subject: What is Dynamic Contrast? [print this page] What is Dynamic Contrast? What is Dynamic Contrast?
What is Dynamic Contrast Ratio, and why is it so important when deciding which TV to buy? In this short but informative article I shall get straight to the point and tell you what really matters. First I will explain what contrast actually is, and then I will talk specifically about dynamic contrast ratios.
Why is Contrast Important?
Put simply, contrast is the relationship between the light and dark areas on your TV screen. Let's say for example that you were watching TV on a screen with low contrast, this would give poor detail in the light and dark areas. This is due to the black and white actually being shades of grey. So, having a TV with high contrast will give you really black blacks and really white whites.
Explaining Dynamic Contrast
TV manufacturers sell their TV's with specific contrast ratios. However, it is important to differentiate between static contrast ratio and dynamic contrast ratio. Static contrast means just how much contrast you can get between the light and dark on the screen at the same time.
The dynamic ratio, on the other hand, gives a much larger number, because this refers to the difference between the blackest black and whitest white, at any time, not necessarily on the screen at the same time. Let's say for example that the scene you're watching is generally quite dark. This would mean you would get more contrast detail in that dark image than if there were brighter sections present.
Which Has Better Contrast Ratio: Plasma or LCD?
LCD TV's definately have nothing in terms of contrast when compared to Plasma TV's. For example, an LCD screen might have a ratio of 120,000:1, whereas a Plasma might be 3,000,000:1. There's no contest - Plasma is the contrast king!.
