Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!radius!pierce
From: pierce@radius.UUCP (Pierce T. Wetter III)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: How many bits are needed for NTSC? [was Re: Workstations that can record/play]
Message-ID: <1192@radius.UUCP>
Date: 19 Nov 89 00:50:07 GMT
References: <1593@ndmath.UUCP> <46900048@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu> <630@alias.UUCP>
Lines: 24

mherman@alias.UUCP (Michael Herman) writes:

>>
>>>Well, not quite.  A standard NTSC image does not contain the digital
>>>equivalent of 24 bits per pixel.  

>What is a reasonable number of bits to use?

>Some people claim they are producing *NTSC-quality* video with 16-bit
>video ouput boards.  They are configured as 6-6-4 or 5-6-5 bits/component.

>What do people think?


   I think that Sony, whose Trinitron is about the highest quality monitor I've
had the pleasure to use, tells us that the monitor electronics is only 
accurate to about 5 bits per channel, so 16 bits is pretty good if not better than
normal televison. 

  There are additional problems with NTSC as well but I'm not sure I want to go in
to them. Heres a fun fact, though: Broadcast NTSC is specced for a gamma of 2.2 and 
most TVs have a gamma of 2.8. 

Pierce