[accesscomp] Dan's Tip of the Day

From: "Robert Acosta" <boacosta@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tek-talk-discussion@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 29 Apr 2015 16:31:33 -0700

Fact of the Day:

toothpaste stripes

The stripes in toothpaste are created by a special device fitted to the
nozzle end of the tube. A colored toothpaste is first filled around the
special fitting, the white toothpaste is filled second, which holds the

colored toothpaste in place at the top of the tube. When the tube is

squeezed, the white toothpaste would run through the special inner tube and
the pressure of the squeeze simultaneously forces the colored toothpaste
through the tiny orifices at the end. The toothpaste emerges perfectly
striped.

About 8,000 Americans are injured by musical instruments each year.

The French language has seventeen different words for ‘surrender’.

What Bias Lighting Is and Why You Should Be Using It

(How To Geeks April 28 2015)

There’s a good chance you’ve been watching television and working at your
computer for years in a way that fatigues your eyes, increases your chance
of headaches, and overall decreases your enjoyment and comfort. Read on as
we show you how to create a comfortable and high contrast viewing experience
with bias lighting.

What Is Bias Lighting and What Are the Benefits?

Before we delve into what bias lighting is and why you’ll benefit
enormously from implementing it in your work space and living room alike, we
need to look at the mechanics of the human eye to truly understand why bias
lighting isn’t just a showy trick akin to putting superfluous lights on a
street rod but a very useful technique that not only increases viewing
comfort but image quality at the same time.

Why Screens Strain Our Eyes

The most important thing to understand, in regard to watching a screen and
the importance of bias lighting, is that your eyes work on a system of
averages. When you look at something, whether that something is car
headlights in the distance, a pretty landscape, or a television screen,
pupils dilate to regulate how much light enters your eyes. The degree of
dilation is triggered by the entire scene your eye is taking in and not by
the single brightest point of light within that scene.

When we watch television or use a computer work station in a completely dark
or significantly darkened room we create a less-than-ideal viewing situation
wherein our eyes are staring very intently at a small window of very bright
light that is floating in a sea of darkness. Despite the fact that we
accurately perceive the screen to be very bright in relationship to the rest
of the scene our eyes take in, our eyes attempt to adjust based on the
average brightness across the entire field of view and not the average
brightness of the screen (or, conversely, the dimmer off-screen area). As a
result our eyes become rapidly fatigued and with extended exposure we
experience dry eyes, general discomfort, watery eyes, and even tension
headaches radiating out from the temple area. In worst case scenarios with
extended exposure some people experience ocular migraines, extreme headaches
that result from intense eye strain.

Fortunately, despite the fact that your mother might have insisted watching
too much TV or TV with the lights off would make you go blind, the effects
of such eye strain are temporary and within less than a day of exposure the
symptoms of dry eyes and fatigue should resolve themselves. That doesn’t
mean you need to endure it every time you use your workstation or watch a
movie on your beautiful new HDTV; let’s take a look at how bia lights can
relieve the strain and then how you can get started using them.

How Bias Lights Relieve Strain

So how do we avoid our inevitable exposure to bright light in the form of TV
viewing and workstation time frying our poor eyes? The key is to increase
the general luminance in the room without introducing problems that arise
from just indiscriminately flipping all the lights on.

Visiting the link directly below will whow a 3D mockup of a pretty typical
living room setup to illustrate how common lighting configurations are
problematic for screen viewing (although this mockup is centered on an HDTV,
the same lighting problems apply to workstations too).

http://www.howtogeek.com/213464/how-to-decrease-eye-fatigue-while-watching-t
v-and-gaming-with-bias-lighting/

In your typical living room/workspace you have ceiling lights, floor lamps,
and table lamps, all of which are typically located either above (as in the
case of ceiling lights) or located in front of the screen at roughly the
same height as the viewer’s head like the table and floor lamp seen in the
image at the site mentioned above.

While turning on these lights while viewing the television does in fact
mitigate the issue of the bright screen framed against a very dim room it
introduces a whole new host of problems. Lighting that is to the side or
behind the viewer projects light onto the viewing surface and decreases
contrast, introduces glare and haze to the image, and creates its own kind
of eyestrain as a result. It may not be as intense as the kind of eyestrain
you get staring bleary eyed at a bright TV in the dark, but it’s eye strain
nonetheless and it makes the picture look worse.

Bias lighting is the lighting that is placed behind the screen you are
viewing such that it raises the ambient light levels in the viewing area
without directly shining light toward the viewer nor shining light past the
viewer toward the screen (where it could create reflections and other
viewing problems). In the above mentioned room mockup, this means the light
should be placed in the triangle behind the television set so that the light
radiates outwards and in a diffuse manner around the bright window created
by the screen.

Because the light originates outside of the sightline of the viewer and is
not in a direct path to reflect onto the screen, you get all the benefits of
increased luminance in the room without the problems of glare or light
shining directly from the source into your eyes.

The Additional Benefits of Bias Lighting

If you still need some convincing that extends beyond saving your poor eyes
from fatigue, then consider the benefits of bias lighting beyond simply
relieving your eyes. In addition to warding off eye fatigue there are two
great benefits. First, the additional indirect lighting provided by the bias
lighting increases the contrast of the on-screen image.

Refer to the optical illusion image one can check out at this link:

http://www.howtogeek.com/213464/how-to-decrease-eye-fatigue-while-watching-t
v-and-gaming-with-bias-lighting/

to see the effect made apparent. The bar that stretches across the center of
the image is one constant shade of gray (RGB: 142, 142, 142) but it appears
to be lighter in on the dark side of the gradient and darker on the light
side of the gradient. This illusion, known as the simultaneous contrast
illusion, readily illustrates how our eyes perceive gray to be darker and
richer when seen against a lighter background and more washed out when seen
against a dark background. Illuminate the wall behind your screen and the
same contrast illusion takes effect: the grays and blacks on your screen
will appear richer and the contrast will seem stronger between them and the
surrounding area.

Related to that previous trick, many people adjust the values for brightness
and contrast to higher levels in order to get the intensity of color and
black contrast they desire. If the environment you’re watching the screen
in already helps boost the contrast and create a better looking image on the
screen then you can turn the brightness back down. Not only will your eyes
thank you because the screen isn’t shining at your face like a headlamp,
but you’ll extend the life of the backlight mechanism in your HDTV or
monitor.

Eye fatigue reduction, better looking images, and a longer life for your
monitor’s backlight? What’s not to love about bias lighting? Let’s take a
look at how to set it up so you don’t have to live another day with
screen-induced eyestrain.

How to Select and Setup Bias Lighting

At this point you’re probably thinking “okay, okay, you’ve got me. Bias
lighting sounds great, and I want it. Just tell me how much it costs so I
can get over the shock.” Fortunately for you, it’s really cheap to
implement a perfectly functional bias lighting system.

Don’t get us wrong, there are very pricey ways to go about doing it (such
as purchasing a Philips TV equipped with their custom color-shifting bias
lighting Ambilight system) but there’s absolutely no need to incur such
expenses when there are plenty of inexpensive alternatives.

First, let’s break down what makes for a good bias light and why then lets
look at some economical ways to implement both DIY and off-the-shelf
solutions.

Selecting a Bias Light

The most important thing to consider when selecting a bias light for your
television (aside from the physical consideration as to whether the said
light style will actually fit behind the screen) is the color temperature.

Light bulbs have a color temperature listed using the Kelvin Color
Temperature Scale. The lower the number the warmer and more red the light;
the higher the number the cooler and more blue the light. Candle flames are
1,900K and are very warm and cast a very reddish/yellow light. Standard
incandescent light bulbs are approximately 2,800K and are still quite warm.
“Cool White” or “Daylight” bulbs have color temperatures ranging from 5,
000-6,500K.

http://cdn5.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ximg_551b2004825a8.png.
pagespeed.ic.GjWXDUUdGF.png

While any bias lighting is better than no bias lighting as far as eye strain
is concerned, if you want bias lighting that not only relieves your eye
strain but actually makes the content you’re viewing look better you’ll
need the right bulb. To that end, you want a bulb temperature that is as
close as possible (if not identical) to the reference point used in the
industry that both manufactures the screens you’re looking at as well as
creates content for said screens and that’s 6500K.

The bulbs (be they CFL or LED) inside your HDTV or monitor are calibrated to
6500K, the film and digital video shot is color corrected to have a 6500K
white reference point, and the editing suites where content is edited and
worked on have 6500K bias lights. Regardless of whether you use a
fluorescent tube light, a strip of LEDs, or an incandescent light bulb, you
want one with as close to a 6500K color temperature as you can get if your
goal is to maximize the quality of the on-screen image.

This immediately rules out the majority of lighting we use around our homes
as there is a distinct consumer preference for warmer light. What makes for
a homey and warm feeling in your abode, however, makes for a poor bias light
for your screen.

In addition to selecting a light source that is approximately 6500K color
temperature, if you’re dead set on getting the absolute best picture
possible you may wish to also look at the Color Rendering Index (CRI) of the
light bulb. This number is rarely listed on bulbs intended for household use
but with some careful digging (or by purchasing bulbs intended for hobby or
commercial applications where the CRI is important such as high-end
saltwater fish keeping) you can find the CRI. A CRI of 90 out of 100 or
above is the minimum you should aim for if you’re looking for maximum color
clarity on your HDTV or computer monitor. This is definitely the province of
people looking for an absolute picture perfect experience as opposed to
simply relieving eyestrain, however, so unless you’re building the ultimate
home theater setup or you’re looking to break into video editing you
needn’t stress about getting a perfect CRI-rated bulb. A quality bulb with
a 6500K color temperature is more than enough for just about everyone.

Simple DIY Solutions

All of the solutions we’ll highlight in this guide are DIY in that you have
to purchase and install them yourself but the distinguishing characteristic
here is that you’re cobbling together a solution out of lighting not
intended for bias light use.

When we first started searching for a solution to our marathon gaming and
Netflix sessions leaving us with burning watery eyes we opted to immediately
deploy DIY solutions based on materials we had laying around the house
first. Better to see if the bias lighting even helped than to spend a bunch
of money on a fruitless project.

If your television set or monitor is separated from the wall by some
distance, our HDTV set and stand are cocked at a forty-five degree angle in
the corner of our living room, for example, it’s very easy to place a
regular lamp assembly behind the screen.

http://cdn5.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ximg_551b3005b7f41.jpg.
pagespeed.ic.wJMfUL2ec6.jpg

In our case we grabbed <http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HHQ94C/?tag=hotoge-20>
a simple and cheap metal shop lamp with a clamp attachment and then popped a
daylight temperature LED bulb into it. The whole assembly shines light up
into the space behind the large HDTV and diffuses it along the walls. This
is a great solution for people with large sets because it uses the wall as a
diffuser, requires only one bulb, and provides total coverage for even 65″
screens and larger.

While we’re perfectly happy with the setup (as it cost us nothing because
we had the parts on hand and would only have cost us around $18 if we bought
the parts new) if we wanted to upgrade it while still keeping the project
fairly inexpensive and DIY, we could purchase a daylight fluorescent bulb
intended for reef aquariums and lizard keeping. A good bulb with 6500K color
temperature and a 90+ CRI rating runs about $25, add in a simple lamp
assembly to mount it in might run you another $20. For under $50 you can
have as close to what they use in professional studios without shelling out
$$$ for the experience.

http://cdn5.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ximg_551b2e6439d96.jpg.
pagespeed.ic.q9Dc-6GxaI.jpg

Again, in the use-what-you-have category, we rigged up our multi-monitor
stand with some IKEA Dioder LED puck lights we had laying around. A simple
set of four pucks and a little power brick assembly will run you around $25
at IKEA. We’re including this not because the Dioder line has perfect color
temperature (they don’t) but to highlight what you can accomplish just
using materials you have laying around and that even lights a bit warmer
than what you’d want in a perfect studio setting or optimized home theater
can still work well.

Although we originally intended to upgrade the bias lighting on both the
HDTV and workstation after establishing that bias lighting relieved our
eyestrain and other issues (which it absolutely did) we’ve found our simple
DIY solutions have worked well enough that any major upgrades or enhanced
DIY projects are now more a matter of cosmetics and perfectionism than
necessity.

Commercial Bias Lighting Solutions

If you’re just looking for a solution that you can buy, plug in, and go
without worrying about matching bulbs or purchasing your own lamp assemblies
or the like there are more than a few solutions available. The cheapest and
easiest solution we recommend to anyone who asks is the <http://www.amazon.
com/dp/B007TG5EG8/?tag=hotoge-20> Antec Bias Lighting for HDTV kit.

You can order or see one here:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007TG5EG8/?tag=hotoge-20

It’s $26 out the door, 6500K color temperature, it includes everything you
need right in the kit, and the LED strip is both bright and easy to trim
(the strip has pre-marked points where you can safely cut it to remove extra
LEDs which makes it easy to use on HDTVs and monitors big and small).

The entire assembly is USB powered so you can, if you wish, drive it off
your HDTV set’s USB port so the bias lighting automatically turns on with
the set. Overall it’s the most compact and easy to install solution we’ve
come across that doesn’t require soldering or a bulkier DIY solution with a
larger lamp assembly.

Another solution (and the one which should be considered the gold standard
for bias lighting) is to <http://www.cinemaquestinc.com/ideal_lumesb.htm>
buy a bias light kit directly from CinemaQuest, the company that produces
bias lights for professionals.

You can pick up a their Ideal-Lume Standard light, intended for HDTVs and
monitors that aren’t mounted right to the wall, for $65 and their
Ideal-Lume Panelight, in tended for wall-mounted installations, for $95.
Such a setup will run you a little more than a DIY arrangement or other
commercial solutions but for the price you get a custom bulb with 6500K
color temperature, a 90+ CRI rating, and an lamp assembly designed for easy
installation and adjustment.

_____

Ultimately it’s so easy to use bias lighting to banish eyestrain,
headaches, dry eyes, and other symptoms caused by bright-TV-in-dark-room
viewing that it truly makes no sense not to do so. The only thing standing
between a comfortable viewing experience with high contrast, crisp colors,
and no eyestrain is a light bulb and a little bit of installation work.

Psalm 103:17
But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear
him <http://christianity.about.com/od/topicaldevotions/qt/fearofthelord.htm>
, and his righteousness with their children's children- (NIV)
<http://christianity.about.com/od/faqhelpdesk/p/newinternationa.htm>

To subscribe to Dan's tips or HotSpot with God Daily Devotional, send a
blank message to dthompson5@xxxxxxxxx and include "subscribe Dan's Tips" or
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Robert Acosta, President

Helping Hands for the Blind

(818) 998-0044

www.helpinghands4theblind.org

[accesscomp] Dan's Tip of the Day

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