Determinants of perceived image quality: ghosting vs. brightness
Laurie M. Wilcox, Jeffrey A. D. Stewart · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 2003
The physical specifications of stereoscopic eyewear are routinely documented. However, their effects on the appearance or perceived quality of 3D images is most often evaluated superficially, if at all. Here we apply psychophysical techniques to assess the influence of ghosting and perceived brightness on judgements of image quality. To determine which of these variables has the largest impact we simulated several levels of ghosting and brightness in a digital version of a 70mm 3D image sequence. We then presented these image sequences in a large-format 3D theatre and used a magnitude estimation task to assess image quality. The data were clear in showing a significant effect of ghosting on perceived quality but no effect of image brightness. From this we argue that image ghosting is a critical determinant of perceived image quality and should be a primary consideration in relevant technology decisions.