Cardiac and vascular ultrasound systems incorporting colorized gray-scale display options to supplement the standard B-mode gray-scale image have recently reappeared on the market from several manufacturers. As yet, the clinical benefit of this "new" technology is unknown, and recommendations and protocols for its best application are not available. This article reviews the limitations of the gray-scale displays currently used, the rationale of the color-supplemented B-mode image, and some of the potential applications to cardiac and vascular ultrasound.