Is Contrast Ratio Important?
Contrast ratio is a spec that most manufacturers tout as a main catch. However, how important is this specification in the grand scheme of plasma television-land? According to Robert Wiley, it is not important at all.
To define contrast ratio in simple terms, it is basically the spectrum of white to black that the television will demonstrate. Manufacturers are also boasting not only the normal contrast ratio, but also what they call Dynamic Contrast. According to Wiley, “manufacturer’s normal contrast ratio is worthless and the Dynamic Contrast ratio is doubly so.”
Wiley goes on to state that there is no relationship between the contrast ratio that one might read in the manufacturer’s specification area in an owner’s manual and the contrast the television owner would view while watching the plasma TV. Although the white levels look good in a store’s showroom, they are not going to add a great deal of dimension once the television is set up in a living room.
Credit is given, however, to the betterment that has been seen in plasma TVs over the years. All of this being said, it would seem that, although there is a great deal of hype when it comes to contrast ratio, it plays no relevance in the enjoyment experience of the viewer.
