In a contour correcting circuit that generates, on the basis of respective signals
for a plurality of pixels including the pixel to be corrected at the center and
arranged in a particular direction, a contour correction signal for the pixel to
be corrected, there are provided contour component production means for producing
a contour component for the pixel to be corrected depending on the gradient of
the change among the respective signals for the plurality of pixels arranged in
the particular direction; gain calculation means for calculating, on the basis
of the level difference between the signal for the pixel to be corrected and the
signal for the pixel adjacent in the particular direction to the pixel to be corrected,
such a gain for correction that the larger the level difference is, the smaller
the gain becomes; multiplication means for multiplying the contour component produced
by the contour component production means by the gain for correction calculated
by the gain calculation means; and addition means for adding the results of the
multiplication by the multiplication means to the signal for the pixel to be corrected,
to generate the contour correction signal for the pixel to be corrected.
