This article discusses the ways in which the technical processes involved in HDTV and film imaging systems can be modeled with a succession of transfer functions that determine the overall visual characteristics of these systems. The overall transfer characteristic shows how the original scene is reproduced by a display. A theoretical analysis of the intermediate transfer functions provides insight into the reproduction of the scene. In addition, the viewing environment affects the choice of an overall, aesthetically pleasing transfer characteristic. Film, for example, is usually viewed in a dark room while television has traditionally been assumed to be viewed in brighter surroundings. Actual photometric measurements of both HDTV and film show that in a dark environment the two transfer characteristics are strikingly similar.