Glossary
Rec. 2020
The ultra-wide color space defined for UHD TV and HDR. Covers about 76% of the visible color spectrum — far wider than DCI-P3 (54%) or sRGB (35%). No 2026 consumer display covers 100%.
Rec. 2020 (ITU-R BT.2020) is the target for UHD broadcast and HDR streaming. Its primaries sit at the edges of the visible spectrum, requiring laser-pure light sources.
Practical coverage in 2026
- QD-OLED / Mini-LED top tier — 80–90% Rec. 2020.
- Mid-tier OLED / QLED — 70–80%.
- Standard IPS — 50–65%.
Why 100% is impossible (today)
Hitting 100% Rec. 2020 requires monochromatic laser primaries; no LED or OLED emitter is that pure. Laser TVs come closest but introduce speckle and cost.
For HDR content authored to Rec. 2020, a display covering ~85% is excellent. Below 70%, the most saturated highlights clip back to a smaller gamut.
Where this matters
Categories that use rec. 2020
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