Industry Call to Reconsider Rec.2020 as a Mastering Standard

The Case Against Gamut Chasing

Flanders Scientific CEO Bram Desmet has called on standards bodies to curb the pursuit of Rec.2020 as a mastering gamut. While acknowledging its role as a container for content delivery, Desmet argued that implementing Rec.2020 for mastering poses significant challenges. “Let’s stop chasing Rec.2020,” he stated, emphasizing that most major content platforms like Netflix require deliverables be limited to P3.

Observer Metamerism

Desmet highlighted problems arising from the push to achieve full Rec.2020 coverage on displays: in particular, the narrow-band primaries required increase the possibility of metameric failure. He noted that in spite of these drawbacks, manufacturers continue to prioritize high Rec.2020 coverage for marketing. 

EBU Findings Underscore Concerns

Recent testing by the EBU also raises concerns about the viability of Rec.2020. Their June 2024 HDR Monitor Tests report (TR081) revealed that none of the monitors tested could attain the required Rec.2020 coverage for Grade 1B or Grade 2 HDR monitors, concluding that “further discussion with the industry is needed to see if the limits of current and near future technology prevent EBU Tech 3320 limits being reached.”

“If we’re all limiting to P3 in effect… why won’t we just have the standards bodies… say our display mastering gamut shall be P3.” – Bram Desmet

Proposing a Path Forward

Desmet’s solution centers on revising mastering display standards. He urges bodies like SMPTE or the EBU to define a gamut aligned with practical creative needs, such as P3. “If we’re all limiting to P3 in effect… why won’t we just have the standards bodies… say our display mastering gamut shall be P3,” he proposed. However, Desmet acknowledged the uphill battle: “Until the standards change, unfortunately we’re going to see more of this chasing of Rec.2020.”

“I designed the chromaticity coordinates of the BT.2020 RGB primary set assuming the use of laser light sources, but also considered the possibility of achieving over 90% coverage using quantum dots, which is now considered an appealing design goal in the market.” – Dr. Kenichiro Masaoka

Rec.2020 Conceived as Mastering Primaries

Rec.2020 was in fact engineered as a forward-looking mastering space, contingent on emerging emissive technologies. Dr. Kenichiro Masaoka, its architect, anticipated a transition period where displays would gradually approach Rec.2020 – not an indefinite “container-only” phase. This directly refutes claims that it was intended solely as an interchange container. Rec.2020 was explicitly designed as a mastering color space, not merely a container.