10-bit video refers to footage with increased color depth. While standard 8-bit video can record 256 shades for each of the three primary color channels (red, green, blue), 10-bit video can handle 1024 shades. In total, this means the ability to display over a billion colors, compared to 16.7 million for 8-bit footage. In practice, this larger volume of color information results in smoother transitions between closely related shades, for example, on a clear sky or a uniform wall. This prevents the occurrence of so-called 'banding,' which are visible color stripes in areas where a subtle gradient should be present. More color data also provides significantly greater flexibility in post-production, meaning during subsequent color adjustments of the video. An editor can make more pronounced changes to brightness, contrast, and saturation without degrading the image and creating unwanted artifacts.