The quality of a viewed image is greatly determined by the distinction between the brightest and the darkest areas of the viewed image. This is quantified by the contrast ratio. While the contrast ratio specification of a DLP system is based on system performance, the viewing experience can also be greatly impacted by ambient light. The more ambient light on the screen, the lower the viewable contrast of the image. Together, system contrast and ambient light determine the true viewable contrast of the image. Special attention must be given to the optical design, and quality of optics used in the optical module to maximize contrast.