Chrominance in the context of "Tints and shades"

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⭐ Core Definition: Chrominance

Chrominance (chroma or C for short) is the signal used in video systems to convey the color information of the picture (see YUV color model), separately from the accompanying luma signal (or Y' for short). Chrominance is usually represented as two color-difference components: U = B′ − Y′ (blue − luma) and V = R′ − Y′ (red − luma). Each of these different components may have scale factors and offsets applied to it, as specified by the applicable video standard.

In composite video signals, the U and V signals modulate a color subcarrier signal, and the result is referred to as the chrominance signal; the phase and amplitude of this modulated chrominance signal correspond approximately to the hue and saturation of the color. In digital-video and still-image color spaces such as Y′CbCr, the luma and chrominance components are digital sample values.

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👉 Chrominance in the context of Tints and shades

In color theory, a tint is a mixture of a color with white, which increases lightness, while a shade is a mixture with black, which increases darkness. A tone is produced either by mixing a color with gray, or by both tinting and shading. Mixing a color with any neutral color (black, gray, and white) reduces the chroma, or colorfulness, while the perceived hue can be affected slightly (see Abney effect and Bezold-Brücke shift).

In the graphic arts, especially printmaking and drawing, "tone" has a different meaning, referring to areas of continuous color, produced by various means, as opposed to the linear marks made by an engraved or drawn line.

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Chrominance in the context of YCbCr

YCbCr, Y′CbCr, also written as YCBCR or Y′CBCR, is a family of color spaces used as a part of the color image pipeline in digital video and photography systems. Like YPBPR, it is based on RGB primaries; the two are generally equivalent, but YCBCR is intended for digital video, while YPBPR is designed for use in analog systems.

Y′ is the luma component, and CB and CR are the blue-difference and red-difference chroma components. Luma Y′ (with prime) is distinguished from luminance Y, meaning that light intensity is nonlinearly encoded based on gamma corrected RGB primaries.

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Chrominance in the context of YUV

Y′UV, also written YUV, is the color model found in the PAL analogue color TV standard. A color is described as a Y′ component (luma) and two chroma components U and V. The prime symbol (') denotes that the luma is calculated from gamma-corrected RGB input and that it is different from true luminance. Today, the term YUV is commonly used in the computer industry to describe colorspaces that are encoded using YCbCr.

In TV formats, color information (U and V) was added separately via a subcarrier so that a black-and-white receiver would still be able to receive and display a color picture transmission in the receiver's native black-and-white format, with no need for extra transmission bandwidth.

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Chrominance in the context of PAL

Phase Alternating Line (PAL) is a colour encoding system for analogue television. It was one of three major analogue colour television standards, the others being NTSC and SECAM. In most countries it was broadcast at 625 lines, 50 fields (25 frames) per second, and associated with CCIR analogue broadcast television systems B, D, G, H, I and K. The articles on analogue broadcast television systems further describe frame rates, image resolution, and audio modulation.

PAL video is composite video because luminance (luma, monochrome image) and chrominance (chroma, colour applied to the monochrome image) are transmitted together as one signal. A latter evolution of the standard, PALplus, added support for widescreen broadcasts with no loss of vertical image resolution, while retaining compatibility with existing sets. Almost all of the countries using PAL are currently in the process of conversion, or have already converted transmission standards to DVB, ISDB or DTMB. The PAL designation continues to be used in some non-broadcast contexts, especially regarding console video games where it is referring to the markets other than North America and Japan.

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Chrominance in the context of SECAM

SECAM, also written SÉCAM (French pronunciation: [sekam],Système Électronique Couleur Avec Mémoire, French for electronic colour system with memory), is an analogue colour television system that was used in France, Russia, and some other countries or territories of Europe and Africa. It was one of three major analog colour television standards, the others being PAL and NTSC. Like PAL, a SECAM picture is also made up of 625 interlaced lines and is displayed at a rate of 25 frames per second (except SECAM-M). However, due to the way SECAM processes colour information, it is not compatible with the PAL video format standard. SECAM video is composite video; the luminance (luma, monochrome image) and chrominance (chroma, color applied to the monochrome image) are transmitted together as one signal.

All the countries using SECAM have either converted to Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB), the new pan-European standard for digital television, or are currently in the process of conversion. SECAM remained a major standard into the 2000s.

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Chrominance in the context of Luma (video)

In video, luma () represents the brightness in an image (the "black-and-white" or achromatic portion of the image). Luma is typically paired with chrominance. Luma represents the achromatic image, while the chroma components represent the color information. Converting R′G′B′ sources (such as the output of a three-CCD camera) into luma and chroma allows for chroma subsampling: because human vision has finer spatial sensitivity to luminance ("black and white") differences than chromatic differences, video systems can store and transmit chromatic information at lower resolution, optimizing perceived detail at a particular bandwidth.

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Chrominance in the context of B-Y

indicates a color difference signal between blue (B) and a luminance component, as part of a luminance (Y) and chrominance (C) color model. It has different meanings depending on the exact model used:

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Chrominance in the context of R-Y

indicates a color difference signal between red (R) and a luminance component, as part of a luminance (Y) and chrominance (C) color model. It has different meanings depending on the exact model used:

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