Signal to Noise Ratio (dB)

What is Signal to Noise Ratio (dB)?

Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is a measure of the level of a desired signal relative to the level of background noise.

It is typically expressed in decibels (dB). In audio and video technology, signal-to-noise ratio refers to the amount of desired signal (such as music or dialogue) compared to the level of noise (such as hiss or hum) in the recording. The higher the SNR, the better the audio or video quality. A SNR of 60dB or greater is generally considered good for most applications.