The new Panasonic TV advert says it "has 68 billion colours". Do that many different colours actually exist?

Answer 1

A normal human visual system is capable of very good color discrimination unlike our poor ability to discriminate between small differences in intensity. Though we cannot—even under the best of circumstances—discriminate anywhere near 68 billion colors, this does not hinder or preclude us from appreciating the infinite range color within nature.

In the best case scenario for human beings with normal vision, the visible spectrum of light spans a CONTINUOUS range of wavelengths from approximately 380 nm to 780 nm. Within that relatively minuscule visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum there exist an infinite number of colors that can be produced within our natural ‘analog’ world. With respect to an artificial world composed of binary digits, the question thus arises: what is the minimum number of discrete colors (throughout the visible range of intensities) that must be reproduced in order to effectively mimic the colors we encounter in the natural world in such a way that they contribute to a more realistic depiction, as is desirable in the case of video images.

According to most authorities on the subject anything beyond several million colors is more than sufficient. Hence true 8-bit component color (i.e., 16,777,216 discrete colors,) is considered to be the minimum requirement necessary to imitate the colors found in nature. Nonetheless, the greater the number of discrete colors that can be reproduced the closer we get to the capabilities of nature.

Though it may be true and arguably beneficial, the claim by any manufacturer (in this case Panasonic) that their display is capable of producing more than 68 billion colors is little more than an attempt at marketing one-upmanship.
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The following is intended as a brief overview for those that may be unfamiliar with color science as it pertains to video displays.
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Color is produced and reproduced through one of two basic mixing processes: the ADDITIVE mixture process, which combines spectral components, essentially without alteration, from emissive sources such as *lamps, TVs, the sun, etc., or the SUBTRACTIVE (aka ABSORPTIVE) mixture process, where (non-emissive) substances or materials containing dyes or pigments, selectively reflect, absorb and transmit various mixtures of spectral components. Some of the more recognizable examples of the subtractive color mixing process at work include paint, ink, photographs, fabrics, chlorophyll, melanin, etc. The additive process is associated with several well known standardized component color models such as RGB, YCbCr, and CIELUV. Likewise, the subtractive process, which governs non-emissive ‘surface colors,’ is associated with equally well known component color models such as CMYK, CIELAB, Munsell, etc. *(Note: some emissive sources of light that contain one or more narrow, high amplitude spectral peaks, e.g., fluorescent, mercury vapor, metal halide, and sodium lamps, can severely undermine a person’s ability to perceive color accurately.)

In the world of digital video, which is subject to the process of additive color theory, color is represented by three primary color components, green (G), red (R), and blue (B), along with their concomitant intensity levels. As many consumers are aware, in a conventional color video display device a complete picture element, aka, “pixel” or “pel,” is almost always comprised of three individual monochromatic subpixels, i.e., green (G), red (R), and blue (B) subpixels, (listed in order of descending spectral sensitivity,) arranged in a precise, uniform pattern. The colors green, blue, and red were chosen for subpixels in large part because they closely correspond to the spectral sensitivities of the three types of cones - γ, β, and ρ, located primarily in the foveal area of the eye’s retina, that are responsible for color vision under ‘normal’ viewing conditions.

In a direct-view, digital video display, such as those based on plasma and liquid crystal display technologies, each of the subpixels are electronically addressable in order to control the additive color mixture process used to create color from the video display. Each green, red, and blue subpixel is capable of several levels of intensity as governed by the bit-depth per subpixel color. A single 8-bit subpixel can produce (2^8 or) 256 discrete levels of intensity. 10-bit subpixels can produce (2^10 or) 1024 discrete levels and 12-bit subpixels can produce (2^12) 4096 levels of monochromatic color for each individual G, R, and B subpixel. Every pixel is composed of one green (G), red (R), and blue (B) subpixel in order to form a complete pixel. By combining the individual green, red, and blue subpixels into a single pixel, along with a little help from the additive color mixture process (and excluding any form of digital ‘manipulation,’) a display can be manufactured that is capable of producing (2^8)^3 = 16,777,216, (2^10)^3 = 1,073,741,824, or (2^12)^3 = 68.719476E+9 discrete colors from each pixel on a display - each being 64 times greater than its pixel bit-depth predecessor, respectively.

That said, within the world of digital video, and not unlike digital audio, there is a very real benefit to using greater bit-depths. In professional applications, such as video production and broadcasting, 10-bit component color, along with 12- to 14-bit digital processing, has become the norm in order to maintain the utmost precision and accuracy, (mathematically speaking,) if one desires to maintain the highest quality video throughout the digital video chain; this is the true benefit of greater bit-depths. As costs decrease and technologies improve consumers will continue to reap rewards from the engineering and technology that originates from professional video applications.
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RESOURCES

http://www.poynton.com//notes/colour_and_gamma/ColorFAQ.html
http://www.poynton.com//ColorFAQ.html

http://mit.edu/abyrne/www/ColorRealism.html

http://www-edlab.cs.umass.edu/cs391b/lectures/Topic3/Topic3_HumanVision%20and%20Color.ppt

http://www.cis.rit.edu/mcsl/outreach/faq.php?catnum=1

http://www.cinemasource.com/articles/human_vision.pdf

http://webvision.med.utah.edu

http://www.yorku.ca/eye/thejoy.htm
http://www.yorku.ca/eye/colormix.htm
http://www.yorku.ca/eye/color.htm

http://www.efg2.com/Lab/Library/Color/

http://www.midnightkite.com/color.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_model

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel
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Wyszecki, G. and W. S. Stiles, Color Science: Concepts and Methods, Quantitative Data and Formulae, 2nd Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1982

Judd, D. B., and G. Wyszecki, Color in Business, Science, and Industry, 3rd Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1975

Hunt, R. W. G., The Reproduction of Colour, 6th Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 2004

Kaiser, P. K., and M. D. Kaiser, R. M. Boynton, Human Color Vision, 2nd Edition, Optical Society of America, Washington, D.C., 1996
 

Answer 2

To get technical, since the range of visible light ( to humans ) is from 380 to 480 nanometres, which is 400 billion nanometres, if each single point change could be classed as a different colour, then yes.
So only 68 billion different colours is pretty poor, considering.
I'd wait till the next model comes out, they'll have cracked it by then!

Answer 3

There are only 2 million display pixels on a 1080 HD picture. If every one was a different color, well you get the idea. 16 million color has long been the standard for photo realistic digital display. That has 256 discreet levels for each channel red, green and blue. The eye is satisfied that color and luminous levels change smoothly and are not stepped at this resolution. What in the trade is called continuous tone.

Answer 4

Just to get silly

you can also add Intensity (LUX) and Contrast to Evelyn's answer

almost to the point "think of a number and add one"

whether or not the "colours" exist as an identifiable Colour is to say the least questionable, However one could Technically claim they are.

Answer 5

Using Paint Shop Pro as a basis-
Well, when you think that colour is made up of 255 'bits' of red, blue and green light, there's got to be lots of variations.
I can't be bothered to work them all out though :P

To clarify, most colours on a computer have an RGB value. For example, brown is R115, G70, B10 (try it on paint; open up Colours, edit colours, then define custom colours :D)

Answer 6

My Apple Mac has 16 million colours on it.

Answer 7

Does one really expect to have as much knowledge as the One who Created them! And, the scriptures of the Bible are His proof of His existence. But, if you have been able to accept Christ or know of Him, which is very likely due to TV, Internet, Newspaper, etc. and you reject Him, even though He has made Himself known to you, then that is when you will be punished for your wrongdoings!

Answer 8

Most people go for a black or silver model so not sure its economic for them to offer the tv in so many colours.

Answer 9

This is what I always think. Can we even see that amont of colours?

Answer 10

I suggest you write to panasonic and ask them to name them.

Answer 11

There are indeed, but not that the human eye can detect the difference.