The importance of native panel contrast and local dimming density on perceived image quality of high dynamic range displays

We evaluated the perceived image quality of High Dynamic Range (HDR) content rendered using different types of local dimming and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays. Using an OLED display that is capable of achieving high contrast at a pixel level, we emulated local dimming displays to evaluate their image quality. In a set of subjective experiments, observers compared HDR images and videos rendered with different local dimming densities and native panel contrast. There was a strong effect of panel contrast on perceived quality and also a strong trend toward preference for a larger number of dimming zones. We also evaluated the panel contrast and number of local dimming zones necessary to achieve image quality comparable with OLED. The findings of these experiments demonstrated that the use of a high-contrast panel remains of critical importance. Also, the preference for panel rendering mode remains robust to normal levels of indoor ambient light.