Gammadekódolást

Gammadekódolást, often translated as gamma decoding, refers to the process of reversing the effects of gamma encoding. Gamma encoding is a non-linear transformation applied to image and video data, primarily to compensate for the non-linear response of human vision to light intensity. Our eyes perceive changes in brightness in a logarithmic fashion, meaning we are more sensitive to changes in darker areas than in brighter ones. Gamma encoding artificially compresses the tonal range in the darker parts of an image and expands it in the brighter parts, making the overall image appear more natural to the human eye on display devices.

The gamma correction value, often denoted by the Greek letter gamma (γ), determines the degree of this compression or expansion. A gamma value greater than 1.0 typically brightens the image, while a value less than 1.0 darkens it. Display devices like monitors and televisions also have their own gamma characteristics, which further influence how an image is ultimately perceived.

Gammadekódolást, therefore, is the inverse operation of gamma encoding. It aims to restore the original linear relationship between the digital signal values and the actual light intensities. This is crucial for tasks such as image processing, color grading, and scientific analysis where accurate representation of luminance is important. Without proper gammadekódolást, images might appear too dark, too bright, or have distorted contrast when viewed on different devices or processed with linear-based algorithms. The specific gammadekódolást function depends on the original gamma encoding curve that was applied.