Hey Pete,
indeed that algorithm (in DSS as well) I was referring to.
Your astrophotography background, I understand, is from pre-digital times.
So you might just be used to so many detected stars because film showed what film got.
You could play around with that parameter in DSS and see whether you like your image with less stars in the background, too.
From what I remember, DSS doesn't reduce the image or detail quality when you reduce the amount of detected stars.
Have a go and compare results?
