ISO 6035:1983

Overview

ISO 6035:1983 specifies standardized viewing conditions for evaluating films and slides intended for television, focusing on screen colours, luminances and dimensions of the viewing setup. It defines how the control-room screen, the illuminated perimeter, ambient lighting and room geometry should be configured so that critical assessment of colour balance, contrast and image quality is reproducible and comparable across facilities.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Screen chromaticity and colour temperature: the screen should approximate a black‑body chromaticity near 5 400 K (acceptable range 5 000–6 500 K; 5 406 K preferred).
• Screen luminance (projector “lamp-on, no film”): measured per ISO 2395, the projector‑illuminated screen luminance should be 137 ± 13.7 cd/m² (≈40 ± 4 ft-L). With a reference film (ISO 6636) this corresponds to a white level of about 68 cd/m² (20 ft-L).
• Luminance uniformity: luminance measured at a point 5% of the screen width from the lateral edge should be 90 ± 10% of the on‑axis centre luminance.
• Illuminated perimeter: area normally ≈8 × the screen area; luminance of the perimeter typically 1/6 to 1/10 of the projector‑illuminated screen (alternative guidance: ~1/3–1/5 of white image luminance for some copies). Perimeter colour must match screen within ±200 K.
• Room geometry and viewing distance: observers should sit at a distance equal to 4–6× the screen height. Screen width:height ratio should be 1.33:1. A decorative mask/border is allowed but must not exceed 4% of image width.
• Ambient lighting and reflections: ambient illumination must be negligible compared with screen/perimeter. Reflected luminance from the screen when projector is off must be under 3.4 cd/m² (1 ft-L); room surfaces should have low reflectance and neutral colouring.

Practical applications and users

ISO 6035 is used to establish consistent visual assessment conditions in:

• broadcast quality control and tape/film inspection
• post‑production colour grading and telecine operations
• laboratory and archive film evaluation for television transfer
• design and commissioning of television control rooms and viewing booths

Primary users: broadcast engineers, colourists, QC technicians, post‑production supervisors, facilities designers and standards/compliance teams.

Related standards

• ISO 2895 - luminance of projection screens for cinema viewing rooms
• ISO 6036 - colour density specifications for films and slides for television
• ISO 2395 - methods for measuring projection screen luminance
• ISO 6636 - referenced film copy specification

Keywords: ISO 6035:1983, cinematography viewing conditions, screen luminance, colour temperature, illuminated perimeter, television film evaluation, control room standards.