Application of the Fluctuation Theory of Luminance Discrimination to Television

ABSTRACT

The fluctuation theory of luminance discrimination developed initially for the dark-adapted eye can be very easily extended to the light-adapted eye. Using this theory luminance thresholds have been derived as a function of the adaptation luminance level. Theoretical derivations have been checked against experimental data from literature. Using these luminance thresholds and statistical area properties of television pictures, natural contrast limitations of the slow eye have been derived as a function of average scene luminance. It is pointed out that exact calculations of the gray scale capacity can be done for slow eye. Gray scale capacity of neither very slow nor very fast eye has been calculated under some convenient assumptions.