why 8 bit for each channel

AM
Posted By
Andrew Morton
Aug 21, 2006
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262
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4
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Closed
qto wrote:
Sorry for this must be very newbie question. I read this article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5263108.stm

So why in RGB color space, there are only 8 bits for each channel.

RGB colour space itself isn’t limited to any particular accuracy as regards the numbers, only its representation on a computer is.

It’s generally good enough to use 8 bits/channel, it’s more expensive to make more accurate devices, and there just happen to be 8 bits in the bytes used by current microprocessors.

Andrew
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N
nomail
Aug 21, 2006
Andrew Morton wrote:

qto wrote:
Sorry for this must be very newbie question. I read this article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5263108.stm

So why in RGB color space, there are only 8 bits for each channel.

RGB colour space itself isn’t limited to any particular accuracy as regards the numbers, only its representation on a computer is.

It’s generally good enough to use 8 bits/channel, it’s more expensive to make more accurate devices, and there just happen to be 8 bits in the bytes used by current microprocessors.

Also, it’s simply not true. Photoshop can handle 16 bits per color and there are quite a few devices that sample with more than 8 bits per color. A good filmscanner samples with 16 bits per color, most digital cameras use 12 bits per color.

However, for output like printers and screens, 8 bits per color is almost always good enough. In the end, the human eye simply cannot see much more than the 16 million colors that 8 bits per color represents.

—
Johan W. Elzenga johan<<at>>johanfoto.nl Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl
Q
qto
Aug 21, 2006
If 8 bits is good enough and more accuracy is not generally noticeable, have you all read the link I put in my first message
R
ronviers
Aug 21, 2006
qto wrote:
Hi!

Sorry for this must be very newbie question. I read this article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5263108.stm

So why in RGB color space, there are only 8 bits for each channel. Is there any constraint to increase it to 16 bits as in that case more color would be represent (maybe).Or is it hardware constraint.

It is a good article – thanks. You probably meant to say "why in ‘an’ RGB color space". Don’t confuse color space with color model. If the technology becomes viable and there is not a color space that can describe it then one will be created. Color theory is a mature field and color people are all over this kind of thing.

Brgds,
Ron
Q
qto
Aug 22, 2006
Hi!

Sorry for this must be very newbie question. I read this article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5263108.stm

So why in RGB color space, there are only 8 bits for each channel. Is there any constraint to increase it to 16 bits as in that case more color would be represent (maybe).Or is it hardware constraint.

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