[Dodgeyt]

I have just relocated my home cinema to a new home and as a finishing touch I put up a "net light" - you know, like a mesh of small yellowish lights, on the wall where the electric screen drops (sp the lights end up behind the screen when it is down). I Programmed my Pronto to turn them off as the screen drops.

I demo'ed the system and didn't switch the lights off - and to my great surprise it look awesome - the picture still looks great (pitch black room apart from net lights) but you get a whole "warmer" and "cosy" feeling as the screen is surrounded by a gentle orange "halo". It even looks more "cinema-ish".

Odd - is there any science behind this? Am I increasing or decreasing perceived contrast? Is it just a gimmick and I'm better of without it?

[weyland-yutani]

pics?

[Harpmaker]

Originally Posted by Dodgeyt

Odd - is there any science behind this? Am I increasing or decreasing perceived contrast? Is it just a gimmick and I'm better of without it?

Yes, there is science behind the effect (although I have misplaced the quote by noted color scientist Dr. Mark D. Fairchild). Having a small amount of illumination behind your screen, and not falling on the screen itself, will increase perceived image contrast on the screen. It is an optical illusion of sorts since the background light doesn't change the real contrast ratio of the image, but that doesn't really matter since our vision is all "perceived vision" anyway. Gray screens producing "increased image contrast" work in a similar illusionary way.

[Zone]

It can also reduce eye strain, I've always had some kind of illumination, lamps etc behind my TV's when viewing at night!

Haven't done it with the screen though as mine (unfortunately) isn't a permanent dedicated set-up.

[Davy]

A picture or two would be nice

[Rich H]

Very few people use bias lighting (lighting behind the image/display/screen) for projection set ups because, of course, ambient lighting is generally the enemy of front projection in terms of fully realising the full contrast etc of the projected image. It's very hard to introduce ambient light into the room that won't affect the image.

I suppose it might be possible with the right screen combination and a low enough level of bias lighting behind the screen to reap some benefits while doing as little damage to the image as possible.

Personally, though, I don't care for bias lighting. I experimented with it many times with my plasma display and always found the image and viewing experience more compelling with lights fully out and black around the image.
When bias lighting is on I find the image looks a bit smaller, I become aware of the a plane illuminated behind the image so the image no longer "fools" me as much I'm looking into a deeply dimensional image, and overall it's just something of a distraction.

YMMV of course.

[Harpmaker]

I think I agree with you Rich H, I guess I've jut gotten too used to watching my TV/movies in the dark.

For those wanting to see rope lighting placed behind the screen in action here are a few pics:

Full brightness rope lighting.

Different HT:
Without rope lighting

With rope lighting

[Rich H]

If you are talking about watching TV on a projection set up, I can see the worth of some bias lighting. A lot of people don't care to have to watch "TV" in the dark and plenty of people with projectors will have some sort of dim task lighting near the seating area when watching sports or TV shows (or even some like it during movies).

When it comes to movies, though, a lot of us like to watch in the dark because it both A. Gets the full performance out of our image and B. Aids the focus on the image and immersion into the movie.

Rich

[Ste0803]

i find illuminating / backlighting can make the image "pop" rather than just being surrounded by black.

each to their own.

Ste0803

[Harpmaker]

Of the examples shown, I like the blue background better; but perhaps not quite so bright. As stated, to each their own.

[Ste0803]

YouTube - Optoma HD65 on Black Widow Screen with Backlight

YouTube - Optoma HD65 on Black Widow Screen without Backlight

2 clips of the same part of the movie with and without backlighting to try and give an idea of the difference.

Ste0803

[Harpmaker]

Thanks Ste0803! Those are good examples of backlighting and no backlighting.

I hope you don't think I'm being critical of your HT setup, but I notice the screen is a bit close to the ceiling and right wall. This is actually a common occurrence since many of us can't position everything to get the screen in the center of the wall. This creates a situation where, with no backlighting, the ceiling and nearest wall (the right wall in the clips) are brighter than the other side wall. This can be distracting to the eye during bright scenes. Having the screen backlighted all the way around helps to mitigate that condition. I never thought about that until I watched your clips. Thanks again!

[Rich H]

Originally Posted by Ste0803

2 clips of the same part of the movie with and without backlighting to try and give an idea of the difference.

Ste0803

I like the shots without the backlighting MUCH better! There is so much competing visual distraction with the back lighting, and I'm very aware of the wall lit up behind the image. Whereas without the back lighting it allows much more focus on the image itself. I want to see the image only, not the wall it's placed upon. Surrounded by black the movie image looks more cinematic, and gives more of a feeling of peering into the scene, rather than viewing an image projected on a flat surface. The non-backlit movie image even looks bigger, whereas the back-lit version looks diminished, highlighted as it is against the brighter, larger back wall.

[Jonstone]

I prefer the none backlit version too, however what the backlit option does do is make the part of the screen above and below the picture before you get to the darker border also look blacker.

If the black border around the screen actually came to the edge of the image then I would much prefer the none backlit version.