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Chroma Sub Sampling Notation

Chroma subsampling notation

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112 views

Chroma Sub Sampling Notation

Chroma subsampling notation

Uploaded by

dazecheru871
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Charles Poynton

tel +1 416 413 1377


fax +1 416 413 1378
poynton @ poynton.com
www.inforamp.net/~poynton

Chroma subsampling notation


Video systems convey image data in the form of one component that
represents lightness (luma), and two components that represent color,
disregarding lightness (chroma). This scheme exploits the poor color
acuity of vision: As long as luma is conveyed with full detail, detail in
the chroma components can be reduced by subsampling (filtering, or
averaging). In digital video, the components are properly denoted
Y’CBCR . (Y’UV, Y’IQ, and Y’RBPR are incorrect.)

Subsampling is designated by a string of three (or sometimes four) small


integers separated by colons. The relationship among the integers
denotes the degree of vertical and horizontal subsampling. At the
outset of digital video, subsampling notation was logical; unfortunately,
technology outgrew the notation. In Figure 1 below, I strive to clarify
today’s notation.

The first digit originally specified luma sample rate relative to 3 3⁄8 MHz.
(The commonly used leading digit of 4 is a historical reference to
a sample rate roughly four times the NTSC or PALcolor subcarrier
frequency, when subcarrier-locked sampling was under discussion for
component video.) HDTV was once supposed to be described as
22:11:11! The leading digit has, thankfully, come to be relative to the
sample rate in use. Until recently, the initial digit was always 4, since all
chroma ratios have been powers of two – 4, 2, or 1. However, 3:1:1
subsampling has recently been commercialized in an HDTV production
system (Sony’s HDCAM), and in the SDL mode of consumer DV, and
3:1:0 has been commercialized in the SDL mode of consumer DV, so 3
may now appear as the leading digit. A leading digit of 2 is never used.

Figure 1 Chroma subsampling Luma horizontal sampling reference


notation indicates, in the first (originally, luma fS as multiple of 3 3⁄8 MHz)
digit, the luma horizontal
sampling reference. The second
digit specifies the horizontal CB and CR horizontal factor
subsampling of CB and CR with (relative to first digit)
respect to luma. The third digit Same as second digit;
originally specified the hori- or zero, indicating CB and CR
zontal subsampling of CR . The are subsampled 2:1 vertically
notation developed without

4:2:2:4
anticipating vertical subsam- If present, same as
pling; a third digit of zero now luma digit; indicates
denotes 2:1 vertical subsam- alpha (key) component
pling of both CB and CR .

© 2002-03-08 Charles Poynton 1 of 3


2 CHROMA SUBSAMPLING NOTATION

R’G’B’ 4:4:4 Y’CBCR 4:4:4 4:2:2 4:1:1 4:2:0 (JPEG/JFIF, 4:2:0


(Rec. 601) (480i DV25; D-7) H.261, MPEG-1) (MPEG-2 fr)
R’0 R’1 Y’0 Y’1 Y’0 Y’1 Y’0 Y’1 Y’2 Y’3 Y’0 Y’1 Y’0 Y’1
R’2 R’3 Y’2 Y’3 Y’2 Y’3 Y’4 Y’5 Y’6 Y’7 Y’2 Y’3 Y’2 Y’3

G’0 G’1 CB0 CB1 CB0–1 CB0–3


CB0–3 CB0–3
G’2 G’3 CB2 CB3 CB2–3 CB4–7

B’0 B’1 CR0 CR1 CR0–1 CR0–3


CR0–3 CR0–3
B’2 B’3 CR2 CR3 CR2–3 CR4–7

Figure 2 Chroma subsampling. A 2×2 array of R’G’B’ pixels is matrixed into a luma component Y’
and two color difference components CB and CR . Color detail is reduced by subsampling CB and CR ;
providing full luma detail is maintained, no degradation is perceptible. In this sketch, samples are
shaded to indicate their spatial position and extent. In 4:2:2, in 4:1:1, and in 4:2:0 used in MPEG-2,
CB and CR are cosited (positioned horizontally coincident with a luma sample). In 4:2:0 used in
JPEG/JFIF, H.261, and MPEG-1, CB and CR are sited interstitially (midway between luma samples). In
4:2:0 used in MPEG-2 frame pictures, CB and CR are sited vertically midway between luma samples.
In MPEG--2 field pictures, the situation is more complicated, and not sketched here.

Originally, the second digit specified the horizontal subsampling of


CB and the third digit specified the horizontal subsampling of CR .
That scheme failed to anticipate vertical subsampling, and in any
event, all practical systems have the same subsampling ratios for
both CB and CR . So, in today’s notation, the second digit specifies
the horizontal subsampling of both CB and CR with respect to luma.

The third digit now has two possibilities. If the third digit is the same
as the second digit, there is no vertical subsampling. If the third digit
is zero, this indicates 2:1 vertical subsampling of both CB and CR .

If a fourth digit is present, it must be identical to the first digit, and


indicates the presence of a fourth signal channel containing transpar-
ency (key, or alpha) information, sampled identically to luma.

Several different subsampling schemes have been commercially


deployed. Some of these are shown schematically in Figure 2. The
left-hand column depicts a 2 × 2 array of R’G’B’ pixels. Prior to
subsampling, with R’G’B’ each having 8 bits per sample, this 2 × 2
array would consume data capacity of 12 bytes.

4:4:4 Prior to subsampling, R’G’B’ video is denoted 4:4:4 R’G’B’. Each


R’G’B’ triplet (pixel) can be transformed (“matrixed”) into Y’CBCR , as
shown in the second column; this is denoted 4:4:4 Y’CBCR . (Strictly
speaking, subsampling has not yet taken place; however, the nota-
tion 4:4:4, akin to subsampling notation, is commonly used.)

In component digital video, data capacity is reduced by subsampling


CB and CR using one of the schemes that I will now describe.
CHROMA SUBSAMPLING NOTATION 3

4:2:2 Y’CBCR studio digital video according to Rec. 601, including professional
DV50 systems and the 422 profile of MPEG-2 (sometimes denoted
422P ) use 4:2:2 sampling. In the 4:2:2 scheme, CB and CR components
are each subsampled by a factor of 2 horizontally; their effective posi-
tions are coincident (cosited ) with alternate luma samples. (When sample
numbers in an active line start at zero, as is standard, chroma samples are
cosited with even-numbered luma samples.) The 12 bytes of R’G’B’ are
reduced to 8, effecting 1.5:1 lossy compression.

Progressive 483 p 59.94 (“dual-link”) systems, sometimes denoted 4:2:2p ,


use 4:2:2 subsampling but that scheme is somewhat different than 4:2:2
studio subsampling: Strangely, CB and CR samples in 4:2:2 p are centered
in line-alternate fashion, and are not coincident in the image array.

4:1:1 Certain digital video systems, such as consumer 480i 29.97 DV25,
professional 480 i 29.97 DV25, and professional 576 i 25 DV25, use 4:1:1
sampling. In this scheme, CB and CR components are each subsampled by
a factor of 4 horizontally, and cosited with every fourth luma sample. The
12 bytes of R’G’B’ are reduced to 6, effecting 2:1 compression.

4:2:0 This scheme is used in JPEG/JFIF stillframes in computing, in H.261 (for


videoconferencing), in MPEG-1, in consumer 576 i 25 DV25, and in most
variants of MPEG-2. CB and CR are each subsampled by a factor of 2 hori-
zontally and a factor of 2 vertically. The 12 bytes of R’G’B’ are reduced to
6, yielding 2:1 lossy compression. CB and CR are effectively centered
vertically halfway between scan lines.

There are two variants of 4:2:0, having different horizontal siting. In


JPEG/JFIF, H.261, and MPEG-1, CB and CR are sited interstitially, halfway
between alternate luma samples. In MPEG-2, CB and CR are cosited hori-
zontally.

As I mentioned a moment ago, the 422 profile (422P) of MPEG-2


accommodates studio-style 4:2:2 subsampling.

In this document I describe and show MPEG-2’s 4:2:0 subsampling for


frame-coded (progressive) pictures. For field-coded (top and bottom)
pictures, the situation is more complicated; a description of chroma
subsampling for field-coded pictures is outside the scope of this docu-
ment.

3:1:1 Sony’s HDCAM system, and DV HD mode, use 3:1:1 sampling, where CB
and CR components are each subsampled by a factor of 3 horizontally.
Chroma samples are cosited with every third luma sample. 36 bytes of
R’G’B’ are reduced to 20, effecting approximately 2:1 compression.

3:1:0 Consumer DV25 in “long-play” (SDL) mode uses 3:1:0 sampling. In this
scheme, CB and CR components are each subsampled by a factor of 2
vertically, and subsampled by a factor of 3 horizontally (cosited with
every third luma sample). 36 bytes of R’G’B’ are reduced to 16, effecting
2.25:1 compression.

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