An analytical method for predicting perceived flicker

Abstract. A method is described for predicting whether a visual display terminal (VDT) will appear to flicker given the display phosphor persistence, refresh frequency, luminance and other environmental factors such as the distance between the user and the VDT. Based on research on human temporal sensitivity (Kelly 1969), one can predict the maximum screen luminance and the minimum refresh frequency that will generate a flicker-free display for a theoretical standard observer. These predictions are tested across a range of refresh frequencies, screen luminance, screen phosphors and individual users. 1