Bias/backlighting: Rope Light or Ideal Lume?

[Dr_jitsu]

I just set up some rope lights to back light my 82 inch DLP. Its still light out so I have not tested the set up yet.

The guys over at AVS posit that the 6500 K Ideal Lumes are far superior to rope lights, but of course Ideal Lume is a paying sponsor over there.

I was wondering what the un-biased (excuse the pun) opinion was over here where there is no financial incentive to promote a particular product.

[edward]

I just set up some rope lights to back light my 82 inch DLP. Its still light out so I have not tested the set up yet.

The guys over at AVS posit that the 6500 K Ideal Lumes are far superior to rope lights, but of course Ideal Lume is a paying sponsor over there.

I was wondering what the un-biased (excuse the pun) opinion was over here where there is no financial incentive to promote a particular product.

i had the rope lights a while back nothing fancy or pricey from Lowes, 2 6ft ropes about 9 bucks each at the time. started them from behind the seating and ran them back away from the TV i liked it.
have not heard of the Ideal Lumes, from the website just looks like a small flouresent bulb hanging behind a TV.
but anyway, wasn't there a TV put out by panasonic(i think it was) that had its own ambeince light?? it looked pretty good to me in the BB show room.
good luck :)

[edward]

Sorry wrong TV not panasonic
Philips TV

[persisting1]

Haven't heard of the company you're referring to, but as long as it's 6500k, you should be fine.

[Ajax]

I have been using a CinemaQuest Idea-Lume standard light behind my TV for years and absolutely love it. Everone who has watch movies at my place has remarked about how much they like the ambient light. They work best with TVs or projectors which have been ISF calibrated (have been adjusted for dark room viewing). They are not inexpensive, but I've found the expense to be well worth it.

the description of an Ideal-Lume as "a small flouresent bulb hanging behind a TV." is not entirely inaccurate. It is flouresent and it is behind a TV. Although, at 22.5" long, I wouldn't really call it small. ;)

The difference between an Ideal-Lume and flouresent bulb hanging behind a TV, is the Ideal-Lume bulb's color temperature, CRI (Color Rendering Index)' and the ability of the lamp to properly direct the light.

Another, less expensive, way to go might be to purchase a 6500k bullb and try iit in a lamp that will satisfy the recommended elements below. It has a 40W rating, while the Ideal-Lume has a 13W rating, so I cannot say if bulbs like this measure up entirely to the standards for this particular use, but this particular bulb is rated at 6500k.

From the CinemaQuest website:

Introduction:
The technique of video bias lighting has been in use for decades by professionals and consumers who understand what is required for optimum picture quality and viewing comfort when using electronic displays.

Video programs are mastered on calibrated professional monitors in "dim surround" conditions. It has long been understood that the best viewing condition for television programs is in a darkened environment. Total darkness is not recommended due to the limitations of the human visual system. Televisions and similar electronic displays are much brighter than large format front projection movie screens, which don't require supplemental illumination in the room.

What are the recommended elements of properly implemented bias lighting?

1. The color of light should be as close as possible to the video white point of 'CIE D65' (loosely referred to as 6500 Kelvins) for color video viewing ['D50,' the 'E' point, or ~5400K in other specific applications].
2. The color rendering index (CRI) is often published for a given lamp. A minimum CRI of 90 out of 100 is recommended for color reference applications.
3. The illumination should originate from behind the frontal plane of the screen to avoid reflections, haze, and glare (which interfere with, contaminate, and obscure the image).
4. The lamp itself should not be directly visible to the viewer, but rather the illumination should be reflected by surrounding surfaces, such as the wall behind the monitor.
5. The brightness of the reflected illumination should be 10% or less of the brightest white the monitor is adjusted to (calibrated for a dark environment).
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.
7. Completely surrounding the monitor screen with illumination is not necessary to realize the principle benefits of the technique.
8. It usually works best for the lamp to be mounted on the back of the monitor or TV cabinet (rather than on the wall), in order for the illumination to spread out over some distance.
9. Test patterns for adjusting bias lighting relative to the monitor screen are available in many optical disc programs for setting up home entertainment systems (see: 'Avia II- Guide to Home Theater,' 'Digital Video Essentials' series, etc.).

What are the proven benefits of correctly implemented bias lighting?

1. Reduces or eliminates eye strain and viewing fatigue in dark viewing conditions.
2. Eliminates image contamination due to reflections, haze and glare on the screen from conventional room lighting.
3. Enhances perceived black levels, contrast ratio, and picture detail by enabling dark adapted viewing.
4. Preserves correct color perception of the video image by the viewer.
5. Prolongs monitor phosphor life by enabling dark room viewing and lowering of screen brightness requirements (phosphors are used in CRTs, plasmas, and LCDs with CCF or white LED back lighting).
6. Provides a low level of illumination in the room for movement and peripheral activities.

Says who?

The following organizations are confirmed to define, recommend, specify, and/or use the technique of video bias lighting:

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE)
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Industrial Light and Magic (ILM)
The Imaging Science Foundation (ISF)
THX, Ltd.
Electronic Arts (EA)
Deluxe
Microsoft Corporation
Image Entertainment
Universal Studios
PostWorks
Joe Kane Productions
Ovation Multimedia
DisplayMate Technologies
CNET Labs
Radical Games
Factor5 Studios
High Moon Studios
CinRam
Rev13 Films
Advanced Television Evaluation Lab- Communications Research Centre-Canada
Apple Corporation
Filet Post Production
Post and Beam
Cheyenne Mtn. Entertainment
Zombie Studios
CBS Television
Deluxe Digital Studios
Splice Here
Slant Six Games
New Hat LLC
Roush Media
Samsung Germany
Digital Film Lab- Denmark
Nice Shoes, VFX New York
Desperate Housewives, Editorial
Rockhopper Post
Live Nation Studios
LionAV Consultants
Avical
Technicolor-NY
Technicolor-Canada
Max Post
Bandito Brothers Studio
Chainsaw Edit
Twin Cities Public Television
Colorflow Post
ABC Television
The Moving Picture Company
Dolby Labs
Dreamworks Animation
Univ. of Quebec at Montreal

[Dr_jitsu]

Thanks everyone....my Mitsu is ISF calibrated so I will probably drop the money on the Ideal Lume pretty soon

[Ray3]

You have a PM