Wide Color Gamut – What is it?

Updated: Jun 27, 2022 11:11 PM
Wide Color Gamut - What is it?

Many TV manufacturers acknowledge that even the best TVs may not show as many colors as the eye can see. However, with the use of technology such as the wide color gamut (WCG,) they may come closer than ever before to this goal. The eye can only see a range of colors, referred to as “visible colors,” though more colors exist. WCG often allows viewers to observe images with color that would be closer to real life.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Wide color gamut (WCG) TV enhances the color gamut on a TV with up to 75.8% of colors that the human eye can see.
  • WCG attempts to showcase these colors, often accompanied by high dynamic range (HDR.)
  • TVs with WCG cannot show broadcast content with the standard Rec. 709 color space in WCG.

What is Wide Color Gamut?

For TVs, different color gamuts refer to the colors which can be represented accurately on the TV. Therefore, TVs with WCG show more colors than those in the previous color spaces on television. For example, in coverage of the CIE 1931 color space, the Rec. 2020 color space covers 75.8%, the DCI-P3 digital cinema color space covers 53.6%, the Adobe RGB color space covers 52.1%, and the Rec. 709 color space covers 35.9%.

Several color spaces include WCG, including Rec. 2020, which refers to ultra-high definition (UHD,) Rec. 2100 featuring high dynamic range (HDR,) DCI-P3, and Adobe RGB. Many TVs with WCG also feature HDR. However, consumers cannot watch all content on a TV with WCG or HDR in these formats. Often, broadcast TV does not utilize the expanded color space, choosing instead to use the Rec. 709 standards. Also, any manufacturing defect in a TV might prompt you to learn how to repair a black spot on tv.

What Is High Dynamic Range?

HDR enables an image to represent a more natural illumination of content. HDR TVs require extra headroom in terms of brightness to showcase different elements. With HDR, you may be able to see more detail in the images on the TV. It also features significantly brighter highlights, darker shadows, and vivid colors. Because of the different contrast between aspects of the image, viewers should also experience increased in-depth perception, which aids the eye’s observation of dimensions like 2D or 3D imagery.

HDR-enabled TVs often have high brightness, contrast, and color capabilities. HDR TVs are available that do not include WCG, but they often go hand-in-hand. Additionally, scenes filmed in different lightings have a more significant variation. To maintain the artists’ visions, companies have created several formats of HDR, including HDR10, HDR10+, HLG10, and PQ10. Each format helps to preserve the image when the dynamic range is less than what was created. In addition, some of these formats feature dynamic metadata that adjusts the image throughout the content instead of only at the beginning.

You can also check out why your TV won’t turn on if you are having power issues but still need to enjoy your TV viewing experience.

F.A.Q.

Which color mode has the largest color gamut?

WCG offers the largest range of visible colors, surpassing DCI-P3, Adobe RGB, and sRGB.


Is HDR the same as wide gamut?

No, HDR stands for high dynamic range and refers to the contrast between an image’s brightest and darkest parts. Therefore, WCG enables more vivid and accurate colors to be seen in the picture.


Does a 4K UltraHD Blu-ray really look better than a regular Blu-ray?

4K UltraHD Blu-rays feature a higher resolution on a 4K TV than regular Blu-rays, meaning that the image should be enhanced if you are sitting at the optimal viewing distance for your TV.



STAT: In coverage of the CIE 1931 color space, the Rec. 2020 color space covers 75.8%, the DCI-P3 digital cinema color space covers 53.6%, the Adobe RGB color space covers 52.1%, and the Rec. 709 color space covers 35.9%. (source)

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