[Tig] Is there anybody out there

[Bob Friesenhahn]

On Thu, 3 Aug 2006, Micheletti, Bob (NBC Universal) wrote:
>>
>> Bits can be used for either or both precision or dynamic range.
>
> But not both unless you have a "whole bunch" (technical term) of them.
>
> Now I get to duck...

Duck is right.  Quack, quack.

If you have an HD camera which outputs standard Rec.709 video then the 
interpretation of the bits is set in stone.  The amount of dynamic 
range is essentially specified by the standard.  Your presentation 
device may show you something different (something wrong) if its 
interpretation of white, black, and gamma curve, are different than 
the standard.  There is no more juice to be found in that turnip.

If you have a camera which outputs something else (e.g. a log 
encoding) then there is opportunity to expand the dynamic range to 
what the camera's sensor is able to support.  This may give you 
something more to work with in post-production.  If the final result 
is standard Rec.709 video then the final result is still constrained 
to the dynamic range supported by that standard.  If your studio 
monitor is calibrated to Rec.709 but the output is to film, then the 
result on film is still essentially limited to Rec.709 since that is 
all you were able to see during grading.

Bob
======================================
Bob Friesenhahn
bfriesen at simple.dallas.tx.us, http://www.simplesystems.org/users/bfriesen/
GraphicsMagick Maintainer,    http://www.GraphicsMagick.org/