Editing Digital-to-analog converter (section)

===Video===
Video sampling tends to work on a completely different scale altogether thanks to the highly nonlinear response both of cathode ray tubes (for which the vast majority of digital video foundation work was targeted) and the human eye, using a "gamma curve" to provide an appearance of evenly distributed brightness steps across the display's full dynamic range - hence the need to use [[RAMDAC]]s in computer video applications with deep enough color resolution to make engineering a hardcoded value into the DAC for each output level of each channel impractical (e.g. an Atari ST or Sega Genesis would require 24 such values; a 24-bit video card would need 768...). Given this inherent distortion, it is not unusual for a television or video projector to truthfully claim a linear contrast ratio (difference between darkest and brightest output levels) of 1000:1 or greater, equivalent to 10 bits of audio precision even though it may only accept signals with 8-bit precision and use an LCD panel that only represents 6 or 7 bits per channel.

Video signals from a digital source, such as a computer, must be converted to analog form if they are to be displayed on an analog monitor.  As of 2007, analog inputs were more commonly used than digital, but this changed as [[flat-panel display]]s with [[DVI]] and/or [[HDMI]] connections became more widespread.{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}} A video DAC is, however, incorporated in any digital video player with analog outputs.  The DAC is usually integrated with some [[computer storage|memory]] ([[RAM]]), which contains conversion tables for [[gamma correction]], contrast and brightness, to make a device called a [[RAMDAC]].