Color Correction Handbook: Professional Techniques for Video and Cinema, Second Edition

Chapter 10. Quality Control and Broadcast Safe

“Broadcast safe” is mentioned in many, many chapters of this book, on the assumption that most video professionals have at least a peripheral awareness of the importance of video signal standards. However, this chapter is intended to delve deeply into the subject of what broadcast safe means, to present a more complete picture of what you need to look for, and to show how you can deal with noncompliant video images in the most graceful way possible.

Digital Y’C_BC_R video signals have defined ranges for signal overshoots and undershoots, which are those parts of the signal that go over and under the normally allowable limits based on how analog video was once recorded. Admittedly, it’s easy to think ...