Question about contrast ratio

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

OK I'll answer my own question. Just after posting this I realized that the
8 bits of resolution results in 256 steps of luma. The difference between
256 and 1 could still be 2500/1. I.E. 1 = 1 and 256 = 2500....


"D J" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:yaCdnWmtUuhWVlTfRVn-sg@scnresearch.com...
> I have a question regarding contrast. The newer DLP HDTV's are
> advertising much higher contrast ratios, up to 2500 to 1. However as MPEG
> 2 takes as it's input 8 bit data. 8 bits in the luma path and 8 bits in
> the chroma path. Wouldn't 8 bits of luma result in a contrast ratio of
> 256 to 1? What am I missing. It seems the higher contrast ratios won't
> make a big difference.
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Tree" <roy547@msn.com> wrote in message
news:1120604097.476469.298940@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> One spec that is hard to find for flat screens, if you can find it at
> all is how many bits are used per pixel. Some flat screens are inferior
> to CRTs in terms of gray scale resolution. Poor resolution results in a
> harsh image. For awhile the color masks the problem but eventually the
> eyes want to go on strike. When checking displays I always evaluate the
> picture with the color turned off.

Of course, your source has to be good too, to be able to see it. A good DVD,
probably, or analog cable or HD may be best. Digital cable and satellite
(the SD stuff) is often so overcompressed that the signal itself has very
obvious banding due to insufficient color information. So even a nice
direct-view CRT may start to look like a poor LCD panel (in terms of color
and greyscale smoothness) when showing this kind of material.