a method of selective color control of a digital video image , using a digital technique . the method features using simple look - up - tables , whose values are calculated from uniquely defined color control functions , to digitally change the saturation of a single color of the chromatic part of a video image without affecting saturations of the remaining colors of the chromatic part of the same video image . a digital video input image is scanned , row by row , pixel by pixel . each input image pixel value , defined from the chromatic part of the video input image , is assigned an address to be operated on by values in individual color luts . for a desired change in an individual color of that image , a new digital video output image is produced featuring the desired change in the individual color without affecting the remaining colors of that same image . application of this method to video images precludes the need to convert video components into rgb components . selective color control using this method enables viewers of video images to do two things currently not achievable using conventional methods of color control of video images . firstly , to very accurately set or adjust individual colors of a given video image to the actual colors of the subject of the image , and , secondly , to very accurately modify or alter colors of a given video image to produce desired special effects in that video image . these capabilities of color control of video images are immediately applicable to the television and movie industries , where it is critically important for video images to represent actual colors of an image , and to have the capability of producing special effects to video images .