🚀 go-pugleaf

> >If HDTV will be digital, what will be the number of available colors for
> >display?
> 
> Depends on the format that is decided on.
> 

Yes, and while this hasn't been determined yet, I am expecting at least
8 bits/color; some have argued for more, but I'm not sure that we'll get them.
(Or, for that matter, need them, at least with presently-forseeable display
technology).

> >Instead of the "infinite" we have with NTSC now, this will have to be reduced,
> >depending on the digitalization, but what are we talking about numbers-wise?
> 
> Infinite colors?  With NTSC?  You have to be joking... the linearity of the
> chrominance signal is terrible on any NTSC systems.  The number of discrete,
> distinguisable colors is far fewer than those that can be seen by the eye,
> or even recorded on a good film.

Absotively!  Actually, even plain old RGB color, without the nasties introduced
by NTSC encoding, isn't by any means capable of "infinite" colors.  The current
computer de facto "standard" of 8 bits/color ("24 bit color") is more than
adequate to meet the capabilities of practically any electronic (i.e., not
film or hard copy) display device.

Sigh.  Looks like another one of those "analog == infinite precision" errors.


Bob Myers  KC0EW   Hewlett-Packard Co.      |Opinions expressed here are not
                   Systems Technology Div.  |those of my employer or any other
myers@fc.hp.com    Fort Collins, Colorado   |sentient life-form on this planet.