(loss) The signal degradation caused by successive recordings. Freshly recorded material is first generation, one re-recording, or copy, makes the second, etc. This is of major concern in analog linear editing but much less so using a digital suite. Non-compressed component DVTRs should provide at least twenty generations before any artifacts become noticeable, but the very best multi-generation results are possible with disk-based systems. Generations are effectively limitless. Besides the limitations of recording, the action of processors such as decoders and coders will make a significant contribution to generation loss. The decode/recode cycle of NTSC and PAL is well known for its limitations but equal caution is needed for digital video compression systems, especially those using MPEG, and the color space conversions that typically occur between computers handling RGB and video equipment using Y, Cr, Cb. See also: Color space, concatenation, error concealment, error correction, error detection. : .