Your bias light preferences?

[Warm Gun]

Do you just have it on all the time?

I find it distracting when watching movies with big letterboxes, so I will sometimes turn it off for those. It makes the boxes stand out more. Doesn't bother me with pillarboxes (like 1.33:1).

I can't even tell if I am perceiving improved contrast with the bias light on. I only use it because I know it's probably not good for my eyes to be in darkness so much.

[Mr.Terry]

White light backing a tv will give the illusion of better contrast between black and white,makes the blacks seem blacker.I can see the effect on my new Sony 65 OLED.It makes a big difference to my eye.

[Alan Brown]

Originally Posted by Warm Gun

Do you just have it on all the time?

I find it distracting when watching movies with big letterboxes, so I will sometimes turn it off for those. It makes the boxes stand out more. Doesn't bother me with pillarboxes (like 1.33:1).

I can't even tell if I am perceiving improved contrast with the bias light on. I only use it because I know it's probably not good for my eyes to be in darkness so much.

"D65 Video Bias Lighting Fundamental Theory and Practice"

https://cinemaquestinc.com/blb.htm

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc.
SMPTE, PVA, THX, ISF, Lion AV Consultants

Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging

[Jay H.]

Always on. It's not a life saver, but it is an eye saver.

[Warm Gun]

Originally Posted by Mr.Terry

White light backing a tv will give the illusion of better contrast between black and white,makes the blacks seem blacker.I can see the effect on my new Sony 65 OLED.It makes a big difference to my eye.

I'm not convinced. If it makes a difference, it is extremely subtle. I keep trying to see it.

More importantly, it hurts the theater-like experience slightly. There is no way I am ever going to watch a horror movie or something dark like Batman Returns with this bright light on.

Like I said, I only use it to slow my vision from deteriorating. I'm also trying to leave the room light on more when I'm not watching movies, but I tend to forget.

[RTHef]

Im not sure, there was condensation / moisture on the inside, but not so much that it was easy to see, just enough to mess with the circuitry.

Did you have it in a security box?

[Lee A Stewart]

It's a combination of the bias light and . . .

6. Surrounding surfaces within the observer's field of view of the monitor screen should be neutral in color (gray to white), see: Munsell Color Order System's neutral value scale.

So if you have blue/green/yellow painted walls, you are not getting the full benefit.

[unberechenbar]

Is it actually harmful long-term to watch TV in the dark? I only do it maybe two or three times a week when I'm watching a movie but would having a light on actually help your eyes?

[traths]

Lights are always off when I watch movies or TV.

[Hypnosifl]

Originally Posted by Warm Gun

Like I said, I only use it to slow my vision from deteriorating. I'm also trying to leave the room light on more when I'm not watching movies, but I tend to forget.

I thought the health-related aspect of bias lighting was to reduce eyestrain, which can cause headaches or other discomfort for some people, not anything to do with long-term vision loss (that's how they frame it in this CNET article for example). The Mayo Clinic page here says "Eyestrain doesn't have serious or long-term consequences, but it can be aggravating and unpleasant." If you aren't feeling eyestrain and don't get any enhanced aesthetic effects from bias lighting, I wouldn't bother with it.

[Warm Gun]

Instead of fixing my bias lighting, I decided to go even darker. I should have put a black bedsheet behind the TV a long time ago. The black bars really do kind of fade into the sheet.

[unberechenbar]

That looks really nice. I think we have the same surround system.

[Warm Gun]

Originally Posted by unberechenbar

That looks really nice. I think we have the same surround system.

Thanks. We do have the same speakers and subwoofer, except my surrounds are Pioneers.

It's hard to see in those photos because of the low ISO I had to use to keep the dark from being super grainy/mucky, but the black bars are slightly brighter than the bed sheet. My HDR10 TV only has local dimming. Something else to look forward to for when I eventually upgrade to OLED.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by traths

Lights are always off when I watch movies or TV.

This.

[smithb]

I always have my bias lighting on when watching with my HT projection system.

More importantly, is probably how the bias lighting is implemented as to whether it creates a negative impact. In my case, my entire front wall and first few feet of the ceiling are sound treated and covered with black speaker cloth. The lighting is actually located behind the screen to prevent unwanted reflections. I find it quite helpful in preventing unnecessary eye strain.

[superpacman]

Originally Posted by Warm Gun

Instead of fixing my bias lighting, I decided to go even darker. I should have put a black bedsheet behind the TV a long time ago. The black bars really do kind of fade into the sheet.

I talked about this before. I originally had black sheets up as well, and it was nice. With equipment upgrades. I decided too paint the walls black instead of the sheets.

The black walls happen to be the right shade of black when watching HDR content on my OLED. There is no distraction when in letter box, because I can't see it.

I was demonstrating this effect to a buddy, and I was fooled myself. .. lol

I was showing and I said "ok, now let me show you a clip with the blackbars", I was shocked to realize that was a clip with letterbox... I swear I thought I was showing a full screen clip..

AND,
Also, I do have my TV about 18in from the wall. The mount extends that far. This extension stops the light from bleeding onto wall and helps with the effect.

Some non-hdr letterbox isn't as dark at HDR and that sorta takes away from the effect.

I really like your lights out demonstration...


If you want to read when I posted about the demo
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...6&postcount=95

[Warm Gun]

Originally Posted by superpacman

I talked about this before. I originally had black sheets up as well, and it was nice. With equipment upgrades. I decided too paint the walls black instead of the sheets.

The black walls happen to be the right shade of black when watching HDR content on my OLED. There is no distraction when in letter box, because I can't see it.

I was demonstrating this effect to a buddy, and I was fooled myself. .. lol

I was showing and I said "ok, now let me show you a clip with the blackbars", I was shocked to realize that was a clip with letterbox... I swear I thought I was showing a full screen clip..

AND,
Also, I do have my TV about 18in from the wall. The mount extends that far. This extension stops the light from bleeding onto wall and helps with the effect.

Some non-hdr letterbox isn't as dark at HDR and that sorta takes away from the effect.

I really like your lights out demonstration...


If you want to read when I posted about the demo
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...6&postcount=95

The paint job looks nice. Paint would be ideal, but it's an apartment and we already made a few other alterations that we may have to change back ourselves when we eventually move out. My only regret is getting a queen size bed sheet and not a king. But it might have been awkward with that in wall closet you see on the left (whose doors are standing by the wall right outside my door). I've definitely noticed a difference in my gaming and movies.

[superpacman]

Originally Posted by Warm Gun

The paint job looks nice. Paint would be ideal, but it's an apartment and we already made a few other alterations that we may have to change back ourselves when we eventually move out. My only regret is getting a queen size bed sheet and not a king. But it might have been awkward with that in wall closet you see on the left (whose doors are standing by the wall right outside my door). I've definitely noticed a difference in my gaming and movies.

You did a great job and now I see/know its in an apartment, that even more impressive. I'm gonna have to copy your idea with demonstrating when the lights are out.

I wasn't suggesting you paint, I was just giving my rendition of how I did it. My path to getting my room this way wasn't the easiest for me mentally. Although its my own home, I was scared of doing some of the things I did over the years.

Cutting the hole in the wall to install an equipment rack was terrifying for me at first, but now it looks like it should have been done.

Found some pics of the sheets up before the paint job.
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...9&postcount=39


I honestly couldn't believe I painted the walls black, because I was going to re-do it the same way with fresh sheets.... lol

My biggest frustration was the ceiling. I had black sheets a couple feet across the top and that great, but the first attempt at ceiling tile replacement was terrible. Yes they were black, but the strips that hold them were reflective. The tiles themselves were not a solid black, but were sprayed painted. Might as well stayed white.

I almost put sheets up again, but I didn't think it was going to look correct with the new paint job. I ordered some acoustic tiles and planned to put up a row in the same place as the previous sheets were originally on the ceiling. The new tiles were so reflective that I kept adding a row of acoustic tiles, and kept adding.. lol

This shows the second layer over the first, and kinda shows what I mean.

[Show spoiler]

Well!!!

Bottom line, it was nice to see your post on this subject. I know I didn't do a good job of expressing my experience with the letterbox disappearance..