Did you recently purchase a new television? Do you have a computer monitor or display that you want to set up?
When you step into the menu screens for your display, you’ll likely encounter a question about your HDMI setup.
You can set it to RGB or YCbCr.
Some models give you the option to select from two YCbCr choices: 4:4:4 or 4:2:2.
Most people can’t see the difference when you switch between these options. Does it matter which choice you use for your display in the RGB vs. YCbCr debate?
HDMI Output – YCbCr vs. RGB
RGB HDMI outputs express red, green, and blue signals. YCbCr HDMI outputs render colors as brightness and two chroma signals. It represents brightness (Y), blue minus brightness (Cb), and red minus luma (Cr).
With YCbCr, the luma channel is typically denoted with a Y or Y’, with the latter option indicated that it is gamma-encoded.
This setup works to approximate monochrome content. When you get to the Cb and Cr, you see the color differences for the channels.
The higher frequency signal gets removed from the Cb and Cr in the YCbCr, allowing for more significant signal compression.
This setup is why it is considered a lossless product since the RBG signals that get removed aren’t seen regularly viewing distances on a television anyway.
All DVDs, Blu-rays, cable boxes, satellite sets, and RF tuners natively transmit YCbCr or store it as the digital video signal. This setup is necessary because each item receives limited bandwidth with each transmission.
If you use a game console or computer, the RGB signal format is the standard because you don’t need a compressed signal.
Even if you were to use the YCbCr structure with that technology, it wouldn’t be beneficial because the transmission works better with the alternative format.
How to Determine If You Need YCbCr vs. RGB
When you set your display to either RGB or YCbCr, you can’t really tell the difference in how the picture looks.
Although the differences are not always distinguishable, the goal is to match what your TV or monitor displays with the signal it receives.
That means you’ll likely need the YCbCr for your TV if you receive a cable or satellite feed. If you receive an Internet signal to watch, you’ll need to ask your provider or check the FAQ section to know what is necessary.
In terms of actual display, RGB is the best because it isn’t compressed. Your next option is the YCbCr 4:4:4, followed by YCbCr 4:2:2.
With most televisions that operate at 1080p, you’re looking at a screen width difference between 1/1000th and 1/2000th of an inch.
If you choose the wrong setting, it could clip the edge of the picture.
Although that isn’t an overly problematic situation for TV viewing, it might impact how you see a screen displayed by a video game console.
The most common result that you see when the settings don’t match is a dark gray color on the screen instead of black. That happens because one option doesn’t have the same range as the other to match up.
When to Switch from RGB to YCbCr on a Computer
Since the goal is to match the input source to RGB or YCbCr to maximize your viewing experience, it might be necessary to switch your computer settings from one to the other to have an accurate display.
Although RGB is the default for computers, you can configure YCbCr in the graphics command center. If you have Intel® products, the steps are straightforward to make the adjustments to your display.
- Go to the Windows Start Menu. Search for the graphics command center.
- Double-click on the icon that appears to launch the application.
- Choose the “Display” menu option on the left sidebar navigational menu.
- Select the color option for the display you want to adjust.
- You’ll need to scroll down until you see a button for YCbCr. You can click it to enable the feature.
Anything that uses MPEG compression gets coded to YCbCr. That means your video CDs, digital television stream, and DVDs all work slightly better with this choice.
Although the differences are minimal, you’ll see a slight blurring in fast action sequences when the color settings don’t match.
This effect worsens if you have a 60 Hz refresh rate for your computer monitor.
How to Connect HDMI to Your Television
The RGB vs. YCbCr debate is moot if you don’t know how to connect HDMI to your television.
Although it is a relatively straightforward process, you must learn to recognize where the ports are for your input and TV or monitor.
These steps will take you through that process so that you can set the color display to the settings you prefer.
1. Locate the available HDMI port on your television. The official size is 13.9 x 4.45 millimeters, and it usually has “HDMI” printed beneath it.
2. Televisions or monitors with multiple HDMI ports label them with a specific designation. It will be listed in the menu screens as “HDMI 1,” HDMI 2,” and so forth.
3. Purchase the correct HDMI cable for your display needs. Most televisions use a standard Type A version, but older technology uses Type C and Type D ports.
You might need a converter if you want to connect a camcorder, GoPro camera, or a similar recording device to a TV.
4. Connect one end of the HDMI cable to the device in question. It should insert gently without much force. If it doesn’t seem to fit, you might have it upside-down.
5. Place the other end of the HDMI cable to your television or monitor. You can turn the TV on now if it isn’t already. If you have multiple ports to manage, you might want to label the display in your settings to make it easier to find.
6. From your television or monitor, select the HDMI port from your input or source mode. It usually takes a few touches from the remote or keyboard to get to the appropriate environment. You’ll see the device’s input appear on the screen once you reach the correct setting.
- If you’re using a Windows PC on step #6, you’ll need to open the Windows Project panel. From there, an option to display your screen to the television should appear.
- When you have an iMac, MacBook, or macOS device, the screen automatically mirrors on the television. If the screen doesn’t appear as normal, you might need to scale the resolution or return your settings to default.
7. You can configure the audio to route through the television if you’re mirroring your computer. If you have a cable or satellite box, the HDMI cable already takes this step for you.
Which Is Better: RGB or YCbCr
The YCbCr setting is the most appropriate one for the vast majority of displays. When you set an OLED TV or a similar product to the RGB setting, the colors get richer while the processing speeds get slower.
When you set RGB on a standard television, it often leads to a “black crush” effect where shadow details get lost in the display.
If you’re wondering if RGB or YCbCr is better, the answer is more complicated. It is both, neither, and application-based.
When the YCbCr gives you a 12-bit video select for an earlier HDMI setup, RGB doesn’t provide the same feature. That means you’d get a slight advantage to the image by choosing YCbCr.
Although there are differences between the two, the benefits or issues often boil down to each display’s respective settings.
You’ll see different full-on values for most computers and video screens, along with full-off options that require adjustments.
If the settings are incorrect, you’ll get the wrong picture.
It can be fun to tinker with the settings on your display. When you think about the RGB vs. YCbCr debate, you can laugh it off and worry about something else!