High-definition television production standard - an opportunity for optimal color processing

To justify the enormous investments necessary to establish a new HDTV system, the gain in quality over enhanced TV, based on the digital standard for studios (CCIR Rec. 601), must be substantial. The conventional method of generation and processing of color components causes deficiencies: loss of sharpness and resolution; reduced contrast radio and color gamut; and changes in hue, saturation, and brightness. Five constant-luminance systems were investigated and subjectively compared using artificial test patterns. All these systems exhibit considerable gain in quality over conventional processing. A new coding system that uses the 1976 CIE L*a*b* formulas and avoids all the above deficiencies, is presented.