A More Dynamic HDR
HDR10+ is an advanced format of High Dynamic Range video technology. The core idea of any HDR format is to allow for a greater range of brightness, contrast, and color than Standard Dynamic Range (SDR), resulting in a more realistic and impactful image. Where HDR10+ innovates upon the base HDR10 standard is in its use of dynamic metadata.
Static vs. Dynamic Metadata
- Standard HDR10 (Static): With the base HDR10 format, a single set of HDR metadata is applied to the entire film. This data tells the display the brightest and darkest points for the whole movie. This can be a compromise, as the ideal settings for a dark, moody scene are very different from those for a bright, sunny outdoor scene.
- HDR10+ (Dynamic): HDR10+ improves upon this by embedding dynamic metadata that can change from scene to scene, or even frame by frame. This means it can tell the television to adjust its brightness and contrast parameters specifically for each moment. A dark scene can be optimized to show detail in the shadows, and a bright scene can be optimized to show brilliant highlights without clipping, all within the same film. The result is a more precisely rendered image that better reflects the original creative intent.
HDR10+ is an open, royalty-free standard developed as a competitor to Dolby Vision. It is supported by companies like Samsung, Panasonic, Amazon Prime Video, and 20th Century Fox.