Monitors and TV with HDR: Types, Characteristics and Differences

Lately, HDR is one of the terms that are repeated the most when we talk about TV and monitors, and because of this more and more types of HDR are “appearing”, to the point that you might even have heard phrases like “that HDR is not real”. In this article we are going to tell you about the types of HDR that there are, what characteristics they have and how they differ from each other, so that when you buy a TV or monitor with HDR you know what exactly you are buying.

As you know, HDR stands for “High Dynamic Range” or “High Dynamic Range”, which in theory provides a higher level of contrast between the light and dark images that we see on the screen to create a much more immersive and even realistic experience. . Right off the bat, this may not tell you much, but the reality is that it can be quite significant and make a considerable difference in terms of the quality of both panels.

Monitors and TV with HDR: Types, Characteristics

HDR and DisplayHDR … what’s the difference?

First of all we have to know how to differentiate between HDR and DisplayHDR certification. DisplayHDR defines a number of measurable parameters and differs at different levels: 400, 500, 600, 1000, 1400, 400 True Black, and 500 True Black. The minimum specifications are defined by VESA (and count on that they are minimum values, so they are usually higher) and you can see them in this table.

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Therefore we should not confuse HDR as such and DisplayHDR certification; In the latter, as we have seen in the table, there are a series of minimum parameters defined for the panels. while the rest of HDR (what some call “not real”) are not certified, and are really undefined specifications because a standard methodology for testing is not defined.

With that said, let’s take a look at the types of HDR out there.

What types of HDR are there and how are they different?

HDR is achieved through imaging and processing techniques and as such can be different from screen to screen depending on the rendering engine and technique used for it. The purpose is, however, the same: to achieve a greater range of exposure levels in all areas of the image, making us see the most vivid and realistic colors.

So let’s see all the types of HDR out there and how they differ.

HDR10

In this case it is a free use license, and for that reason we will see many monitors and TVs that use this marketing claim. What differentiates this type of HDR from the others is that it does not use dynamic metadata, but static metadata for image processing.

HDR10 +

In this case the difference is that dynamic metadata is used. It was implemented through a collaboration between Samsung and Amazon, and we will only be able to find available content compatible with this format on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Blu-Ray movies. Its license is also free to use, so its adoption is being very high by manufacturers and there is more and more content available with this type of HDR.

HDR HLG

It is a format developed by the BBC and NHK television networks, and as you can imagine, it is designed to offer HDR in live broadcasts on television. This format has been adopted by several manufacturers, including LG, SONY (in their OLED range) and Panasonic, although its use requires a paid license, so it does not have many ballots to prosper in the industry.

Dynamic HDR

This term is being used more and more, and it is that it comes thanks to the improvements of the HDMI 2.1 standard since it allows the use of Dynamic Tone Mapping technology. This type of HDR uses dynamic metadata and allows the user to adjust parameters such as contrast, brightness and color in real time.

HDR estático vs dinámico HDR Dolby Vision

This is another of the types of HDR that many manufacturers use as an advertising claim. This is a more advanced HDR than the previous ones but it requires a specific image processor for both the player and the screen, so it is only available in very high-end models. One of the differences with the rest is that this type of HDR offers up to 10,000 nits of maximum brightness (compared to 1,000 of HDR10 for example) and that the image processing is carried out for each independent frame.