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How to tell if I am seeing 8 bit or 10 bit color?

Will Keir

Will Keir

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Hey guys. I believe I'm looking at 10 bit color but is there anyway to tell?

Apple Cinema Displays are 8 bit, correct?

AJA Kona 3G cards do 10 bit. I'm using HDMI out to my Epson 8350 project which does 10 bit. Looking at my 10' screen, the colors look worse than my Cinema Display which look pretty awesome...

Is there a way to test color bit depth? Like a chart I can toss up and make comparisons?
 
A nice horizontal or diagonal gradient from black to white will instantly tell you if you are in 10 bits. In 8 bits you will see a lot of banding with only 256 shades of gray spread across 1920 pixels whereas it should be smooth in 10 bits.

I generated mine in a 16 bit AfterEffects project and rendered to a 10 bit codec to test various outputs paths on my mac, and surprisingly not all the apps were able to display in 10 bits altho my hardware was (AE itself only calls the external monitoring a preview and it doesn't look like 10 bits at all with a decklink).

HTH
 
I think many could use a file like that for a multitude of purposes...

I am diving into a bit of signal path calibration the next few weeks, and will make a few tools like this as I go.

Maybe it would be nice to share our common test and calibration tools?
 
Has the Epson been calibrated properly? My guess is probably not. So, it's not so much an issue of whether you're seeing 8 or 10 bit but more an issue of calibration. Do yourself a favor and hire a professional technician to come in and do an extensive calibration on your system. That the only way to ensure what you are seeing is true. Also, I've never worked with an Epson projector before but I'd assume its probably not the best choice for evaluating color critical work being an inexpensive home theatre projector.
I'd suggest you upgrade to a JVC RS60 or RS65 or the new Sony 4K if you want better 709 projection from a home theatre projector. Both of these can be calibrated to 709 and are very impressive, not a Barco or Christie but good for the size screen you have. But I'm sure you're waiting for RedLaser.
 
I'm waiting on REDs 4k projector... eventually. Using the Epson to see my work on a large screen and to view dailies in the evening.

You are correct, the projector is not calibrated, neither are my two Apple 30" Cinema Displays. I'm happy with a first light grade for now. Still learning the CC workflow before any major purchases and it seems like it's a good time to wait and see what comes out in the 4k display market. With two films to shoot this summer and the new Dragon sensor upgrade, there is a lot to do.

I'm still seeing my 5k projects in 1/4th res on 1080p displays. Then sending them off to the web decreases the quality further...


mikeburton said:
Has the Epson been calibrated properly? My guess is probably not. So, it's not so much an issue of whether you're seeing 8 or 10 bit but more an issue of calibration. Do yourself a favor and hire a professional technician to come in and do an extensive calibration on your system. That the only way to ensure what you are seeing is true. Also, I've never worked with an Epson projector before but I'd assume its probably not the best choice for evaluating color critical work being an inexpensive home theatre projector.
I'd suggest you upgrade to a JVC RS60 or RS65 or the new Sony 4K if you want better 709 projection from a home theatre projector. Both of these can be calibrated to 709 and are very impressive, not a Barco or Christie but good for the size screen you have. But I'm sure you're waiting for RedLaser.
Click to expand...
 
Where do I find a professional technician? I'm outside of Nevada City, California. Do calibrate 2x Apple Cinema Displays and our 1080p project, how much are we talking?

mikeburton said:
Do yourself a favor and hire a professional technician to come in and do an extensive calibration on your system.
Click to expand...
 
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