Bits-per-pixel


bits per pixel
hardware, graphics
(bpp) The number of bits of information stored per pixel of an image or displayed by a graphics adapter. The more bits there are, the more colours can be represented, but the more memory is required to store or display the image.
A colour can be described by the intensities of red, green and blue (RGB) components. Allowing 8 bits (1 byte) per component (24 bits per pixel) gives 256 levels for each component and over 16 million different colours – more than the human eye can distinguish. Microsoft Windows [and others?] calls this truecolour. An image of 1024×768 with 24 bpp requires over 2 MB of memory.
“High colour” uses 16 bpp (or 15 bpp), 5 bits for blue, 5 bits for red and 6 bits for green. This reduced colour precision gives a slight loss of image quality at a 1/3 saving on memory.
Standard VGA uses a palette of 16 colours (4 bpp), each colour in the palette is 24 bit. Standard SVGA uses a palette of 256 colours (8 bpp).
Some graphics hardware and software support 32-bit colour depths, including an 8-bit “alpha channel” for transparency effects.
(1999-08-01)

Read Also:

  • Bits-per-inch

    bits per inch

  • Bits-per-second

    bits per second

  • Bitser

    a mongrel dog. noun (Austral, informal) a mongrel dog

  • Bitsy

    tiny; itty-bitty. Historical Examples Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves: Volume II, Arkansas Narratives, Part 2 Work Projects Administration adj.

  • Bitt

    Also called bollard. a strong post of wood or iron projecting, usually in pairs, above the deck of a ship, used for securing cables, lines for towing, etc. to wrap (a cable) around a bitt to secure it. Historical Examples The Secret of the Island W.H.G. Kingston (translation from Jules Verne) The Sailor’s Word-Book William […]


Disclaimer: Bits-per-pixel definition / meaning should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. All content on this website is for informational purposes only.