1. A method for improving image contrast for a display apparatus comprising: obtaining a frame of image data said image data comprising one or more code values for each pixel in the frame of image data; analyzing the frame of image data to identify a distribution of dark regions therein; adjusting at least one of the one or more code values for the frame of image data according to the distribution of dark regions in the frame of image data; and attenuating a brightness level available for the image frame according to the distribution of dark regions in the frame of image data.