Contrast Measurement on Color Television Picture Tubes

Contrast (numerically) is what you make it ! By this, we mean that there are many variables involved in producing the final image on a color receiver. Some of these are controllable and some are not. The "number" used to express contrast can vary over wide limits, depending on the measurement techniques involved in determining the number itself. This is why the method used in obtaining a given set of contrast data must be spelled out carefully if the data are to be fully understood. We are presenting, here, a technique which we have found to be useful for rating the contrast characteristics of color tubes under monochrome mode of operation. No discussion will be made of contrast due to color differences between areas in a color image. This is a field by itself and well beyond the scope of this paper.