High-Bit-Depth Video Modes
This VOCAL guide provides an overview of our high-bit-depth modes and how to use them. Our high-bit-depth modes can be used with:
the first generation DATAPixx video I/O hub and a CRT monitor (16 bpc)
our VIEWPixx (12 bpc) and VIEWPixx /3D (10 bpc)
our PROPixx projector (12 bpc)
Some of our specialty modes have already been showcased in our virtual talks and MATLAB Demo Library. This VOCAL series is intended to complement those resources, introducing the concept of bit depth and colour lookup tables, explaining the general principles of each mode, and offering code examples and tips.
bpc, or bits per colour, refers to the number of bit planes available for a given display. While in most cases our software supports up to 16 bpc, the display hardware itself imposes a physical limit on what can be shown. The limit varies by hardware type (see above). When a display that supports a maximum of 10 bpc receives a 16 bpc signal, the 6 least significant bit planes of the signal are ignored.
Throughout this guide, we refer to 16-bit output since we are discussing the signal from software-- it is important to interpret the final displayed content with your specific hardware in mind.