The CIE 1931 Chromaticity Horseshoe
Every color discussion begins with the CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram—a horseshoe-shaped mathematical map representing the total spectrum of electromagnetic wavelengths visible to human biological eyes. A "color space" is simply a triangular subset drawn inside this horseshoe, defined by three coordinates: Red, Green, and Blue.
Rec.709 (ITU-R BT.709): Ratified in 1990 for HDTV broadcast. Its triangle covers only 35.9% of visible colors. Its primary chromaticities are mathematically identical to sRGB. It cannot reproduce deep emerald greens, rich crimson textiles, or intense neon cyan.
DCI-P3: Established by digital cinema studios (Disney, Warner, Universal) for theatrical DCI projectors. Its green coordinate extends dramatically outward, covering 45.5% of visible colors—roughly 25% larger than Rec.709. Apple popularized this standard across the consumer world by equipping MacBook Pros, iPads, and iPhones with "Display P3" screens.
Rec.2020: The target standard for Ultra HD 4K HDR. Covering a massive 75.8% of visible color, it requires monochromatic pure lasers to display 100% volume. Modern consumer OLED TVs currently reach about 70–80% of Rec.2020.
If you grade on a modern MacBook Pro screen without dedicated color management, macOS displays the native wide P3 color gamut. If your timeline is set to Rec.709 without display management, you will unconsciously desaturate your grade because it looks "rich enough" on your screen. When you export and send the video to a client viewing on an office Windows PC or an sRGB phone, your video will look pale, dull, and lifeless!
Gamut Specification Benchmark
| Color Space | Gamut Coverage | White Point | Standard Gamma | Primary Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec.709 | 35.9% | D65 (6504K) | 2.4 (Broadcast) / 2.2 | YouTube, Web SDR, Television |
| DCI-P3 (Theatrical) | 45.5% | DCI (6300K Greenish) | 2.6 | Cinema Theatrical DCPs |
| Display P3 (Apple) | 45.5% | D65 (6504K) | sRGB Transfer Curve | MacBook, iPad Pro, iPhone |
| Rec.2020 | 75.8% | D65 (6504K) | PQ (ST 2084) / HLG | HDR10, Dolby Vision Master |
How to Grade for Universal Delivery
Always perform creative adjustments inside an unconstrained scene-referred intermediate space so you retain highlight gradients without premature clipping.
Use DaVinci Resolve CST tone mapping or a calibrated 3D LUT to compress wide-gamut hues safely into Rec.709. This ensures your video looks consistent whether viewed on a flagship iPhone OLED or an affordable Android LCD.
Download Rec.709 & P3 Calibrated 3D LUTs
Precision color transforms engineered to prevent gamut clipping on web, cinema, and mobile displays.