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Non-Tech : Alternative energy -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jacob Snyder who wrote (8667)	7/27/2010 5:37:07 PM
From: Eric	Respond to of 16955

I would go to Consumer Reports to really get a handle on the subject. I'm an EE and used to work in television broadcasting years ago so color temp is right up my alley. When I had to match TV cameras in the studio or outside we would aim them at a "chip chart", various shades of grey from pure white to absolute black. Absolute black was a special hole with a box built into the chip chart that acted as a light trap. It was covered on the inside with a special black cloth so no light could be reflected around inside the box. As close to pure black as we could get. You guys might find this interesting. To have a perfect black and white picture you needed to see it shot on a B & W camera or a color camera and view it on a properly color balanced monitor or ordinary color TV that was properly set up. The old black and white tvs we used to view as kids are not purely black and white, they are shifted towards the blue end of the spectrum! To balance the cameras blue, green and red channels the camera was aimed at the chip chart under the type of light used in the scene being shot. Inside the studio the klieg lights had a color temp close to 2500 K. Outside it would go as high as 10,000 K under certain noontime conditions. Your eye can be tricked, in fact they are constantly being tricked. Your brain is the culprit. Our TV cameras never used "automatic balancing" because with more than one camera being used you guys at home would immediately notice a change in color between camera changes! All cameras used, including those at the Super Bowl would shoot the "chart" at the same time just before air. If you wanted a seamless, good looking production that was required. So check out Consumer Reports. They review these bulbs about once a year and I trust their testing. CFL's are still getting better and we had better get used to them really fast. Very shortly in the U.S. you will not be able to buy 100 watt incandescents. I believe that the government has banned their sale after 2012?? Smaller watt size bulbs such as 75 and 60's follow shortly thereafter. Eric