Why dark video is a terrible mess

The dark doesn't look very good these days, and many people may not even realize it until pointed out. In this article, we delve into the reasons behind the poor quality of dark scenes in videos, from insufficient colors to compression issues and how human eyesight perceives gradients.

In most modern digital videos, there are about 16.7 million possible colors, limited by the number of bits used to represent each pixel's color. This limitation often leads to color banding, especially in dark or gradient scenes. Additionally, human eyesight plays a role in masking color banding in certain situations, making it less noticeable in well-lit scenes.

Keywords

• Dark video quality
• Color banding
• Compression issues
• Human eyesight perception
• Pixel color representation

FAQs

• Why do dark scenes in videos often look low-quality? Dark scenes in videos often appear low-quality due to limitations in the number of colors available for representation in digital videos. This can lead to color banding issues, especially in dark or gradient scenes.
• How does human eyesight affect the perception of video quality? Human eyesight can mask color banding in videos, making it less noticeable in well-lit scenes. The relative difference in colors plays a role in how gradients are perceived by viewers.
• What role does compression play in the quality of dark videos? Compression in video encoding reduces file size by discarding fine details, which can lead to a loss in quality, especially in darker or out-of-focus areas. The compression software prioritizes visible, well-lit parts of the scene while sacrificing quality in darker regions.