Glossary A–ZLetter C
Colour space
A colour space describes the range of colours that a device can display or that a standard defines for images and videos.
It is usually shown as an area in a colour diagram. The larger the area, the more vivid the colours that are possible.
Images on the web and on office monitors usually use sRGB, and HD video uses the nearly identical standard Rec. 709. Larger colour spaces such as DCI-P3 or Rec. 2020 appear with HDR content and high-end screens. Data sheets state what percentage of such a colour space a screen covers. For digital signage, what matters most is that corporate colours look the same on all devices.
A large colour space is not automatically better. If an image is created for sRGB and shown without conversion on a screen with a larger colour space, colours look oversaturated and skin tones turn too red. Conversely, content made for large colour spaces looks pale on simple devices. Operators should have content created in the colour space that player and screen actually handle and, with mixed device generations, compare screens side by side.