Setting Your Contrast Ratio

Do you find yourself going crazy trying to adjust the contrast ratio on your television? If so, you are not alone. Really, getting the contrast just right is a problem that vexes many television owners. With these simple steps, however, you will finally achieve the contrast you need for great picture quality.

To understand how to properly set your contrast ratio, it is helpful to no what contrast ratio is and what it is not. In the simplest of terms, contrast ratio is the difference between the brightest spot and the darkest spot that is being displayed by your television. On the other hand, contrast ratio is not about the color range that will be displayed by your television or about the color accuracy. At the same time, some colors may appear more attractive or show better when you have your contrast ratio properly set.

The first step in adjusting your contrast ratio is to set your contrast to its minimum setting. If you have a newer “smart” television, it will automatically alter the black level, but you are actually better off with setting these levels yourself if you want the best picture.

Next, put an image on your television that is totally black or that is mostly black. If you have an LCD monitor attached to your computer, you can easily do this by putting on a screen-saver. Otherwise, you might need to use a DVD to help you out in this area. Now, you are ready to adjust the brightness.

When adjusting the brightness, your goal is to reach a threshold or balance point. At this point, it will be low enough that the black part of your television shows no light but it has to be just below the point where it would become dark gray if you set it any higher.

With the black properly set, you can adjust the contrast. You should set the white signal until it reaches the luminance that you prefer. There really is no right or wrong here. It is more about what you like the best.

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