The impact of display parameters on the quality perceived by the viewers

An investigation, based on subjective tests according to ITU Recommendation 500, was carried out to correlate the TV contrast-definition parameters to the subjective quality perceived by the viewers. The results show that high definition pictures (HDTV) with reduced contrast have a subjective quality comparable to that of pictures with standard definition (SDTV) and high contrast. Tests were carried out at the HDTV design viewing distance: 3 times the screen height (DVD=3H). A test using the preferred viewing distance (PVD) was also carried out. The PVD is a subjective parameter, a function of the screen height. For the 38", HDTV, 16/9 screen used in this test, the PVD was 5.2H. The results show that the design of new displays for HDTV should guarantee large screen with adequate contrast in order that the higher definition contribution not be made useless.