Background

At the Black Box ToolKit we specialize in helping you achieve millisecond accurate presentation, synchronization, and response timing in your computer-based psychology experiments. Here are just a few of the things that can stop you doing just that!

• TFT Input lag
• TFT response time
• Image intensity
• Sound card latency
• Response devices
• Voice keys
• 3rd party equipment
• OS issues
• Software settings
• Conditional biases
• The laws of physics

Need more help?

If you are unsure of how our products could work for you take a look at our What, Why and How pages. Answers to common application questions can be found in the FAQ section.

If you have an application in mind but aren't sure, feel free to get in touch via email. Alternatively contact us by mail, phone or fax. We are here to help!

TFT and data projector image colour and intensity in psychology experiments

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All TFT monitors and data projector light sources fade over time which means they won't be as bright as they were as time goes by.

Typically they fade around 40% each year at the same brightness settings (as do car headlight bulbs). On TFTs this is due to wear on the fluorescent back light (CFL) and yellowing caused to the internal plastic screen. This natural fading can make your images harder to perceive by participants. Even if you leave you settings the same in 12 months time the images you present to your subject may be 40% harder to see and react to.



Again this fading will vary between make and model and between two apparently identical TFT monitors at the same brightness settings. This is because it is dependent on usage as well as age. Replacing a single monitor for a multi-display array can mean that all the monitors will need to be exchanged.

This will be an issue in experiments where more than one TFT monitor, or data projector, is used or the monitor is used over a prolonged period to rerun the same or modified experiment.

Ideally all display devices should be calibrated about once per month using a professional calibration device such as the one shown in the video. This applies not just to brightness but also to colour hue and intensity.

Read more about contrast, brightness and color on TFT Central