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What Is HDR, HDR10, High Dynamic Range Explained

By xsisted78 | March 15, 2023

High dynamic range (HDR) video is a cutting-edge technology that has revolutionized the way we experience television. With the ability to push video content past the outdated limitations of broadcast and other media standards, HDR offers a viewing experience that is more immersive, vibrant, and detailed than ever before.

At the heart of HDR technology is dynamic range, which refers to the difference between the darkest and brightest parts of an image. By expanding the dynamic range, HDR enhances the contrast and detail of the image, making it more lifelike and compelling. However, simply increasing the range between dark and light is not enough to improve the picture’s detail. A panel’s ability to display information is also limited by the signal it receives, which is often restricted by the standards of older technologies.

For example, traditional broadcast television and Blu-ray discs are limited by standards that are built around the physical boundaries presented by older display technologies. Black is set to only so black, and white could only get so bright within the limitations of display technology. However, with newer technologies like OLED and local dimming LED backlighting systems, both blacks and whites can reach further extremes. While a TV capable of reaching beyond those limits can work with the information present in the signal, it can only show so much detail based on the signal it receives.

To overcome these limitations, HDR technology has been developed with several iterations, each with differences that are not well-defined, making it a confusing technical feature for many consumers. However, we are here to explain it all to you. With our expert guidance, you’ll be able to fully understand and appreciate the benefits of HDR technology on your 4K TV.

What Is HDR?

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range, and it refers to a video technology that expands the range of brightness and color that can be displayed on a screen. HDR video contains more data than non-HDR content, describing more steps between brightness and color extremes. This allows for brighter brights, darker darks, and more shades of gray in between, as well as deeper and more vivid colors. HDR-capable displays can show this wider range of brightness and color, but not all media can handle it. Ultra HD Blu-ray discs and some online streaming services offer HDR content, but they require special players and fast internet connections.

What Is Color Gamut?

Color gamut refers to the range and value of colors that can be displayed on a screen, which is distinct from luminance (how much light a TV puts out). HDR specifically addresses luminance, but the range of light affects the range of color that can be perceived by the eye. HDR-capable TVs can often display a wider color gamut than non-HDR TVs, but not all HDR-capable TVs can reach the ultimate Rec.2020 color space. Color gamut is less defined than HDR, and TVs are tested for both contrast and color to determine their capabilities.

While HDR can allow for a wider range of color, not all HDR-capable TVs can display the full range of color. It’s important to check both the HDR capabilities and color gamut of a TV before making a purchase, and TV reviews can provide this information.

Types of HDR

There are currently two main HDR formats: HDR10 and Dolby Vision. HDR10 is an open standard format, which means that any manufacturer can use it without paying licensing fees. On the other hand, Dolby Vision is a proprietary format developed by Dolby Laboratories, and it requires a license to use.

There are also other HDR formats such as HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) and Advanced HDR by Technicolor, but they are less widely used than HDR10 and Dolby Vision. Additionally, some companies have developed their own HDR formats, such as Samsung’s HDR10+ and LG’s Technicolor Expert Mode.

It’s worth noting that while HDR10 and Dolby Vision are the main HDR formats, not all TVs support both. Some TVs only support HDR10, while others support both HDR10 and Dolby Vision. It’s important to check which formats a TV supports before making a purchase if HDR compatibility is important to you.

Dolby Vision

Dolby Vision is a high dynamic range (HDR) format developed by Dolby Laboratories. Unlike other HDR formats, such as HDR10, Dolby Vision uses dynamic metadata to adjust the brightness and color levels of each individual scene or even frame. This allows for more precise and targeted adjustments to the TV’s brightness and color settings, resulting in better image quality and detail.

While HDR10 uses static metadata to maintain specific levels of brightness across the entire movie or show, Dolby Vision’s dynamic metadata adjusts these levels on the fly. This means that darker scenes can preserve more detail in shadows, while brighter scenes can keep more detail in highlights. Dolby Vision’s dynamic metadata also takes into account the capabilities of your specific display, adjusting the brightness and color levels based on values set between the TV manufacturer and Dolby. This can potentially allow TVs to display more detail than HDR10.

However, it’s important to note that Dolby Vision is a licensed standard, unlike HDR10 which is an open format. This means that Dolby Vision requires certification for media and screens to say they’re Dolby Vision compatible, and that Dolby workflows were used throughout the production process. As a result, Dolby Vision content may not be as widely available as other HDR formats, but it is still supported by major streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, and Netflix.

In summary, Dolby Vision is a highly advanced HDR format that uses dynamic metadata to adjust the brightness and color levels of each individual scene or frame. While it may not be as widely available as other HDR formats, it offers superior image quality and detail when properly mastered and displayed on a compatible TV.

HDR10

HDR10 is a widely adopted standard for high dynamic range (HDR) content. It has been championed by the UHD Alliance and is used by many content producers and distributors as their go-to HDR format. The standard is built on defined ranges and specifications that must be met in order for both content and displays to qualify as using it.

What sets HDR10 apart is its use of static metadata. This metadata is consistent across all displays, meaning that HDR10 video sets light and color levels in absolute values, regardless of the screen it’s being shown on. This is a crucial aspect of the standard because it ensures that the viewer sees the content as it was intended to be seen, regardless of the device they are using.

One of the main advantages of HDR10 is that it is an open standard, which means that any content producer or distributor can use it freely. This has contributed to its widespread adoption and popularity in the industry. Additionally, every service that offers HDR content supports HDR10, usually alongside other HDR formats like Dolby Vision.

HDR10 has come a long way since its introduction and has proven to be a reliable and effective standard for delivering high-quality HDR content. Its technical specifications and consistency across all devices make it a solid choice for both content creators and viewers who want to experience HDR content at its best.

HDR10+

HDR10+ is a high dynamic range (HDR) video standard that was developed by Samsung. It was created as an improvement upon the HDR10 format, which is an open standard that is widely used in the industry. HDR10+ builds on this foundation by adding dynamic metadata, which is similar to the way that Dolby Vision operates.

Unlike HDR10, which uses static metadata that applies the same range of brightness and color for an entire video, HDR10+ uses dynamic metadata that can adjust the range of light displayed by the TV on a scene-by-scene or even frame-by-frame basis. This means that the picture can potentially show more detail and depth than HDR10, as the TV can adjust its settings to optimize the picture for each specific moment.

While HDR10+ doesn’t use individualized metadata for each screen like Dolby Vision, it still offers a significant improvement over static metadata formats like HDR10. Additionally, HDR10+ is an open standard, meaning that it doesn’t require licensing fees or specific production workflows. This makes it an attractive option for content creators and manufacturers alike, as they can adopt the format without incurring additional costs or production restrictions.

Overall, HDR10+ offers a compelling upgrade over HDR10, as it can deliver a more detailed and nuanced picture without requiring a significant investment in licensing or production.

Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG)

Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) is a relatively new technology that is not as well-known as other High Dynamic Range (HDR) formats such as HDR10 and Dolby Vision. Despite its lack of popularity, HLG has the potential to become a game-changer in the world of HDR.

Developed jointly by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Japan’s NHK, HLG was designed to provide a video format that broadcasters could use to transmit HDR signals. Unlike other HDR formats, HLG is backward-compatible, meaning that it can transmit both HDR and Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) signals without the need for separate streams. This makes it an attractive option for broadcasters who want to transmit HDR content without sacrificing SDR compatibility.

One of the key advantages of HLG is its universal compatibility. Unlike other HDR formats that rely on metadata to provide instructions on how to display content, HLG uses a combination of the gamma curve used by TVs to calculate brightness for SDR content and a logarithmic curve to calculate the much higher levels of brightness that HDR-capable TVs can produce. This means that HLG content can be displayed on any TV, regardless of whether it is HDR-capable or not.

Another advantage of HLG is its simplicity. Because it doesn’t rely on metadata, it is easier to implement than other HDR formats, which require additional processing power and specialized hardware. This makes it a cost-effective option for broadcasters who want to transmit HDR content without having to make significant investments in new technology.

Despite its many advantages, HLG has yet to gain widespread adoption. There is currently very little content available in HLG format, with the exception of some BBC and DirecTV broadcasts. However, as more broadcasters adopt the technology, it has the potential to become a popular choice for transmitting HDR content. Its universal compatibility and simplicity make it an attractive option for both broadcasters and consumers alike.

In conclusion, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) is a promising technology that has the potential to make HDR much more widely available. Developed by the BBC and NHK, HLG is backward-compatible, universal, and easy to implement, making it an attractive option for broadcasters and consumers alike. While it is still relatively unknown, it has the potential to become a game-changer in the world of HDR.

While Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) has a lot of potential due to its ability to work with both SDR and HDR TVs and its lack of metadata, adoption has been slow. HLG was initially developed for broadcasters, but there are still few broadcasters transmitting 4K video over the airwaves, cable, or satellite services. This means that HLG content is still relatively scarce, with only a few nature and sports shows being produced in HLG format.

On the other hand, HDR10 and Dolby Vision are the two most widely adopted HDR standards. Both of these standards offer significant improvements over standard dynamic range and have plenty of content available. HDR10 is an open standard that is supported by most HDR TVs, while Dolby Vision is a licensed, workflow-based standard that potentially offers better picture quality. However, Dolby Vision is less common than HDR10 due to its licensing requirements.

Another open standard, HDR10+, has been developed by Samsung, Panasonic, and 20th Century Fox. HDR10+ uses dynamic metadata to provide more precise instructions to the TV on how to display HDR content. While this technology has the potential to improve picture quality, it has not yet been widely adopted by content creators.

In conclusion, while HLG has the technical potential to become the most universal HDR standard due to its metadata-less nature, its adoption has been slow. Currently, HDR10 and Dolby Vision are the most widely adopted HDR standards, with plenty of content available in both formats. HDR10+ is another open standard that has potential, but its adoption has been limited thus far. As technology continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see which HDR format becomes the dominant standard.

What You Need for HDR

High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology is a key factor in creating a more immersive viewing experience. But to take full advantage of HDR content, you’ll need a few things: a source of HDR content, a device capable of playing that content, and a TV that can display HDR signals.

It’s important to note that HDR is not synonymous with 4K resolution. While many 4K TVs support HDR, not all of them do. If your TV doesn’t support HDR, it won’t be able to render the additional information contained in HDR signals. Even if your TV can handle an HDR signal, its picture quality might not necessarily improve, especially if it’s a more affordable model. Cheaper TVs may not have the necessary contrast or color range to fully showcase HDR’s capabilities.

Thankfully, many major streaming services offer HDR support for some of their 4K content. In addition, there are also UHD Blu-ray discs that often feature HDR10 or occasionally Dolby Vision HDR.

If your TV does support HDR, it probably has access to at least some streaming services that support HDR. However, it may not have all of them, so you might want to consider getting a separate media streamer. The Apple TV 4K, Amazon Fire TV Cube, Fire TV Stick 4K, Chromecast with Google TV, and Roku Streaming Stick 4K all support HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG.

For gaming enthusiasts, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X both support HDR10 and Dolby Vision for streaming apps, as well as UHD Blu-ray playback. However, it’s important to note that the all-digital versions of these consoles lack optical drives, meaning they cannot play UHD Blu-ray discs. Nonetheless, they are still capable of streaming 4K HDR content.

Is HDR Worth It?

4K resolution has become the effective standard for modern televisions, offering unparalleled levels of detail and clarity for both movies and TV shows. However, in order to truly maximize your viewing experience, it is important to consider the role of HDR or High Dynamic Range. This feature can greatly enhance the color and contrast of your content, resulting in a more immersive and lifelike image.

While HDR has not yet become universal, it is still widely available in the market, with two popular formats – HDR10 and Dolby Vision – leading the way. Both of these formats offer significant improvements in terms of contrast and color, making them must-have features for anyone looking to make the jump to 4K.

When considering your options for a new television, it is important to factor in the role of HDR and its impact on your overall viewing experience. With the right HDR-enabled TV, you can enjoy an immersive and realistic display that truly brings your content to life.

While some may be tempted to jump straight to 8K resolution, it is worth noting that this technology is not yet as important as HDR, at least not in terms of the number of available options and the amount of content that supports it. Therefore, it is recommended that you prioritize HDR over 8K, at least for the time being.