Blooming, also known as the halo effect, is an image artifact that occurs on LCD and OLED displays. It is caused by the way that these displays work. LCD displays use a backlight to illuminate the pixels, and OLED displays use individual pixels that emit light. When a bright object is displayed on a dark background, the backlight or pixels in the surrounding area may be overdriven to compensate, which can cause a halo or bloom around the object.
Blooming is most noticeable on dark backgrounds, and it can be especially noticeable in HDR content. There are a few things that can be done to reduce blooming, such as adjusting the brightness and contrast settings on the display, and using a lower black level. However, there is no way to completely eliminate blooming.
Here are some of the causes of blooming:
- Backlight bleed: This is when the light from the backlight leaks out around the edges of the pixels, which can cause a halo effect around bright objects.
- Local dimming: This is a feature on some LCD displays that allows the backlight to be dimmed in different areas of the screen. This can help to reduce blooming, but it can also cause other problems, such as uneven brightness.
- Pixel overshoot: This is when the pixels are turned on for too long, which can cause a halo effect around bright objects.
There are a few things that you can do to reduce blooming:
- Adjust the brightness and contrast settings: Lowering the brightness and contrast settings can help to reduce blooming.
- Use a lower black level: A lower black level will make the halo effect less noticeable.
- Avoid HDR content: HDR content is more likely to cause blooming, so if you are sensitive to it, you may want to avoid HDR content.
- Get a better display: Some displays are more prone to blooming than others. If you are concerned about blooming, you may want to get a display that is known for its low blooming.