Grayscale resolution of LCD displays: 8 bits vs. 11 bits

Abstract

This paper presents a few results of an initial study to compare softcopy displays with 8 bits contrast resolution with those of 11 bits contrast resolution. Particular interest was paid to failure to detect subtle objects and appearance of artifacts like false contours as a result of improper quantization. Objects like squares, discs and Gaussian nodules were simulated at different amplitudes on uniform backgrounds. Another approach was to place simple objects like disks and Gaussian objects into a clinical image. The study concluded that indeed subtle objects can be missed and artifacts such as false contours can occur, dependent on signal amplitude and noise. A comprehensive observer study is under development to confirm and refine these results.