO

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WordNet Dictionary

	Definition:	[n] the ratio of signal intensity to noise intensity

	Synonyms:	S/N, signal/noise, signal/noise ratio, signal-to-noise

	See Also:	ratio

Computing Dictionary

	Definition:	1. (SNR, "s/n ratio", "s:n ratio") "Signal" refers to useful information conveyed by some communications medium, and "noise" to anything else on that medium. The ratio of these is usually expressed logarithmically, in decibels. 2. The term is often applied to usenet newsgroups though figures are never given. Here it is quite common to have more noise (inappropriate postings which contribute nothing) than signal (relevant, useful or interesting postings). The signal gets lost in the noise when it becomes too much effort to try to find interesting articles among all the crud. Posting "noise" is probably the worst breach of netiquette and is a waste of bandwidth. [jargon file]

Video Dictionary

	Definition:	The ratio in decibels (dB), of an audio or video signal, between the signal's maximum peak-to-peak signal voltage and the measured voltage of what remains when the signal is removed, (i.e., the ratio of the signal to that of the noise). In video, the higher the ratio, the less snow is visible. In audio, the higher the ratio, the cleaner the sound. Audio s/n ratios vary tremendously from compact discs/camcorder AFM Hi-Fi tracks (typically 90 dB) to VCR linear tracks (typically 40 dB).