Assessment of resolution and dynamic range for digital cinema

ABSTRACT The proponents of digital cinema seek picture quality exceeding that of the best film-based presentation. Quantifying the performance of systems for the presentation of high quality imagery presents several challenges. For example, the dynamic range and the resolution may not be simply related to the nominal characteristics of bit-depth and pixel counts. We review some of the measurement methods that have been applied to determining these characteristics. One of the presumed advantages of high bit depth systems is to reduce the visibility of image banding. Non-uniformity of the display can be compensated in test pattern design to enable the measurement of banding contrast. The subjective assessment of banding is compared to a contrast-weighted model of noticeable image differences. Applied to a class of image banding test patterns, the metric relates dynamic range to contouring. The model produces an estimate of the visibility threshold for image contouring in a 10-bit system, superior to a simple Weber model. These measurement issues will continue to be challenges as d-cinema systems improve.