ABSTRACT
“Contrast ratio” refers to the maximum allowable difference between the brightest area of the picture and the darkest. While film can accommodate ratios as high as 100 to 1 (i.e., the brightest object may be 100 times brighter than the darkest object), television is commonly considered to have a contrast ratio of 20 to 1. Current technology has improved this ratio to 30 to 1, and 50 to 1 in HDTV. The use of CCDs and improved circuits are the reasons for this increased range. From a practical standpoint, you should still work with the 20 to 1 ratio, however. This gives you a 5 f-stop range. If you try to use a contrast ratio higher than the standard you are working with, your images will degrade. It is best to work with a lower contrast ratio than the medium’s standard you are currently working in.
