QUOTE(lowendfrequency @ Jun 6 2007, 09:15 AM)

Yes but a contrast ratio is not a measurement of how dark the blacks on a TV will be, it's simply the ratio of comparing the darkest color the set can produce to the brightest color it can produce. Surely you of all people know this. I'm not saying that your TV doesn't produce very nice blacks, but it's well known that no technology, especially LCD Plasma and DLP, get as dark as a conventional tube TV. Making the dark gray box slightly brighter isn't what we are talking about because that is simply an adjustment of the set. It won't change the fact that certain technologies can only get so dark to begin with.
you're absolutely correct however in most cases (at least in terms of DLP and LCD) the white level is set by the bulb/backlight and the black level can be determined by relating the contrast ratio to the light output.
As a result you essentially end up with a contrast ratio set in terms of how well the hardware developers were able to restrain the light source using the display tech.
DLP for example... the technology hasn't changed much in terms of being able to oscillate the mirrors at distinct rates to get discrete shades of grey, what actually started bumping up their contrast ratios was their ability to contain light leakage... the Dark Chip series coats the back of the mirrors with no reflective material lowering the bottom end and by virtue expanding the contrast ratio in the process.
You're right that the contrast ratio doesn't set the black level... but the black level DOES play a major role in setting the contrast ratio, and since no company lists the black level of their displays the contrast ratio is the best tool we have for estimating where the black level will be.
This post has been edited by twistedsymphony: Jun 19 2007, 02:30 PM