I must respectfully disagree. Many televisions have a tendency of increasing their brightness or gamma according to the total display brightness ratio. In other words, if you're looking at a skiing competition, the brightness or gamma is toned down. And in a scary, dark movie, the brightness or gamma is brought up.
The contrast ratio, measured correctly, will not allow this brightness factor to kick in. A fair measurement would indeed involve a screen that is 50% gray, with a black spot and a white spot, with two measurements, each with the white and black on switched sides. What is the difference between the two spots, is what I want to know. That in turn will measure the actual contrast ratio. Contrast ratio measured in this way ultimately MEANS IMAGE DETAIL.
Simply making the screen go black and measuring that, then making the screen go white and measuring that, will not be a fair contrast ratio measurement.
Now it sounds like you came across a manufacturer who was making a shift towards honesty. This should be cause for celebration, not contempt.
The problem is in your wording. Read this sentence:
" So instead of measuring the difference between the whitest white and the blackest black displayed on the screen at the same time, they display white and black on the screen at one at a time and then measure the difference. "
Look closely at the second part. You have an extra "at" in there. I first read it as "they display white and black on the screen at one time and then measure the difference" the first time I read it too. I think my mind automatically took a screwed up sentence and made it make sense even though the outcome wasn't the intended one. He obviously read it the same way I did.
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I must respectfully disagree. Many televisions have a tendency of increasing their brightness or gamma according to the total display brightness ratio. In other words, if you're looking at a skiing competition, the brightness or gamma is toned down. And in a scary, dark movie, the brightness or gamma is brought up.
The contrast ratio, measured correctly, will not allow this brightness factor to kick in. A fair measurement would indeed involve a screen that is 50% gray, with a black spot and a white spot, with two measurements, each with the white and black on switched sides. What is the difference between the two spots, is what I want to know. That in turn will measure the actual contrast ratio. Contrast ratio measured in this way ultimately MEANS IMAGE DETAIL.
Simply making the screen go black and measuring that, then making the screen go white and measuring that, will not be a fair contrast ratio measurement.
Now it sounds like you came across a manufacturer who was making a shift towards honesty. This should be cause for celebration, not contempt.
What exactly do you disagree with? It seems we are in agreement. I'm confused.
Yea, that whole comment boils down to one word: oxymoron.
@Ben
The problem is in your wording. Read this sentence:
" So instead of measuring the difference between the whitest white and the blackest black displayed on the screen at the same time, they display white and black on the screen at one at a time and then measure the difference. "
Look closely at the second part. You have an extra "at" in there. I first read it as "they display white and black on the screen at one time and then measure the difference" the first time I read it too. I think my mind automatically took a screwed up sentence and made it make sense even though the outcome wasn't the intended one. He obviously read it the same way I did.
You're right, I didn't get it right the second time either. Thanks for the correction.