Glossary

From A for AGF Videoforschung to Z for zapping, the most important technical terms in video research are explained here.

ECC is an acronym that stands for External Coincidental Check. It refers to a method for proving the validity of the television usage behavior of panel participants. Under this method, the usage measured in the AGF Panel is checked against an external universe sample. The ECC is conducted concurrently with the ICC during the survey period. The latest ECC comprised more than 8,000 CATI interviews that were conducted at pre-defined measurement points on all days of the week.

EDI is an acronym that stands for Electronic Data Interchange. The EDI format used in the advertising market is a standardization of the data record formats for data interchanges within the advertising industry, including interchanges of rate, programming and booking information between marketers and agencies.

Editing rules are fixed attribution rules used in market research to improve data quality. To this end, logical relationships and plausibilities between characteristics from the survey or other data sources are used and rule-bound data are altered. One example of a simple editing rule is bridging: In case of a missing match at Time t, a usage of a Broadcaster A at Time t-1 and at Time t+1, and no recognizable (infrared) user action, a usage of Broadcaster A is inserted into the data also for Time t.

Another group of editing rules relates to the attribution of usage to a broadcaster when the match leads to more than one broadcaster being available for selection. This is known as the simulcast resolution. For example, if a match points to a broadcaster that is distributed in Schleswig-Holstein and a broadcaster that is distributed in Bavaria, the usage is attributed to the Bavarian broadcaster if the household is located in Bavaria. Due to the considerable quantity of available information, the editing rules for audio matching can be highly complex. However, editing rules are also used for master data.

Effective reach refers to the share of persons in a target group who have at least a certain number of average contacts. It is stated in millions or as a percentage.

Encoders are electronic components used to encrypt or compress signals for analog and digital television. They can take the form of either hardware or software. Audio or video signals are encrypted and compressed with an encoder in order to ensure the fastest-possible data rates for long-distance data channels. Moreover, compressed files have a smaller data size and therefore require less storage space.

EPG is an acronym that stands for Electronic Programme Guide. It is a function of digital television that gives the viewer an overview of broadcast TV programs. EPGs include a navigation system with information about programmes, as well as – depending on the level of sophistication – search functions for programme selection. They are offered by programme providers or third-party providers and are also available in most set-top boxes.

Ethernet summarises a family of network technologies that have addressing, frame format and access control to the transmission medium in common. The technology is a wired data network technology for local data networks, so-called LANs, which enables data exchange between all devices connected in a local network (e.g. computers or printers) even over long distances.

Evaluation refers to the analysis of the performance of media plans and advertising campaigns.

Livestream that can take place in parallel both with or without direct reference to the TV broadcast. Example: Curling competition in the event livestream while an ice hockey game is being broadcast on TV.

An external overlap occurs when persons are reached by several media or media genres, as in the case of media mix campaigns, for example.

External specifications are external specifications for the structural composition of the AGF panel. They are relevant for the structure, control and weighting of the data.
Until 2020, the AGF participated in parts of ma Radio with a TV question set. Up to and including 31 December 2021, "ma TV" (in addition to further specifications from the microcensus and results from the platform study) forms the external specification for the AGF panel.

Since 2020, the AGF has been conducting the "Potential Study" in cooperation with agof and agma. At the same time, the AGF conducts the platform study, in which interviewers survey and test TV specifics (including platform access, reception levels) in households. After a joint weighting on the microcensus, both studies form the AGF Video Potentials, which has provided the relevant potentials for video and internet usage in Germany since 1 January 2022.
The specifications for the relevant structural information for TV reception and socio-demographics are taken from the AGF Video Potentials. For children aged 3-13 years, who are not surveyed in the potential study and platform study, the structural information comes from the respective current microcensus.

The specifications for the distribution of Sky subscriptions, in turn, are provided from a Deloitte audit." The following characteristics are important for controlling the panel structures:

  • Territories: States of the Federal Republic of Germany
  • Socio-demographic information: age and education of the MIE (Main Income Earner), household size, children in the household
  • Reception levelsIPTVsatellitecable, terrestrial
  • Reception situation: platform access

Extrapolation is a calculation method used to extrapolate the results of the sample to parameters of the universe. After the extrapolation, the number of persons in the universe who have watched a programme, for example, can be calculated.