Keep in mind that maximum contrast on these old sets is a bit of an illusion that relies heavily on the ambient lighting in the viewing room. Of course the screen can never get darker than it is when it's off for a given ambient light level. So considering the relatively bright room lighting in your below picture, I'd say your set is putting out about the best contrast it's capable of. The modern set next to it likely has a darker screen filter, yet to me it looks more washed out than your Tech Master. Also remember that the contrast of the old program material was not all that consistent. Your set has a darn good picture with your DVD test pattern on it, so just be careful that you don't go chasing rainbows in an attempt to correct for a lousy picture that your OTA converter box may be responsible for.
