Glossary
10-bit color
A video color depth that allocates 10 bits per channel (1,024 levels of red, green, blue) versus 8-bit's 256. Removes banding in skies and gradients; essential for log-profile and HDR workflows.
8-bit color packs each channel into 256 levels — about 16.7 million colors total. The eye can perceive smoother gradients, which is why blue skies and sunset transitions visibly band in 8-bit footage.
What 10-bit unlocks
- Log grading. Log profiles (S-Log3, C-Log3, N-Log) compress dynamic range into a flat signal. Grading 8-bit log creates banding fast; 10-bit holds together through aggressive correction.
- HDR output. Rec. 2020 / HDR10 / Dolby Vision pipelines are 10-bit minimum (12-bit for Dolby Vision).
- Greenscreen / VFX. Cleaner keys, fewer edge artifacts.
Where to check
- Camera spec sheet: "4K 10-bit 4:2:2 internal recording."
- Codec: H.265 / HEVC / ProRes can carry 10-bit; H.264 8K can but usually doesn't.
- TV / monitor input: HDMI 2.0+ with HDR signaled.
File size cost
10-bit roughly doubles bitrate at the same quality. Plan storage and edit-machine performance accordingly.
Where this matters
Categories that use 10-bit color
Continue reading