If you are planning significant color grading, recording in Full Range (0-255) is often recommended because it uses the entire 8-bit range for more detail in the midtones.
If you need to deliver a file directly from a camera without editing, 16-235 is often the safer "necessary" choice to ensure it looks correct on all displays immediately. 235 mp4
The standard for most compressed video distribution, including MP4. Here, 16 is defined as "Reference Black" and 235 as "Reference White". Why Does MP4 Use 16-235? If you are planning significant color grading, recording
Typically used by PCs and digital cameras for internal processing. It uses the entire spectrum, where 0 is absolute black and 255 is absolute white. Here, 16 is defined as "Reference Black" and
Most video (the codec usually inside an MP4 file) defaults to limited range for archival and YouTube distribution. This standard originated from analog television, where "footroom" (0-15) and "headroom" (236-255) were reserved to prevent signal interference or "clipping" at extreme ends of the spectrum.
In the digital world, an 8-bit signal provides 256 possible values (0 to 255).
Some professionals prefer 16-235 for high-contrast scenes to preserve details in the extreme shadows and highlights that might otherwise be lost if pushed to the absolute 0 or 255 limits. Common Issues: The "Gamma Shift"