Mar
2
Contrast Ratio
Filed Under Terminology
I wanted to speak for a second about contrast ratio, as it seems to be one of the most misunderstood display measurements among consumers I’ve encountered. In a nutshell, a displays (be it plasma, LCD, DLP, SXRD etc) contrast ratio is the difference between the brightest image the display is capable of rendering versus the darkest. With that, it’s pretty easy to see why you’d want the highest contrast ratio possible. Just imagine high-noon in a western versus the darkest night possible in a horror movie and everything in-between.
Ok, so now we all know that (in theory at least) the higher the contrast ratio the better, so all we have to do is pick the display with the highest overall contrast ratio and the stars and planets will align right? If only it were that simple. Manufacturers are notorious for finding some pretty creative ways imaginable to get the best test results possible. This includes using tweaked product samples, conducting the tests in less than real word environments, and outright deception.
I generally advise clients to think of contrast ratios as a starting point, not the final destination. If you’re comparing model (a) to model (b) from the same manufacturer that’s fine, the numbers will generally be accurate but you’ll want to see a display first hand before making any judgment based on contrast ratio with displays from different manufacturers.
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