concept

Chroma subsampling

Storing colour information at lower resolution than brightness.

Chroma subsampling explained

Notations like 4:4:4, 4:2:2 and 4:2:0 describe how often colour is sampled relative to luminance. 4:2:0 stores one colour sample per four pixels and is the default for JPEG, H.264 and most web video.

The saving is substantial and usually invisible in photographs, but it visibly smears saturated edges — red text on a dark background is the classic failure case.

Use 4:4:4 when converting screenshots, UI captures or anything containing coloured text.

Chroma subsampling scores

Deterministic scores calculated from the structured facts above. Identical facts always produce identical scores.

Overall score

83/100

Archiving score
100
- it is a current, actively maintained format
- it is actively maintained and current
Confidence 33% · evidence coverage 56%
Longevity score
89
- it is actively maintained and current
- it is a current, actively maintained format
- it occupies a niche corner of the ecosystem
Confidence 35% · evidence coverage 75%

Key concepts

Data quality

Every claim on this page is classified as a verified fact, a derived fact or an assumption.

Overall confidence: 85%
Verification status: verified
Last reviewed: 2026-08-03
Verified facts: 1

1 classified claim backed by 1 source.

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Sources and review status

Review status: verified · confidence 85%

Last reviewed 2026-08-03 (revision 1).

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