# General information about color space
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Following is some general information about how MediaLive handles color space.

**Topics**
+ [Components of color space](color-space-simplified-definitions.md)
+ [Color space standards that MediaLive supports](color-space-simplified-standards.md)

# Components of color space
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There are four components to color space:
+ The specific *color space* that applies to the video content. The color space specifies a range of pixel colors that can apply to the content.
+ The *color space metadata*, which identifies the color space being used. If this metadata is present, the content is said to be *marked* for a color space. 
+ The *brightness function* that applies to the color space. The brightness function controls the brightness of each pixel. The brightness is also known as gamma tables, electro-optical transfer function (EOTF), and transfer function. 
+ The *brightness metadata*, which identifies the brightness function being used.
+ The *display metadata * that applies to the color space. Not all standards have this metadata.

The video might use a specific *color space* and a specific *brightness function*. The video might also carry *color space metadata *that describes aspects of the color.

# Color space standards that MediaLive supports
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Each color space standard follows a specific standard for the color space, and specific standards for the three sets of color data. 

To read this table, find a color space in the first column, then read across to identify the standards for the color space and the three sets of color data.


|  MediaLive term for the color space   |  Complies with this color space standard   |  Complies with this brightness function (gamma) standard   |  Complies with this standard for display metadata   | 
| --- | --- | --- | --- | 
|  Rec. 601   |  Rec. 601   |  BT.1886   |  Not applicable. This color space doesn't include display metadata.  | 
|  Rec. 709  |  Rec. 709   |  BT.1886   |  Not applicable. This color space doesn't include display metadata.  | 
|  HDR10   |  Rec. 2020  |  SMPTE ST 2084 (PQ)   |  SMPTE ST 2086   | 
|  HLG or HLG 2020   |  Rec. 2020  |  HLG rec. 2020 (ARIB\$1STD-B67/HLG)  | Not applicable. This color space doesn't include display metadata. | 
|  Dolby Vision 8.1  |  Rec. 2020  |  SMPTE ST 2084 (PQ)  |  Proprietary Dolby Vision 8.1 metadata (RPU), on a per-frame basis, and SMPTE ST 2086 on a per-stream basis.  | 

**Default behavior**

The default behavior for a channel is to pass through the color space and pass through the uncorrected color space metadata. Therefore, if you want to pass through the color space to all the outputs, you can stop reading this entire section about handling color space.