I have a macbook, is f1/f2 brightness or backlight control?

[kkamin]

The reason I am asking is that I am using a Spyder colorimeter to calibrate my monitor and it is asking me which controls exist on the display:

-brightness

-contrast

-backlight


My thinking is that F1 and F2 control the backlight level and not the "brightness" level, if you get what I mean.

-Thanks

 

[tooz]

F1/F2 is brightness.
F5/F6 is backlight for keyboard

 

[iBookG4user]

F1 and F2 are the controls for the brightness level.

 

[Scarlet Fever]

F1/F2 is brightness.
F5/F6 is backlight for keyboard

we're talking about display brightness, not the backlight for the keyboards. The OP is asking if F1/F2 control screen brightness, or control the light coming from the backlight of the display.

kkamin, I have nothing to base this on, but I suspect F1/F2 are controlling the backlight level. If it were brightness, I imagine the backlight would still be on, even when the brightness is set to 0.

 

[tooz]

we're talking about display brightness, not the backlight for the keyboards. The OP is asking if F1/F2 control screen brightness, or control the light coming from the backlight of the display.

kkamin, I have nothing to base this on, but I suspect F1/F2 are controlling the backlight level. If it were brightness, I imagine the backlight would still be on, even when the brightness is set to 0.

but wouldn't the brightness of the screen be governed buy the amount of light from the backlight?
EDIT: from the manual:

 

[Scarlet Fever]

but wouldn't the brightness of the screen be governed buy the amount of light from the backlight?

Thats what I was getting caught up at. I can't see why the Spyder would differentiate between brightness and backlight control. Out of the two, I'd say you have control over backlight; brightness is the intended consequence.

 

[broad]

i would consider those controls to be backlight, but not completely..

brightness, referred to in video terms, is black level. a display with a proper brightness control allows you to change the displays black level relative to video black, which is a measurable standard. a backlight control, such as those found on LCD tvs allows you to change the intensity of the light being emitted by the display.

unfortunately those two things are linked, as the black level drops considerably when the backlight is dimmed. if you are trying to calibrate your display you need to choose one "notch" on the macbook's scale and calibrate there...if you make the display more or less bright you will pooch the calibration