Ultra Color Spectrum is a technology name used by Vizio for TVs with an expanded color gamut. The term describes the ability of the TV’s display to reproduce a wider range of colors than a conventional television using the Rec. 709 color space.
Rec. 709 is a color standard developed for HDTV. It defines the range of colors that an HDTV display is expected to reproduce and has been widely used for HD television and video content. In simple terms, Rec. 709 defines a relatively limited color gamut that became the standard reference for conventional HDTV displays.
Vizio introduced Ultra Color Spectrum in its higher-end TVs in the mid-2010s. It was used in several product lines, including the Reference Series, P-Series and M-Series.
How Does Ultra Color Spectrum Work?
The color gamut of a TV is determined primarily by the physical characteristics of its display panel and light source. These components determine which colors the screen can actually reproduce.
Ultra Color Spectrum is therefore not a separate image-processing system that adds colors to an ordinary display. Vizio used this name to identify TVs whose display systems were capable of reproducing a wider color gamut.
A wider gamut allows the TV to reproduce more saturated colors. For example, Vizio used red as an example when describing the technology. A display with a wider color gamut can reproduce a purer, more saturated red instead of a red that shifts toward orange.
The exact color gamut depended on the particular Vizio TV model and the display technology used in it.
Ultra Color Spectrum and 10-Bit Color
Some Vizio TVs with Ultra Color Spectrum also supported 10-bit color.
A 10-bit display can represent 1,024 levels for each of the red, green and blue color channels, resulting in more than one billion possible color combinations. This allows smoother transitions between shades and can reduce visible color banding in suitable content.
Vizio’s Reference Series, for example, was specified with true 10-bit color and a wide color gamut.
However, 10-bit color and a wide color gamut are different characteristics. A display can support 10-bit color without having the same color gamut as another 10-bit display.
Which Vizio TVs Used Ultra Color Spectrum?
Vizio introduced Ultra Color Spectrum with its premium Reference Series. The company later used the technology name in other TV lines.
Ultra Color Spectrum appeared in Vizio P-Series and M-Series models during the following years. Vizio also used the term when introducing its first OLED TVs.
The specifications varied between models, so Ultra Color Spectrum should be considered a general Vizio product term rather than a single display component with identical characteristics in every TV.
What Does Ultra Color Spectrum Mean?
For a Vizio TV, Ultra Color Spectrum essentially indicates that the display was designed to reproduce a wider range of colors than a conventional Rec. 709 display.
The important part is the color gamut of the display itself. Ultra Color Spectrum is Vizio’s name for this capability rather than a separate technology that independently changes the colors produced by the panel.
For older Vizio TVs, the term is therefore mainly useful as an indication of the model’s color reproduction capabilities.
