This is an anonymous poll. If you want to comment on this publicly though, feel free to also post a reply here (or here) with your thoughts.

Please choose the one answer you feel is most accurate.

"Decoding gamma" = display gamma, plus any other hardware or software-based nonlinear operations between the final mastered content and the picture on the screen... or what I believe some folks here refer to as "playback gamma". If there are no other intermediate operations between disc and display, then decoding/playback gamma = just display gamma.

What we as users use? Or what we think studios use?

Barco's "Reference monitor for broadcast monitoring" and "Reference monitor for film and post-production" both have "Selectable gamma 2-2.6 [Factory: 2.35 –EBU/SMPTE compliant]" as seen HERE (http://www.barco.com/en/product/2147/specs).

What we as users use? Or what we think studios use?Lookin for what the studios typically use Chris. Sort of following up on the discussion SOWK began here.

If you want to comment on this question publicly btw, feel free to also post a reply here or at the link above with your thoughts.

I don't think we really know the complete answer to this question. This poll doesn't tell us anything except about the end-user's perception...

I don't think we really know the complete answer to this question.Agreed.

This poll doesn't tell us anything except about the end-user's perception...This is just my 2c, but I think you may be selling the members of this forum a little short. Many calibrators and vendors on this site cater to both the home market and video production industry. And there are a number of folks on this board who also work in video production/authoring themselves (or interact with people in that industry in various capacities) who should be qualified to give a response on this, but may not want to get involved in an extended debate about it.

By offering folks an opportunity to respond either publicly or anonymously via a poll, my hope is to get a larger cross-section of responses on this question from calibrators, vendors, people in the industry, and informed home video users, and maybe a better picture of where the industry's currently at on this issue.

No poll is perfect though, so there will probably be some less-informed responses as well. Hopefully those will be in the minority though, and the majority will be from those who either have some personal experience on this matter, or who've done some research on the subject.

^
Just wanted to say thanks to those who've responded to the poll so far, and give this a bump in case others want to register an opinion.

With a newly released Janus Criterion Blu-ray, "Howards End," encountered a curious gamma-related twist yesterday. Might also relate to lack of calibration for my new plasma, acquired this spring. During a first viewing of this disc, most interior scenes seemed too dark. I'd bumped my gamma from its normal setting of 2.2 (cable HD) up to 2.6, which apparently worsened images. During a second viewing I cranked gamma down to 2.0, which cured the too-dark interior scenes nicely, while lightening blacks slightly. Hadn't realized my Panasonic TH-65VX100U plasma had a 2.0 gamma setting.

Some other reviews mention too-dark interiors, too. But no idea what Criterion used for this release. Also wondering if this might be related to the lack of display calibration. A few VX100 review calibration graphs show the RGB lines fairly flat, but all well above zero.

Howards End is only my second Blu-ray being viewed at 1080/24p and 96 Hz. Gamma at 2.2 and viewing at 1080/60p seems to work well for extensive cable HD viewing. My only other 24p BR, transferred from a negative (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=17507386&postcount=14096), looks excellent with a 2.2 plasma gamma setting-- John