vektorskop

Vektorskop, known as vectorscope in English, is a display instrument used in video production and broadcast to visualize the chrominance component of a video signal. It presents color information on a circular chart where each point corresponds to a hue angle and saturation; the angle indicates hue and the distance from the center indicates saturation. In operation, the device receives a color difference signal (such as U and V or Cb and Cr) derived from the YCbCr or YUV encoding. A reference vector may indicate the target color space, commonly Rec. 709 for HD, with markers for skin tones or color-saturation limits.

Vektorskop can be standalone or integrated into a waveform monitor or a software tool in modern editing suites. Operators use it to assess color balance, ensure consistent skin tones, and verify that saturated colors stay within broadcast limits. By adjusting white balance, gamma, and color gains, engineers aim to keep the captured image within a defined color space and avoid clipping in highly saturated areas.

Historically, vectorscopes were analog CRT devices used in early television production; with digital production they remain essential, now implemented as hardware modules or in software within editing and color-grading pipelines. They support multiple standards (NTSC, PAL, SECAM, and digital equivalents) and are used across SD, HD, and 4K workflows.

Terminology: In Norwegian and Swedish contexts the instrument is called vektorskop. In English-language literature it is vectorscope.