INVISION INSIGHT

SEEING IS BELIEVING

Nick Osborne, Key Account Manager at Invision, discusses why the colour range of a TV is an important factor to think about for truly realistic visuals.

Ernie Kovacs, an American comedian, actor and writer, stated that television was called a medium because it was “neither rare nor well done”. This may have been true in the past, but with the introduction of superior technology and streaming, this much-loved ‘medium’ has increased in popularity, driving the demand for an enhanced viewing experience. But what other aspects do we think push this entertainment technology forward?

Over the years, there have been numerous advances in technology that have helped with our viewing experience. While the jump from standard definition to high definition took a while to complete, the move from Full HD to Ultra HD looks to be moving apace.

Back in 1993, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) launched a new worldwide standard that set the parameters for image encoding and signal characteristics of high-definition television. This was known as Rec. 709 or BT. 709. The recommendation, now on its sixth version, states, ‘that the parameters defined for all these systems meet the quality goals set for HDTV’ and ‘should have maximum commonality’.

Spring forward to 2012, and the ITU released its recommendations for the Ultra HD market, commonly referred to as Rec. 2020 or BT. 2020. These specifications, which include resolution, bit depth, colour range, frame rate and other values, are ITU’s suggested standards for Ultra HD projectors and televisions - as well as any additional equipment related to their broadcasting.

Although Rec. 2020 covers the specifications mentioned above, the colour change from the preceding Rec. 709 and DCI-P3 to Rec. 2020 is a noticeable step up. This wider colour gamut captures more colour accurately to reflect what we see in the real world. Ultimately, this results in a more realistic and more natural image and therefore, creates a truly immersive experience for the viewer.

While DCI-P3 is the colour gamut that most Ultra HD displays can reliably reproduce, it is, effectively, a halfway point between Rec. 709 and Rec. 2020, and is important as a comparison point between displays. However, there’s still a way to go to reach full Rec. 2020. When it comes to Ultra HD, the more colour gamut the better.

For example, in Rec. 709 a majority of the green colours that the eye can see are left out. This means that the true variation in colours of spring leaves and flowers can be lost when reproduced on digital displays. However, autumnal colours of red, orange, and yellow are mostly reproduced easily since Rec. 709 covers a majority of these. With the suggested widening in the colour gamut for Rec. 2020, more of the previously missing greens, as well as expansion of the other colours, are encompassed – allowing for more vivid colours, more detail and a visual nearer to what you would see in real life.

Rec. 2020 promises better and more realistic greens

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While resolution has become an important factor when buying a display, and with 8K entering the market, this can be, to some extent, hindered in deployment. Our viewing of high-definition content is affected by the amount of content available in that format, as well as restricted bandwidths compressing the content, which are problems mostly out of the end-user’s control. Ultimately, (rather than hunting an ever-increasing resolution) we should focus on picture quality with more realistic colours for a better TV viewing experience for end-users.

Manufacturers and engineers need to find a way to make digital imagery look as realistic as possible within the confinements of modern technology. By driving the technology for a wider colour gamut within their products, manufacturers can enhance the viewing experience while differentiating themselves from the competition. This will enable TVs to reproduce more of the colours we see, accurately. With a TV that focuses on the full aspects of Rec. 2020 - including colour reproduction, I believe you can get a truly enhanced and high-definition viewing experience, which allows for more vibrant colours and colour gradation, bringing pictures to life.

The expansion of high-quality TV content delivery earlier in its life cycle than before is a big change The changing face of content for TVs presents challenges and opportunities