P‐237: Measurement of the Picture Contrast Enhancement of Gray Projection Screens

Abstract

AbstractIt is well known that in a home theater, a gray screen can often render a picture with a higher contrast than can a white screen. However, until now, the explanation has been obscure. This paper describes and quantifies a possible mechanism for this contrast enhancement. It will be demonstrated that gray screens can effectively enhance the contrast of a picture in a room with light surfaces. The proposed mechanism is that the screen reduces the amount of light back‐scattered from the walls and off the screen. Part of the effectiveness comes from the gray color, but part is probably also due to the directivity of the screen. Under the measurement conditions, we have shown that a dark gray screen, with directivity, can increase contrast by up to five times as compared with that of a matte white screen.