Color Gamut

Understanding Color Gamut

Color gamut defines the boundaries of colors a display can reproduce. For LED walls, understanding gamut is essential for matching content standards and achieving accurate color reproduction.

Gamut Standards

**Rec. 709 (BT.709):**

• HD video standard
• Covers ~35.9% of visible colors
• Standard for broadcast, web, most video
• Baseline for LED display evaluation

**DCI-P3:**

• Digital cinema standard
• ~25% larger than Rec. 709
• Standard for film, HDR content
• Target for VP and premium applications

**Rec. 2020 (BT.2020):**

• UHD/HDR standard
• ~75% of visible colors
• Future-facing target
• Not fully achievable with current LEDs

LED Gamut Characteristics

**Native Gamut:** Raw LED output without calibration:

• Often exceeds DCI-P3
• Very saturated primaries
• May cause oversaturation if uncalibrated

**Calibrated Gamut:** Adjusted to match target standard:

• Accurate color reproduction
• Matches content color space
• Professional quality output

Gamut and Calibration

**Gamut Mapping:** Process of converting content colors to display gamut:

• In-gamut colors: reproduce directly
• Out-of-gamut colors: mapped or clipped

**Processor Settings:** Modern processors offer:

• Color space selection (709, P3, etc.)
• Custom gamut definition
• Gamut limiting controls

Measuring Gamut

**CIE 1931 Diagram:** Traditional representation showing:

• Visible color range (horseshoe)
• Display gamut (triangle)
• Coverage percentage

**Measurement:**

• Display maximum R, G, B
• Measure with colorimeter
• Plot against target standard
• Calculate coverage percentage

Practical Considerations

**Content Source:** Match display gamut setting to:

• Broadcast: Rec. 709
• Cinema/VP: DCI-P3
• HDR: P3 or 2020 container

**Consistency:** Ensure all panels in a wall have:

• Similar native gamut
• Identical calibration target
• Matched color response

Virtual Production Requirements

**Wide Gamut Needs:**

• DCI-P3 coverage required
• Accurate primary colors
• Neutral gray scale within gamut
• Consistent gamut across volume

Specification Interpretation

**Coverage Claims:**

• "100% Rec. 709": Meets HD standard
• "95% DCI-P3": Near-cinema quality
• "Wide color gamut": Marketing term, verify specifics

**Volume vs. Coverage:**

• Coverage: Percentage of target gamut
• Volume: Total color range (may exceed target)