The chrominance constituent of a color-television picture is transmitted by means of chrominance samples dither-quantized according to a small number of transmittable chrominance values. By use of a look-up table or equivalent analog means, the chrominance vector can be quantized directly; else vector components are quantized. Three-dimensional dither causes the TV picture to be displayed with pointillistically colored micropatterns that change from frame to frame. The effectiveness of psychovisual filtering in time and space domains, which effectively suppresses these micropatterns, is improved by arranging that neutral-colored (e.g. gray) elements shall be generated directly on each frame. This can be done by making zero chrominance a transmittable quantum value, or otherwise as in disclosed examples.
Instantaneous neutral colors in dither-quantized color television