<p>Dynamic range is the difference between extreme light and extreme dark, whereas bit depth defines the number of steps in between.</p>

<p>There is a practical relationship between the two, not a theoretical: </p>

<p>When you do some color grading on these videos (and with high dynamic range videos you will probably do some extreme grades), then you will easily introduce banding with 8 bit video. Only 10 or more bits give you enough headroom to avoid banding.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-03T12:46:51.473Z
2015-08-03T12:46:51.473Z
Fred42vid
<p>More bits mean more possible values for each channel. So each channel in an 8 bit image has 256 possible values, from 0 to 255, while a 10 bit channel has 4 times as many: 0 to 1024.</p>

<p>Dynamic range however is the range between the brightest sample a sensor chip can encode and the darkest - it is a property of the sensor. So you could conceivably have an 8 bit sensor with a wider dynamic range than a 10 bit sensor if it could resolve very bright and dark images, it would just have fewer steps between these than a 10 bit sensor with the same dynamic range.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-31T06:01:15.030Z
2015-07-31T06:01:15.030Z
stib
<p>Is there a direct relationship between higher video bit depth (10-bit vs 8-bit, for example) and higher dynamic range, i.e. HDR?</p>

<p>I'm somewhat confused regarding this particular aspect of bit depth. I know that more bits allows us to capture and recreate more colors and their shades, but where exactly does dynamic range come in?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-27T13:59:06.507Z
Good question. Higher bit depth *allows* but does not *guarantee* greater dynamic range.
Jim Mack
<color><hdr>
Relationship between bit depth and dynamic range?
Marko J.
# Relationship between bit depth and dynamic range?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-07-27)

Is there a direct relationship between higher video bit depth (10-bit vs 8-bit, for example) and higher dynamic range, i.e. HDR?

I'm somewhat confused regarding this particular aspect of bit depth. I know that more bits allows us to capture and recreate more colors and their shades, but where exactly does dynamic range come in?

**Tags:** color, hdr

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Good question. Higher bit depth *allows* but does not *guarantee* greater dynamic range.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-08-03. Score: 2

Dynamic range is the difference between extreme light and extreme dark, whereas bit depth defines the number of steps in between.

There is a practical relationship between the two, not a theoretical:

When you do some color grading on these videos (and with high dynamic range videos you will probably do some extreme grades), then you will easily introduce banding with 8 bit video. Only 10 or more bits give you enough headroom to avoid banding.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2015-07-31. Score: 2

More bits mean more possible values for each channel. So each channel in an 8 bit image has 256 possible values, from 0 to 255, while a 10 bit channel has 4 times as many: 0 to 1024.

Dynamic range however is the range between the brightest sample a sensor chip can encode and the darkest - it is a property of the sensor. So you could conceivably have an 8 bit sensor with a wider dynamic range than a 10 bit sensor if it could resolve very bright and dark images, it would just have fewer steps between these than a 10 bit sensor with the same dynamic range.


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