Requisite Color Bandwidth for Simultaneous Color-Television Systems

It has been known for many years that the visual acuity of the human eye for color differences is less than that for changes in brightness. It has been shown that this fact can be used to reduce the bandwidth required for simultaneous color television systems. The experiments reported here relate to psychophysical measurements made by both skilled and lay observers to determine just how far this reduction can be carried without objectionable deterioration of the reproduction. It is shown that under the conditions tested, approximately 1 mc is sufficient for most color reproduction, provided 4 mc are available for brightness detail.