Color Models in Video

Color Models in Video

– YUV
– YCbCr
– YIQ
 YUV
• defines a color space in terms
– Luminance (Y)
• the brightness
– Chrominance (U & V)
• the difference between a color and a reference white at
the same luminance.
• models human perception of color more
closely than the standard RGB model
 YUV
• Where,
Y = 0.299R + 0.587G + 0.114B
U=B-Y
V=R-Y

• If b/w image, U = V = 0. --> No chrominance!

 YCbCr
• It is a scaled and shifted YUV

Cb = (B - Y) / 1.772 + 0.5
Cr = (R - Y) / 1.402 + 0.5

• The chrominance values are always in the

range of 0 to 1.
 YIQ
• Although U and V nicely define the color
differences, they do not align with the desired
human perceptual color sensitivities.

• I and Q are scaled and rotated version of U&V

I = 0.877(R - Y) cos 33 - 0.492(B - Y) sin 33
Q = 0.877(R - Y) sin 33 + 0.492(B - Y) cos 33
Fundamental Concepts in Video
• A sequence of still images (photographs) that
create the illusion of movement when played
in succession.
 Types of Video Signals

Video Signals can be classified as

1. Composite Video
2. S-Video
3. Component Video
 Composite Video

• Chrominance & Luminance signals are mixed

into a single carrier wave, which can be separated
at the receiver end
• Uses only one wire when connecting to a TV
• Used in broadcast TV’s
• Compatible with B/W TV
• Mixing of signals leads interference
 S-Video

• S stands Super / Separated

• Uses 2 wires, one for luminance & the other for
chrominance signals
– Less cross talk
• Humans are able to differentiate spatial resolution in
gray-scale images with a much higher acuity than for
the color part of color images.
• As a result, we can send less accurate color
information than intensity information
 Component Video
• Each primary is sent as a separate video
signal.
• The primaries can either be RGB or a
luminance-chrominance transformation
of them (e.g., YIQ, YUV).
• Uses three wires when connecting to
TV
• Best color reproduction
• Requires more bandwidth and good
synchronization of the three
components
Analog Video & Digital Video
 Analog Video

• Represented as a continuous (time varying) signal

• Uses either progressive or interlaced scanning
• Progressive scanning
– traces through a complete picture (a frame) row-wise for
each time interval.
• Interlaced scanning
– The odd-numbered lines are traced first, and then
the even-numbered lines are traced.
– This results in "odd" and "even" fields
 Analog Video

With interlaced scan, the

odd and even lines are
displaced in time from each
other.

Interlaced Scan
TV Standards
NTSC (National Television System Committee)

• It uses the familiar 4:3 aspect ratio

– the ratio of picture width to its height
• Uses 525 scan lines per frame at 30 frames per
second (fps).
• follows the interlaced scanning system,
– each frame has two fields, with 262.5 lines/field.
 NTSC (National Television System Committee)

• Uses 20 lines at the beginning of every field for

Vertical retrace control
– leaving 485 lines per frame
 NTSC (National Television System Committee)

• Uses YIQ Color Model

• Uses a bandwidth of 6MHz
• Mostly used in North America and Japan
 PAL (Phase Alternating Line)

• Widely used in Western Europe, China, India, and

many other parts of the world.
• Uses 625 scan lines per frame, at 25 frames/second,
with a 4:3 aspect ratio and interlaced fields
• Uses the YUV color model
• Uses a bandwidth of 8 MHz
 SECAM (System Electronics Avec Memory)

• the third major broadcast TV standard.

• uses 625 scan lines per frame, at 25 frames per
second, with a 4:3 aspect ratio and interlaced fields.
• Uses YUV color model
– only one of the U or V signals will be sent on each scan
line.
 Digital Video

• Advantages over analog:

– Video can be stored on digital devices or in memory

– Direct random access  nonlinear video editing

• Almost all digital video uses component video

 Chroma Subsampling
• Video requires massive amounts of bandwidth.

• There is a desire to reduce the signal.

• The human visual system is much more sensitive to

variations in brightness than color

• we can reduce the Cb and Cr components of YCbCr

– Can be achieved by sub sampling
 Chroma Subsampling
• The subsampling scheme is commonly
expressed as a three part ratio (e.g. 4:2:2)
• Types of subsampling
– 4:4:4
– 4:2:2
– 4:1:1
– 4:2:0
 Chroma Subsampling
• In a 4:4:4 scheme, each 8×8 matrix of RGB pixels
converts to three YCrCb 8×8 matrices:
– one for Y and one for each of the two (Cr & Cb)

8x8 : 8x8 : 8x8

4:4:4
 Chroma Subsampling
• A 4:2:2 scheme creates
– one 8×8 luminance matrix but decimates every two
horizontal pixels to create each chrominance-matrix entry.
– reducing the amount of data to 2/3rds of a 4:4:4 scheme.

4:2:2
 Chroma Subsampling
• A 4:2:0 scheme decimate chrominance both
horizontally and vertically

4:2:0
Chroma Subsampling

4:1:1
 High Definition TV (HDTV)
• The main thrust of HDTV (High Definition TV) is
not to increase the definition in each unit area, but
rather to increase the visual field especially in its
width.
– The first generation of HDTV was based on an analog
technology developed by Sony and NHK in Japan in the
late 1970s.
– Uncompressed HDTV will demand more than 20 MHz
bandwidth
– Even after compression, it requires more than one channels
to transmit high quality signals.
 High Definition TV (HDTV)

• The salient difference between conventional TV and

HDTV:
– HDTV has a much wider aspect ratio of 16:9 instead of 4:3.
– HDTV moves toward progressive (non-interlaced) scan.
The rationale is that interlacing introduces serrated edges to
moving objects and flickers along horizontal edges.