From sRGB to Rec.2020: Understanding Color Spaces

Published by BlackScreen Engineering Lab • January 9, 2026

Abstract: This article examines the evolution of color gamut standards in display engineering. We analyze the chromaticity coordinates defined by the CIE 1931 standard and compare the spectral limitations of sRGB, the cinema-standard DCI-P3, and the future-oriented Rec.2020. Understanding these gamuts is essential for accurate spectral auditing and display calibration.

When you use a Display Test tool to render a pure Red field (#FF0000), the intensity and "vividness" you see are dictated not by the code, but by the physical limits of your panel's color gamut. Two monitors receiving the same signal can produce vastly different physical wavelengths of light.

1. The Foundation: CIE 1931 Chromaticity

To measure color scientifically, engineers use the CIE 1931 Color Space. This "horseshoe-shaped" diagram represents the entire range of colors visible to the human eye. A display's "Gamut" is a triangle plotted within this horseshoe; any color outside that triangle is physically impossible for the monitor to reproduce.

Primaries: The corners of the triangle are the monitor's pure Red, Green, and Blue.
Saturation Limits: The further the corners are from the center, the more saturated the colors can be.

2. sRGB: The Internet Legacy

Standardized in 1996 by Microsoft and HP, sRGB remains the baseline for the web. However, it is a narrow gamut, covering only about 35% of the visible colors in the CIE 1931 space. While it ensures consistency across budget monitors, it cannot reproduce the deep cyans or vibrant oranges found in the real world (the Pointer's Gamut).

3. DCI-P3: The Mobile and Cinema Standard

If you are testing a modern iPhone, MacBook, or high-end OLED TV, you are likely looking at the DCI-P3 color space. Originally designed for digital cinema projectors, P3 offers a 25% larger color volume than sRGB, particularly in the green and red spectrums. This is why a Red Screen on an OLED looks significantly more "neon" than on a standard office LCD.

Engineering Note: When performing a spectrum audit on a wide-gamut monitor, ensure your browser's Color Management is active. Without proper ICC profile mapping, sRGB content can look "oversaturated" as the OS stretches the small sRGB triangle to fit the larger DCI-P3 hardware limit.

4. Rec.2020: The Future of HDR

The ITU-R Recommendation BT.2020 is the ultra-wide standard for 4K and 8K Ultra HD. It is a massive leap, covering 75.8% of the visible spectrum. Achieving 100% Rec.2020 requires pure laser light sources or advanced Quantum Dot (QD-OLED) technology. Testing for Rec.2020 compliance requires 10-bit or 12-bit signal paths to avoid "banding" artifacts in fine color gradients.

5. Why Bit-Depth Matters for Diagnostics

A wide color gamut is useless without high bit-depth. A standard 8-bit panel provides 256 steps per color channel. In a Rec.2020 space, these steps are spread too far apart, leading to visible "steps" in color. Our Gray Scale Test is specifically designed to help you identify if your display pipeline is correctly handling 10-bit depth or if it is "dithering" the signal.

Conclusion

Color gamut is the boundary of your display's reality. Whether you are a professional photographer working in AdobeRGB or a gamer enjoying the vibrancy of HDR, understanding these mathematical triangles allows you to audit your hardware with precision. By using native GPU rendering, you bypass the inaccuracies of software-level color "filters" and see the true capability of your panel's sub-pixel chemistry.