The Contrast control is used to set the overall luminance of the display to the appropriate level.
Understanding the controls on your display can significantly impact picture quality, whether you're watching movies, gaming, or working on creative projects. One of the most fundamental, yet sometimes confusing, controls is "Contrast."
What Does the Contrast Control Really Do?
Despite its name, the "Contrast" control on your display doesn't directly adjust the difference between the brightest and darkest parts of the image (which is the common definition of contrast). Based on how these controls were originally named by video engineers:
- Function: The Contrast control sets the overall luminance level of your display.
- Luminance: Another word for "luminance" is brightness.
This means that turning up the Contrast control generally makes the entire picture brighter, increasing the maximum white level, while turning it down makes the picture dimmer.
Why Is It Called "Contrast" If It Adjusts Brightness?
This naming convention is a source of confusion for many users. As noted in historical contexts:
- The term "brightness" was traditionally used for a different control, often referred to as the "Black Level" or "Brightness" control, which sets the minimum black level.
- The term "contrast" was assigned to the control that adjusts the overall peak white level or luminance.
So, the name is a historical artifact from the early days of video technology, despite the potential for misunderstanding.
Practical Implications of Adjusting Contrast
Adjusting the Contrast control impacts how your display renders the brightest parts of an image:
- Too High: Setting Contrast too high can cause "clipping" in bright areas, where details in highlights (like clouds or bright skies) are lost because they all appear as pure white. The picture might look washed out or blown out.
- Too Low: Setting Contrast too low makes the picture look dim and potentially dull, not allowing the display to reach its full potential brightness.
Finding the right setting is crucial for a balanced image where details are preserved across the entire range from black to white.
Adjusting Your Display's Settings
When calibrating or adjusting your display, it's typically recommended to adjust both the "Brightness" (Black Level) and "Contrast" (Peak White/Luminance) controls in conjunction, often using specific test patterns, to achieve optimal picture quality for your viewing environment.
Key Takeaway: The control labeled "Contrast" primarily adjusts the overall brightness or luminance of your display, specifically affecting the peak white level, rather than the overall difference between light and dark areas.
