The Resolution Revolution: How Many Bits Do We Really Need?

As technology develops, the resolution of audiovisual reproduction is rising rapidly in every dimension in the quest for increasing quality and fidelity. Technical standards previously considered sufficient to reproduce sounds and images in the digital domain may no longer be adequate. Image resolution is increasing but even 4K frames are only 8 megapixels, which is relatively low in photographic terms. Higher resolutions and bit depths may be required. Video frame rates have been sufficient to provide the illusion of continuous movement, but higher frame rates may be beneficial. This paper challenges conventional wisdom on the resolutions required to reproduce convincing audiovisual representations. It proposes that digital compression may be used to allow increased sampling resolution and precision while maintaining practical data rates.

Published

2016-10

Content type

Original Research

Keywords

perception, images, visual, video, resolution, sampling, quality, fidelity, bit depth

DOI

10.5594/M001728

ISBN

978-1-61482-957-7