Video Image Quality Control Apparatus and Method

A video image quality control apparatus, in a broadcast receiver apparatus having a video processing portion to which a digital video signal is input and which adjusts screen brightness by adjusting the digital video signal in accordance with image quality adjustment data, the video image quality control apparatus comprising:

• a daytime start/end time table holding portion that holds at least a regional daytime start/end time table;
• an installation region determination portion that determines an installation region of the apparatus based on regional setting information according to a digital broadcasting protocol;
• a daytime start/end time specifying portion that specifies daytime start/end time of the installation region by referring to the daytime start/end time table based on information of the installation region;
• an adaptive image quality adjusting portion that outputs the digital video signal that gradually changes in a time zone before reaching the start/end time, and that adjusts the screen to a bright direction before the start time and to a dark direction before the end time, based on the specified daytime start/end time;
• a sensor that detects ambient brightness;
• and
• a sensor output utilization portion that corrects the image quality adjustment data in accordance with an output of the sensor.

A video image quality control method for a broadcast receiver apparatus, the control method controlling a video signal of a video processing portion in accordance with image quality adjustment data from a control portion to adjust screen brightness, wherein the control portion:

• holds at least a regional daytime start/end time table;
• determines an installation region of the apparatus based on regional setting information according to a digital broadcasting protocol;
• specifies daytime start/end time of the installation region by referring to the daytime start/end time table based on information of the installation region;
• outputs the digital video signal that gradually changes in a time zone before reaching the start/end time, and adjusts the screen to a bright direction before the start time and to a dark direction before the end time, based on the specified daytime start/end time;
• and
• corrects the image quality adjustment data in accordance with an output of a sensor that detects ambient brightness around the apparatus.