Which process maps linear light to display-referred gamma for viewing?

Which process maps linear light to display-referred gamma for viewing?

• A. Gamma correction
• B. Scene linearization
• C. Color grading
• D. De-bayering

Answer: (A)

Gamma correction is the process of converting linear scene light into a nonlinear, display-referred signal so the display’s own gamma response can produce the intended brightness when viewed. Since screens don’t respond linearly to input voltage, encoding the image with a gamma curve preserves detail in dark tones and aligns the final on-screen luminance with how humans perceive brightness. In short, this encoding prepares the data for a viewing path that includes the display’s nonlinear response, giving a correctly tonally balanced image.

The other steps are different parts of the pipeline: scene linearization would convert data back to a linear form, de-bayering reconstructs full color from a mosaic sensor, and color grading adjusts color and tone rather than encoding brightness for display.