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Gamma correction, gamma nonlinearity, gamma encoding, or often simply gamma, is the name of a nonlinear operation used to code and decode luminance or tristimulus values in video or still image systems. Gamma correction is, in the simplest cases, defined by the following power-law expression: : where is a constant and the input and output values are non-negative real values; in the common case of , inputs and outputs are typically in the range 0–1. A gamma value is sometimes called an encoding gamma, and the process of encoding with this compressive power-law nonlinearity is called gamma compression; conversely a gamma value is called a decoding gamma and the application of the expansive power-law nonlinearity is called gamma expansion. == Explanation == Gamma encoding of images is used to optimize the usage of bits when encoding an image, or bandwidth used to transport an image, by taking advantage of the non-linear manner in which humans perceive light and color.〔 Human vision, under common illumination conditions (not pitch black nor blindingly bright), follows an approximate gamma or power function, with greater sensitivity to relative differences between darker tones than between lighter ones. If images are not gamma-encoded, they allocate too many bits or too much bandwidth to highlights that humans cannot differentiate, and too few bits/bandwidth to shadow values that humans are sensitive to and would require more bits/bandwidth to maintain the same visual quality.〔〔(Charles Poynton (2010). Frequently Questioned Answers about Gamma. )〕 Gamma encoding of floating-point images is not required (and may be counterproductive), because the floating-point format already provides a piecewise linear approximation of a logarithmic curve. Although gamma encoding was developed originally to compensate for the input–output characteristic of cathode ray tube (CRT) displays, that is not its main purpose or advantage in modern systems. In CRT displays, the light intensity varies nonlinearly with the electron-gun voltage. Altering the input signal by gamma compression can cancel this nonlinearity, such that the output picture has the intended luminance. However, the gamma characteristics of the display device do not play a factor in the gamma encoding of images and videothey need gamma encoding to maximize the visual quality of the signal, regardless of the gamma characteristics of the display device.〔〔 The similarity of CRT physics to the inverse of gamma encoding needed for video transmission was a combination of luck and engineering, which simplified the electronics in early television sets. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Gamma correction」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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