All about HDR and Dolby Vision

The image research team of Dolby laboratories has led a series of experiences to a group of spectators to answer this question. Different tests have allowed researchers to determine the preferences of spectators concerning the level of black, the level of white and the contrast. They emerged from this experience that a system capable of reproducing a light intensity ranging from 0 to 10,000 nits satisfied 90% of people in the panel.

Dolby Vision Movies Playing in HDR Mode and not Dolby Vision

The major part of my movies are in dolby vision but when i play on my tv is show the hdr mode and not the dolby vision mode.

I thought it was because plex on webos can’t deco dv so it fallback on hdr.

But it doesn’t seems to be old tee-tone when i watched dune and the small “dolby vision” pop-up showed.

Can Someone Explain Me Why Some Movie Show HDR and Other Dolby Vision ?

You can find here 2 example of movie which are dv

Dune (show the dolbyvision pop-up so it use the real dolby vision)

General Full Name: D: \ Torrent \ Data \ Media \ Movies \ Dune (2021) \ Dune (2021) [Multi-French VFF] [Bluray-2160p] [DV] [EAC3 ATMOS 5.1] [X265] -Friends.MP4 Format: MPEG-4 Format Profile: MEDIA Base Codec: ISOM (ISOM) File size: 25.9 GIO Duration: 2 h 35 min Global speed type: Mapple overall speed variable: 23.9 Mb/s Date of encoding: UTC 2021-12-19 18:36:24 Date of marking: UTC 2021-12-19 18:36:24 Video ID: 1 Format: HEVC Format/Info: High Efficient Video Coding Format: Hand [email protected]@high hdr format: Dolby Vision, version 1.0, DVHE.05.06, BL+RPU/SMPTE ST 2086, HDR10 Compatible Codec Identifier: DVHE Identifier of the codec/Info: High Efficient Video Coding With Dolby Vision Duration: 2 h 35 min Debit: 18.9 Mb/s Maximum: 91.8 Mb/s Width: 3,840 pixels Height: 2,160 pixels Format on the screen: 16/9 Image type/s: Constant images per second: 23.976 (24000/1001) IM/S Color Space: Yuv Sub-Sub Chrominance sampling: 4: 2: 0 (Type 2) Color Depth: 10 bits bits/(Pixel*Image): 0.095 Flow size: 20.5 GIO (79%) Title: Encode 4K Dolby Vision Friends-Source UHD Blu-ray DDN-1080p Friends Library used: X265 3.5+1-F0C1022B6: [Linux] [GCC 10.2.0] [64 bit] 10bit encoding parameters: CPUID = 1111039 / Frame-Threats = 6 / NUMA-HOOS = 32 / WPP / NO-PMODE / NO-PME / NO-PSNR / NO-SIM / LOG-LEVEL = 2 / INPUT-CSP = 1 / INPUT-RES = 3840×2160 / Interlace = 0 / TOTAL-FRAMES = 0 / LEVEL-IDC = 51 / HIGH-TIRS = 1 / UHD-BD = 0 / REF = 4 / NO-OLLOW- Non-conformance / Repeat-Headers / Annexb / Aud / HRD / Info / hash = 0 / No-Temporal-Layers / Open-Gop / Min-Keyint = 23 / Keyint = 240 / GOP-LOOKAHEAD = 54 / BFRAMES = 4 / B-Adapt = 2 / B-Pyramid / Bframe-Bias = 0 / RC-LOOKAHEAD = 60 / LOOKAHEAD-SLICES = 1 / SCENECUT = 40 / Hist-Scenecut = 0 / RADL = 0 / No-SPLICE / NO-INTRA- Refresh / CTU = 64 / min-cu-size = 8 / rect / amp / max-tuze = 32 / Tu-inter-depth = 4 / Tu -intra-Depth = 4 / Limit-tu = 4 / RDOQ- Level = 0 / Dynamic-rd = 0.00 / NO-SIM-D / SIGNHIDE / NO-TSKIP / NR-INTRA = 0 / NR-MER-MAIN = 0 / NO-CONSTRAINED-INTRA / Strong-Intra-SMOOTHING / MAX-MERGE = 5 / LIME-REFS = 2 / No-Limit-Modes / Me = 3 / SUPME = 7 / MERANGE = 57 / TEMPRAL-MVP / NO-FRAME-DUP / NO-HME / WEIGHTP / WEIGHTB / NO-ALAYZE-SRC-PICS / DEBLOCK = -3:- 3 / Sao / No-Sao-Non-Deblock / RD = 4 / Selective-Sao = 4 / No-Early-Skip / RSKIP / No-Fast -intra / No-TSKIP-FAST / NO-CU-Lossless / B- Intra / No-SPLITRD-SKIP / RDPENTALTY = 0 / PSY-RD = 2.00 / PSY-DROQ = 0.00 / NO-DR-REFINE / NO-LOSSLESS / CBQPOFS = 0 / CRQPOFFS = 0 / RC = Abr / Bitrate = 18888 / QCCCCOM = 0.60 / QPSTEP = 4 / stats-screen = 0 / stats-rai = 2 / cplxblur = 20.0 / Qblur = 0.5 / VBV-Maxrate = 160000 / VBV-BUFSIZE = 160000 / VBV-INIT = 0.9 / min-VBV-Fullness = 50.0 / Max-VBV-Fullness = 80.0 / ipratio = 1.40 / Pbratio = 1.30 / AQ-MODE = 4 / AQ-Strength = 1.00 / Cutten / Zone-Count = 0 / No-Strict-CBR / QG-Size = 32 / No-RC-GRAIN / QPMAX = 69 / QPMIN = 0 / NO-CONST-VBV / SAR = 1 / OVERSCAN = 0 / VideoFormat = 5 / Range = 0 / Colorprim = 9 / Transfer = 16 / Colormatrix = 9 / Chromaloc = 1 / Chromaloc-Top = 2 / Chromaloc-Bottom = 2 / Display-Window = 0 / Master-Display = G (13250, 34500) B (7500.3000) R (34000.16000) WP (15635,16450) L (40,000,000.50) / CLL = 787,239 / min-luma = 0 / Max-Luma = 1023 / Log2-Max-Poc-LSB = 8 / Vui-Timing-Info / VUI-HRD-Info / Slices = 1 / No-OPT-QP-PPS / No-OPT-REF-LENGTH-PPS / No-MULTI-PASS-OPT-RPS / SCENECUT -bias = 0.05 / Hist-Threshold = 0.03 / NO-OPT-CU-DELTA-QP / NO-AQ-MOTION / HDR10 / HDR10-OPT / NO-DHDR10-OPT / NO-IDR-RECOVERY-SEI / Analysis-LEVEL = 0 / Analysis-SAVE- Reuse-Level = 0 / Analysis-lot-level = 0 / Scale-Factor = 0 / Refine-Intra = 0 / Refine-inter = 0 / Refine-mv = 1 / Refine-tout-discovery = 0 / NO- Limit-sao / ctu-info = 0 / No-Lowpass-DCT / Refine-Analsis-Type = 0 / Copy-Pic = 1 / Max-Ausize-Factor = 1.0 / No-dynamic-refine / No-Single-Sei / No-Hevc-Aq / No-SVT / No-Field / QP-Adaptation-Trange = 1.00 / SCENECUT-AWARE-QP = 3 / FWD-SCENECUT-WINDOW = 500 / FWD-REF-QP-DELTA = 5.000000 / FWD-NONREF-QP-DELTA = 6.500000 / BWD-Scenecut-Window = 100 / BWD-REF-QP-DELTA = -1.000000 / BWD-NONREF-QP-DELTA = -1.0000000000Conance-Window-Offsets / Right = 0 / Bottom = 0 / Decoder-Max-Rate = 0 / No-VBV-Live-Multi-Pass Language: English Default: Yes Alternate Group: 1 encoding date: UTC 2021-12 -09 11:33:35 Mark marking date: UTC 2021-12-19 18:43:03 Color range: Limited Chromaticity Coordinates: Bt.2020 Transfer characteristics: PQ Matrix Coefficients: Bt.2020 Non-Constant Mastering Display Color Primaries: Display P3 Master Display Luminance: Min: 0: 0.0050 CD/M2, max: 4000 cd/m2 Maximum content light: 787 cd/m2 Maximum Frame-Everage Light Level: 239 CD/M2 Codec Configuration Box: HVCC+DVCC Audio #1 ID: 2 Format: E-AC- 3 JOC Format/Info: Enhanced AC-3 With Joint Object Coding Trade name: Dolby Digital Plus with Dolby Atmos Codec: EC-3 Duration: 2 h 35 min Debit type: Constant Debit: 448 KB/S Maximum debit: 473 kb/s Channels: 6 channels channel layout: l r c lFe ls rs sampling: 48.0 kHz images per second: 31,250 IM/s (1536 SPF) Compression mode: with loss of flow size: 498 mio (2%) Title : French (VFF) Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 With Dolby Atmos @ 448 kbps Language: French Kind Service: Complete Main Default: Yes Alternate Group: 1 Mark date: UTC 2021-12-19 18:43:03 Complexity Index: Not present / 16 Number of Dynamic Objects: 15 Bed Channel Count: 1 Bed Channel Canal Configuration: LFE Audio #2 ID: 3 Format: DTS XLL Format/Info: Digital Theater Systems Trade name: DTS-HD Master Audio Identifier of the Codec: MP4A-A9 Duration: 2 h 35 min Debit: Variable Flow rate: 3,724 kb/s Maximum flow: 7,088 kb/s Channels: 8 channel channel Layout: C L R LFE LB RB LSS RSSLILLILING: 48.0 KHz Images per second: 93.750 IM/S (512 SPF) Color depth: 24 bits Compression mode: without loss of flow size: 4.04 GIO (16%) Title: English DTS-HD MA 7.1 24 bits @ 3724 KBPS (Transco Truehd Atmos) Language: English Default: Yes Alternate Group: 1 Marking date: UTC 2021-12-19 18:43:03 AUDIO #3 ID: 4 Format: E-AC-3 JOC Format/Info: Enhanced AC-3 With Joint Object Coding Trade name: Dolby Digital Plus with Dolby Atmos Codec: EC-3 Duration: 2 h 35 min Debit type: Constant Debit: 768 kb/s Maximum debit: 811 KB /s Channels: 6 channels channel layout: l r c lFe ls rs sampling: 48.0 kHz images per second: 31,250 IM/s (1536 SPF) Compression mode: with loss of flow: 854 MIO (3%) Title: English Dolby Digital plus 5.1 with Dolby Atmos @ 768 kbps Language: English service Kind: Complete Main Default: Yes Alternate Group: 1 Mark date: UTC 2021-12-19 18:43:03 Complexity Index: Not present / 16 Number of Dynamic Objects: 15 Bed Channel Count: 1 Bed channel channel Configuration: LFE Text #1 ID: 5 Format: Timed Text Codec Identifier: TX3G Duration: 2 h 27 min Flow type: Variable Flow: 2 b/s images per second: 0.012 IM/ S FLUX size: 1.83 KIO (0%) Title: French Forced Language: French Forced: No Date of encoding: UTC 2021-12-19 18:43:02 MARKING Date: UTC 2021-12-19 18 : 43: 03 Text #2 ID: 6 Format: Timed Text Codec Identifier: TX3G Duration: 2 h 35 min Debit type: Variable Flow: 39 b/s images per second: 0.269 IM/s Size of the flow: 44, 7 KIO (0%) Title: French Language: French Forced: NO Date of encoding: UTC 2021-12-19 18:43:02 MARKET:UTC 2021-12-19 18:43:03 Text #3 ID: 7 Format: Timed Text Codec Identifier: TX3G Duration: 2 h 26 min Debit type: Variable Flow: 40 b/s images per second: 0.299 IM/ S FLUX size: 43.4 KIO (0%) Title: Full English language: English Forced: No encoding date: UTC 2021-12-19 18:43:02 Mark date: UTC 2021-12-19 18 : 43: 03 menu 00:00:00.000: chapter 01 00:03:16.154: Chapter 02 00:12:54.815: Chapter 03 00:22:00.736: Chapter 04 00:29:16.921: Chapter 05 00:39:10.931: Chapter 06 00:47:19.795: Chapter 07 00:56:53.493: Chapter 08 01:06:50.381: Chapter 09 01:16:44.891: Chapter 10 01:26:00.655: Chapter 11 01:36:00.379: Chapter 12 01:45:09.469: Chapter 13 01:53:50.323: Chapter 14 02:03:38.536: Chapter 15 02:12:13.342: Chapter 16 02:20:45.770: Chapter 17 02:27:27.797: Chapter 18

The Batman (Show the HDR Pop-Up So It Use Hdr Mode Even If the Movie is in DV)

General Unique identifier: 74174495912593465101017316044709572966 (0x37cd7cffd6b71c27916bacee71e83166) Full name: D: \ Torrent \ Data \ Media \ Movies \ The Batman (2022) FF] [Bluray-2160p] [DV HDR10] [EAC3 7.1] [H265] -Qtz.MKV Format: Matroska Format version: version 4 file size: 6.75 GIO Duration: 2 h 56 min Average global speed: 5,488 kb/s film name: The Batman (2022) Multi VFF 2160p 10bit 4klight Dolby Vision Bluray DDP 7.1 x265-qtz encoding date: UTC 2022-06-06 13:18:39 Application used: MKVMERGE V67.0.0 (‘Under Stars’) 64-Bit Library used: LIBEBML V1.4.2 + Libmatroska V1.6.4 Video ID: 1 Format: HEVC Format/Info: High Efficiency Video Coding Format Profile: Main [email protected]@high hdr format: Dolby Vision, version 1.0, DVHE.08.06, BL+RPU, HDR10 Compatible/SMPTE ST 2086, HDR10 Compatible Codec identifier: V_MPEGH/ISO/HEVC Duration: 2 h 56 min flow: 3,908 kb/s Width: 3,840 pixels Height: 1 608 pixels format at L ‘screen: 2.40: 1 type of images/s: constant images per second: 23.976 (24000/1001) IM/S Color space: yuv sub-sample of chrominance: 4: 2: 0 (Type 2) Color depth: 10 bits bits/(pixel*image): 0.026 FLUX size: 4.81 GIO (71%) DEFAULT: Yes forced: No Color range: Limited Chromaticity Coordinates: BT.2020 Transfer characteristics: PQ Matrix Coefficients: Bt.2020 Non-Constant Mastering Display Color Primaries: Display P3 Master Display Luminance: Min: 0: 0.0001 CD/m2, max: 1000 cd/m2 Maximum content light: 413 cd/m2 Maximum frame-arrangement light level: 65 cd/m2 audio #1 id: 2 format: e-ac-3 format/info: enhanced ac -3 Trade name: Dolby Digital Plus Format profile: Blu-ray DISC format parameters: Dolby Surround ex codec identifier: A_EAC3 Duration: 2 h 56 min Debit type: Constant Debit: 768 kb/s Canals: 8 channel channels Layout: L R C LS LS RS LB RB SCHOOLING: 48.0 kHz Images per second: 31,250 IM/S (1536 SPF) Compression Mode: With Loss Flux size: 968 MIO (14%) Title: FR VFF: DDP 7.1 Language: French Kind Service: Complete Main Default: Yes Forced: No Audio #2 ID: 3 Format: E-AC-3 Format/Info: Enhanced AC-3 Trade name: Dolby Digital Plus Format: Blu-ray Disc Format parameters: Dolby Surround EX ID codec: A_EAC3 Duration: 2 h 56 min Debit type: Constant Flow: 768 kb/s Channels: 8 channels channel Layout: L R C LFE LS RS LB RB Sampling: 48.0 kHz Images by Second: 31,250 IM/S (1536 SPF) Compression mode: with loss size of the flow: 968 MIO (14%) Title: CAR VO: DDP 7.1 Language: English Kind Service: Complete Main Default: No Forced: No Text #1 ID: 4 Format: UTF-8 Codec Identifier: S_Text/UTF8 Codec identifier/Info: UTF-8 Plain Text Duration: 2 h 47 min Flow: 0 b/s images per second: 0.005 IM/S Count of Elements: 50 Flux size: 1.18 KIO (0%) Title: fr Forced: SRT Language: French Default: Yes Forced: Yes text #2 ID : 5 Format: UTF-8 Codec identifier: S_TEXT/UTF8 Codec identifier/Info: UTF-8 Plain Text Duration: 2 h 54 min flow: 38 b/s images per second: 0.170 IM/S COUNT OF ELEMENTS: 1774 Flow size: 48.5 KIO (0%) Title: FR Full: SRT LANGUAGE: French DEFAULT: NO Forced: No text #3 ID: 6 Format: UTF-8 Codec identifier: S_TEXT/UTF8 ID CODEC/INFO : UTF-8 Plain Text Duration: 2 h 43 min flow: 48 b/s images per second: 0.190 IM/S COUNT OF ELEMENTS: 1867 Flow size: 58,0 KIO (0%) Title: Eng Full: SRT Language: English DEFAULT: NO PORREDE: NO Text #4 ID: 7 Format: PGS MUXING TYPE: ZLIB CODEC ID: S_HDMV/PGS CODEC ID/INFO: Picture Based Subtitle format Used on BDS/HD-DVDS Duration: 2 h 47 min flow: 1,063 b/s images per second: 0.010 IM/S Count of elements: 100 flow size: 1.27 mio (0%) Title: fr Forced: PGS Language: French DEFAULT: NO PORPED: Yes text #5 ID: 8 Format: PGS MUXING TYPE: ZLIB Codec ID: S_HDMV/PGS Codec/Info: picture based subtitle format Used on BDS/HD-DVDS Duration: 2 h 54 min Flow: 33.3 kb/s images per second: 0.340 IM/S Count of Elements: 3548 Flow size: 41.4 Mio (0%) Title: FR Full: PGS Language: French Default: No Forced: No Text #6 ID: 9 Format: PGS Type of MUXING: ZLIB CODEC ID:S_HDMV/PGS Codec identifier/Info: picture based subtitle format Used on BDS/HD-DVDS Duration: 2 h 55 min Flow: 52.4 kb/s images per second: 0.458 IM/S COUNT OF ELEMENTS: 4832 FLUE size : 65.8 MIO (1%) Title: Eng Full SDH: PGS Language: English DEFAULT: No Forced: No menu 00:00:00.000 :: Chapter 01 00:12:01.429:: Chapter 02 00:23:21.692:: Chapter 03 00:31:53.870:: Chapter 04 00:41:44.544:: Chapter 05 00:51:36.719 :: Chapter 06 01:00:12.943:: Chapter 07 01:10:32.437 :: Chapter 08 01:18:35.169:: Chapter 09 01:29:14.766 :: Chapter 10 01:42:33.189 :: Chapter 11 01:52:16.939:: Chapter 12 01:58:21.261:: Chapter 13 02:09:40.022 :: Chapter 14 02:21:14.508:: Chapter 15 02:27:31.384:: Chapter 16 02:38:36.048 :: Chapter 17 02:46:58.383 :: Chapter 18

All about HDR and Dolby Vision

Less media than the UHD-4K, HDR (High Dynamic Range) and Dolby Vision technologies are just as revolutionary for our televisions and probably more spectacular to the eye than the transition from HD to ultra high definition.

For what ? Because they allow you to display an image with more marked brightness gaps between its darkest part and its clearest part than with standard televisions (SDR = Standard Dynamic Range). And as the human eye is extremely sensitive to variations in light intensity, the result in the image is immediately perceptible: a more important intra-image contrast, more gradation in the light of light, therefore also in colors, and more details visible in the brightest parts as in the most obscure parts of the image.

By offering images whose luminosity peak is higher, with greater subtlety in contrasts, Blu-ray UHD-4K readers, UHD-4K televisions and HDR and Dolby Vision compatible video projectors are approaching the potential of perception of the human eye. Offering a more extensive colorimetric space, the HDR 10 and Dolby Vision standards allow you to display images of incomparable liveliness and realism thanks to a more intense brightness and a wider palette of nuances in colors.

HDR = High Dynamic Range

Those who practice photography certainly know this term: the dynamic range of an image (“Dynamic Range” in English) is the extent measured between its clearest part and its darkest part. The more the dynamic range is extended, the more contrasting and readable the image, in dark areas as in clear areas. Blacks and whites are more nuanced, richer and more subtle colors.

The introduction of a dynamic range extended in the field of video therefore makes it possible to distinct many details from the darkest areas to the brightest areas of the image. This requires, however, that all of the devices used to capture images (cameras), postproduction (assembly, digital effects. ) and broadcasting (broadcasting services, televisions. ) are compatible.

The inheritance of the cathodic tube.

These are the capacities of cathodic tube screens (CRT – Ray Tube Cathode), with their limitations, which initially served as a stallion for image quality of the color television. The resolution, the dynamic range, the color palette (Gamut) and even the display frequency of filmed and broadcast video images were intimately linked to this technology today.

In SDR, the colorimetric beach and the luminance differences in the original image are reduced during post-production, mastering and distribution, in order to adapt to the limits of diffusion equipment, which meets standards dating of the era of the cathodic tube !

The arrival of the high definition (HD 720p then HD 1080p) made it possible to evolve the resolution of the images until a definition of 1920 x 1080 pixels and to improve colorimetry with the adoption of the colorimetric space.709 (coding colors on 8 bits, or 256 values, covering approximately 35% of the spectrum visible by the human eye), paving the way for Deep Color and X technologies.V.Color implemented on LCD TVs and HD and Full HD plasma (HDTV and HDTV 1080p).

The ultra high definition (UHD or 4K) then broke the nail by multiplying the resolution of the images (UHD = 3840 x 2160 pixels) and by adopting an even more extensive color space (.2020, coding colors on 10 bits, or 1024 values) so that it covers 75% of the spectrum visible by the human eye.

But it was necessary to get rid of the limit of 100 Candelas/m² characterizing the peak of brightness of the images displayed by a television, wedged for all these years on the physical limits of the cathodic tubes, while the human eye is capable to adapt to brightness levels ranging from 0.0001 to 10,000 Candelas/m² !

In HDR and Dolby Vision, the dynamic image of the image remains much more extensive than in SDR and does not undergo a bottleneck. From post-production to the display on the living room television, the image offers more shades of colors and brightness, it is more faithful to the original.

Something done with the UHD and the SMTPE ST2084 EOTF standard which therefore defines a more extensive dynamic range for ultra HD premium (HDR 10) televisions, based on the real sensitivity of the human eye to the contrast, and authorizing a wide range luminance between 0 and 10,000 Candelas/m² with a luminance sampling on at least 10 bits.

Candela/m² is the unit of measurement of the light intensity of a source, or luminance. It corresponds to the light intensity, in a given direction, of a source which emits a monochromatic radiation of frequency 540 × 10 12 Hertz and whose energy intensity in this direction is 1/683 watt by steradian (this equivalent more or less at the light intensity of the flame of a candle).
1 Candela/m² = 1 nit.

Different standards ?

Ultra HD Premium

It is the highest official certification for a UHD TV. It is delivered by the ultra HD alliance to ultra -high definition televisions offering at least the following characteristics:

• Display resolution: 3840 x 2160 pixels.
• Color depth: 10 bits.
• Colorimetric space: HDMI input compatible Rec.2020 and ability to display 90% or more of the DCI-P3 color space (colorimetric space used for digital cinema, covering approximately 85% of the spectrum visible by the human eye).
• HDR compatibility: maximum brightness of at least 1000 cd/m² with a level of black less than or equal to 0.05 cd/m² for LED or maximum brightness televisions of at least 540 cd/m² with a level of lower black or Equal to 0.0005 cd/m² for OLED TV (SMTPE ST2084 EOTF standard). The standard restrained is the open standard known as HDR 10 appellation.

HDR10

This is a standard based on an open platform, called HDR 10 because it uses a 10-bit color quantification scale. Each manufacturer of televisions that uses it can implement it as it wishes (it is sometimes mentioned under the term “HDR 1000” by certain manufacturers of LCD LED televisions).
This is the HDR standard retained by the UHD Alliance for the allocation of the Ultra HD Premium label and the calibration of films sold on Blu-ray UHD support. It competes with the Dolby Vision, an HDR standard owner developed by Dolby laboratories, notably using 12 -bit quantification.

HDR10+

This HDR standard was developed by the UHD Alliance to compete with the Dolby Vision. Like the latter, the standard HDR10+ uses dynamic metadata integrated into the video flow so that the compatible broadcaster (TV, video projector) can optimize the display, scene by scene. This open standard is supported in particular by the 20th Century Fox, Panasonic Corporation and Samsung.

HDR10+ Adaptive

The HDR10 + adaptive function ensures dynamic optimization of scene images by scene, using HDR10 + metadata and adapting to room lighting conditions to improve the HDR experience. This function uses the TV light sensor and ensures that the screen respects the director’s creative intention without any loss of details or contrast, regardless of the ambient brightness.

Dolby Vision

Dolby Vision is an HDR technology developed by Dolby laboratories which goes further than the HDR 10 standard. It offers a 12-bit quantification and above all a real workflow (process of implementation of the standard) with rigorous control from the calibration of the master’s post-production to the viewing, the only guarantee that the image disseminated to the final spectator will truly comply with the original desired by the director.
Note that any video flow encoded in Dolby Vision has standard HDR metadata (10 -bit HDR) allowing HDR reading with a TV or an HDR projector not certified Dolby Vision.

Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG)

It is a free HDR standard of right developed jointly by the BBC and the NHK for the dissemination of TV programs with large dynamic range images (High Dynamic Range). This standard was adopted by the DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) consortium, by ITU (International Telecommunication Union) as well as by the HDMI Forum (HDMI 2 standard.0b).

HDR, HDR Pro

The HDR mention and its HDR Pro, HDR Plus derivatives. (Not to be confused with the HDR 10 standard) do not constitute an official quality label or a clearly defined standard (HDR simply means “extended dynamic range”, High Dynamic Range in English). Affixed on a TV, it therefore indicates that it offers a wider dynamic range than a standard TV (SDR) which is limited to 100 nits (or 100 Candelas/m²). The brands whose televisions do not meet all the criteria of the ultra HD premium label but which still offer a peak of brightness greater than 100 nits therefore use this name to stand out from standard televisions.
In their technical sheets, some manufacturers add, in addition to the HDR mention, the maximum brightness of the TV, expressed in Nits.

Dolby Vision

Unlike the HDR 10 standard, which is open, Dolby Vision is a proprietary standard. This therefore involves using Dolby Vision certified equipment for post-production, broadcasting (Broadcast, Physical Support) and display. It is a constraint on the entire production and image broadcasting chain, but this is what guarantees that the final display, on the TV or via a compatible video projector, will be absolutely in accordance with the director of the director. Indeed, the Dolby Vision standard allows the creator (s) of the film to cut precisely the brightness, the contrast and the colors of each plan and to add to the image thus “calibrated” of the metadata which will be in chain end interpreted by the Dolby Vision compatible TV so that it displays the image as it was wanted by its creators. The Dolby Vision processor (integrated into the television or the video projector) is even able to adapt the image rendering according to the specific technical characteristics of the display device in which it is integrated.

With the HDR 10 standard, nothing like this. We are not assured that a film shot with a camera capturing brightness peaks reaching for example 2000 Nits will be calibrated with a compatible monitor, or the rendering on an HDR 10 compatible TV but capped at 1000 Nits will be in accordance with Director’s vision.

In addition, Dolby Vision technology is already compatible with a 12 -bit coding (against 10 bits for HDR 10) and can support images whose light intensity reaches 10,000 Nits ! Although the best professional monitors only reach only 4000 nits and the best televisions barely exceed 1000 Nits, Dolby Vision is immediately positioned as a technology of the future, capable of apprehending and exploiting developments in filming cameras, production equipment and upcoming broadcasters.

What is Dolby Vision ?

Dolby Vision changes our apprehension of films, series and video games by improving the light intensity, contrast and colors to deliver an ultra-realistic image. By fully exploiting the potential of new cinema projection technologies and the capacities of new generation televisions, Dolby Vision technology delivers content with an extended dynamic range (HDR), as well as a more important colorimetric space (or gamut). The resulting image is so detailed and so realistic that we would come to forget that we look at a screen.

Current standards concerning the broadcasting of video images and cinema are based on the limits imposed by obsolete technologies and require an impairment of the original content before it can be disseminated: this causes a significant reduction in colority space, from the light intensity and contrast captured by modern cameras. Dolby Vision technology is tackling this problem directly by ensuring that the creative team’s vision will be faithfully reproduced by TV screens, computers or compatible dolby compatible devices.

Dolby Vision is the natural complement of Dolby Atmos. The two handsets give the creative teams responsible for films, video games and television shows tools to create a result faithful to their vision, in order to offer spectators a really immersive experience and without the slightest compromise.

Dolby Vision technology makes it possible to use their capacities as much as possible to televisions, game consoles, computers and compatible portable devices.

Dolby Vision: Inspired by human vision

There are three ways to improve the quality of movies, television series and video games:

• Improve the definition by increasing the number of pixels in the image: UHD 4K, 8k and more,
• Improve fluidity by increasing the number of images displayed per second,
• Improve the very quality of displayed pixels: extended dynamic range, large colorimetric space.

UHD-4K televisions have more pixels and new standards for these ultra-high definition televisions also define a larger display frequency. However, these standards do not allow each pixel to represent the whole beach of brightness existing in nature. Dolby Vision technology is the solution offered by Dolby laboratories to meet this challenge, in competition with HDR 10.

In nature, the scale of colors and brightness is much richer and more extensive than that than televisions, Blu-ray discs and cinemas can reproduce.

In the photo of this flower, the luminance (or light intensity) is only 145 nits for the bottom of the image, in its darkest part, but it reaches 14,700 nits in the most lit yellow part petal.

Current TV and Blu-ray standards limit luminance to a maximum of 100 nits and a minimum of 0.117 nits, which also limits the colorimetric space (or color gamut) delivered by the source or the screen. The image reproduced by standard televisions is therefore very very far from offering the richness of the images perceived by the human eye. These limits with which current high definition televisions must compose are the legacy of televisions with cathodic tubes of yesteryear.

How to define the dynamic range required ?

The image research team of Dolby laboratories has led a series of experiences to a group of spectators to answer this question. Different tests have allowed researchers to determine the preferences of spectators concerning the level of black, the level of white and the contrast. They emerged from this experience that a system capable of reproducing a light intensity ranging from 0 to 10,000 nits satisfied 90% of people in the panel.

The representation of colors on current televisions is another major problem, linked to restrictions of light intensity and color space.

On this two -dimensional diagram, the colored surface represents all the colors perceptible by the human eye. The smallest triangle (dotted) corresponds to the colorimetric space used for HD TNT programs and Blu-ray discs and reproduced by HD televisions and current video projectors (Gamut Reca.709). The largest triangle (in dashes) represents the colorimetric space retained for the UHD standard (HDR 10) and corresponds to the colors that Dolby Vision technology is able to reproduce.

However, a two -dimensional representation of the color space is too restrictive and does not allow to take into account the luminance, which in a way constitutes the volume of color (light/saturation intensity), by analogy with the sound volume.

On this second diagram, the colorimetric space is represented on 3 dimensions: the colors on the horizontal axes (x and y), the brightness/saturation on the vertical axis (y). This representation makes the gain brought by HDR 10 and Dolby Vision (BT.2020) with respect to the colorimetric space of current HD content (BT.709).

You should know that on the screen of a TV, the display works by additive synthesis of three primary colors (on the same principle as human vision). Each pixel is actually made up of three sub-pixels: a red, a green and a blue (RGB system). The color of each displayed pixel is therefore determined by the light intensity of each sub-pixel.

To display a white pixel, each of its subpixels is pushed to its maximum level of intensity. The problem that arises with a light intensity limited to 100 nits (as is the case for HD televisions and blu-ray discs) is that the more clear color, the more it approaches the White: the lightest colors are then less saturated. For example, the lightest saturated blue displayed by a standard television or video projector (SDR) is 7 nits, which means that a blue sky will never be as clear and saturated as it should be it.

With a light intensity of up to 4,000 nits on current monitors used in post-production and up to 10,000 nits in the near future, the directors have the possibility of representing a real blue, bright and saturated sky, for a very more natural.

What quantification to use ?

After having established that the Dolby Vision should be able to cover a light intensity ranging from 0 to 10,000 nits, the Dolby team set out in search of the most effective means to broadcast this important dynamic beach.

In the current system (SDR – Standard Dynamic Range – Standard dynamic range) with a maximum light intensity of 100 nits, the video is encoded in 8 -bit by color component (RGB), with a gamma gamma. Using the same approach would require 14 bits for a dynamic range multiplied by a 100 factor. Fortunately, the human eye is less sensitive to intensity variations in light areas than it is in dark areas. This is why Dolby has developed a new electro-optical transfer function (EOTF for Electro Optical Transfer Function) allowing to encode the entire 10,000 nits on 12 bits only instead of 14, without adding the slightest artefact. This new quantification (PQ – Perceptual Quantizer) is standardized under the SMPTE St -2084 standard to be used in various standards and applications related to HDR. This should mean that the Dolby Vision content, whatever its overall brightness, is just as intelligible when looked at in a bright room as in a dark room.

10 -bit quantification vs 12 bits

Why does the Dolby Vision standard use 12-bit quantification while certain generic HDR approaches, such as the HDR 10 standard, use an EOTF PQ on 10 bits ?

Human vision has a different sensitivity depending on the light levels: it is thus particularly sensitive to small variations on large areas of light almost uniform.
The graph below illustrates the differences between 10-bit quantification and 12-bit quantification. The black dotted line materializes the human perception threshold (visual different Threshold) above which the average spectator can distinguish the differences between two contiguous luminance values. We realize here clearly that with a quantified luminance scale on 10 bits (continuous blue curve – HDR 10), the different lights of brightness are perceptible by the human eye, which results in the image by a phenomenon of postering.

On natural scenes, noise can hide this difference, but in areas of the image such as a blue sky will appear bands or contours (posterization) if the degree of quantification is insufficient. The quantification on 12 bits (blue dotted line – Dolby Vision) avoids this pitfall by lowering the differences between two values ​​of luminance contiguous to the limits of the perception threshold of the human eye.

On the left, the posterization phenomenon is very marked. By increasing the quantification of displayable colors, the gradient is more nuanced. The right image shows a perfectly smoothed gradient, with a gentle transition between the different shades displayed, without visible demarcation between two nuances.

Dolby Vision: how it works ?

Directors of movies and television series tell stories, the designers of video games create immersive environments and a captivating experience. For all these creators, to deal with the limits imposed by current dissemination standards is a real challenge. Over the past fifty years, Dolby has worked in concert with Hollywood studios but also cinemas and manufacturers of video equipment, to make these stories and video game experiences as realistic as possible. There are many innovations brought by Dolby, from noise reduction (Dolby NR) to Surround Diffusion in 5.1 (Dolby Digital) then in 7.1 high resolution (Dolby True HD), to arrive today at Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos technologies.

Dolby Vision technology provides directors and colorists (or game designers and visual effects) the tools necessary to very precisely represent more intense colors, more intense light and more detailed shadows. Thus creating a more real and more captivating experience for the spectator.

The vision of the creator under the eyes of the spectator

The limits of current systems are only the natural result of the restrictions inherent in the standards applicable to televisions and Blu-ray discs, inherited from the limitations of CRT technology (Cathode tube). The maximum light intensity possible for a blu-ray or a television program (TNT, cable or satellite) is always 100 nits. But the most recent televisions can reach 300 to 500 nits. They are therefore set to the factory to “stretch” the light intensity of the content they display in order to exploit all their potential, which produces a distortion of the original image. Each manufacturer goes from their personal recipe to adapt the image received to the characteristics of its televisions by modulating the light intensity in a different way. Films, TV series and games can have a completely different rendering from one TV to another, with a result sometimes very far from the original image as it was masterized in the studio.

Dolby Vision technology solves this problem. The teams that create content proceed to calibration of colors using compatible reference monitors Dolby Vision. The latter offer a much higher dynamic range as well as a much larger colorimetric space, to ensure the production of a high-fidelity master’s degree. The calibrated image in Dolby Vision contains metadata relating to the system used to create the final version of the content. As each Dolby Vision compatible television is meticulously calibrated by the manufacturer and the Dolby technicians, it is able to use these metadata in order to offer the most faithful restitution possible to the original content, by using its display capacities as much as possible, without generating visual distortion in the image.

Dolby Vision: on the production side

Dolby has designed Dolby Vision technology in order to make it as simple as possible to create content and to broadcast.

Content creation

The process of implementing Dolby Vision is very close to that of the colorimetric calibration used by directors. The goal is to restore the images captured by the camera with the greatest possible accuracy and to limit creative compromises during the calibration and mastering phase.

The Dolby Vision HDR reference monitor (which can reach a light intensity of 4,000 nits) is used for colors and light settings. The purpose of the Dolby Vision calibration process is to grasp the artist’s intentions through the colors of the image. Directors, colorists and publishers are based on this calibration system and help themselves with these monitors in order to create the most striking image possible, thus completely taking advantage of everything that modern diffusers have to offer.

When calibration is finished, the Dolby Vision system analyzes the image and safeguards dynamic metadata describing all creative decisions concerning the restitution of the HDR image, plan by plan. The CMU (Content Mapping Unit or Unit of Organization of the Content) organizes the content based on a reference monitor offering a standard light intensity (100 Nits), to create an usable version in SDR, with HDR metadata apart. Once the SDR version has been approved, images and metadata can then be exported. Dynamic metadata can then be used to broadcast the Master Dolby Vision on compatible screens, thus making it possible to develop the full potential of a Dolby Vision TV. An SDR TV will be content to display the image on a standard dynamic range, ignoring metadata. A TV offering a light intensity of 600 nits will diffuse a superb image. A model displaying a light intensity of 1200 nits will offer an even more striking image. The two screens will be based on the same metadata in order to restore reference images in Dolby Vision so that they are as close as possible to the original images.

The same algorithms used by the CMU for studio calibration can also be used to create a standard compatibility for live broadcasts (Broadcast) calibrated in Dolby Vision.

Games creation

Most modern game engines are HDR compatible. To integrate Dolby Vision technology it is simply necessary:

• that the graphics are developed in order to be calibrated in Dolby Vision.
• Reference monitors designed for Dolby Vision content.
• Dolby Vision compatible game engines.

Dolby works in collaboration with the main creators of game engines to ensure that these engines are compatible with Dolby Vision technology.

Diffusion/transmission

Dolby Vision technology does not require any new Codec and can be distributed with the HEVC and AVC standard codecs. The Dolby Full Vision Signal can be encoded in a HEVC-10 (10 Bits) flow or in two strokes with a smaller quantification, with the metadata. The signal is thus compatible with a wide range of televisions, computers and portable devices. The final display uses metadata to reconstruct and distribute the full signal, using existing video decoders.

Dolby works with organizations responsible for broadcasting standards, such as Blu-ray Disc Association, DVB, MPEG, Ultaviolet/December and SCSA, to ensure that Dolby Vision content can be standardized in all these ecosystems.

Dolby Vision: on the side of the spectator

Dolby Vision is compatible with many hardware configurations and can therefore be integrated into a large number of broadcasters: high -end OLED TVs offering deep black levels, LCD TV with quantum box (Quantum DOT technology, triluminos, etc.) and in the near future, computers and mobile devices. Dolby works alongside its partners in the audiovisual industry in order to offer solutions that are easy to integrate, both in terms of hardware and software.

OLED LG HDR TV compatible Dolby Vision offer an unequaled black depth with subtle gradation levels, allowing many details to display the darkest image areas.

Decode and recompose the image

Dolby Vision is compatible with many video codecs and works in particular with HEVC and AVC decoders. There are multiple methods to encode and decode the Dolby Vision signals. Depending on the needs of the content and capacity creator of the diffuser, the Dolby Vision signal can be broadcast via a single HEVC hand 10 or two AVC-8, HEVC-8 or HEVE-10 flows.

A Dolby Vision Hevc Main 10 flow (simple layer) can be decoded by a standard HEVC decoder, then supported by a Dolby Vision module in order to reproduce all the 12 bits of the Dolby Vision Original signal.
A double -layer AVC or HEVC Dolby Vision flow is separated in two, so as to send the basic flow and the improved flow to separate decoders. The Dolby Vision recomposition module is then responsible for rejoining the signal in its entirety (base layer, improved layer and metadata).

Display manager

The display manager is set specifically for each diffuser: the manager therefore knows the maximum and minimum light intensity of the screen, as well as the colorimetric space and all the characteristics of the display necessary for the diffusion of the content content. The metadata accompanying the Dolby Vision video signal transport information concerning the system used for the original calibration of the content as well as all the specific information related to the signal. By using these metadata, the Dolby Vision display manager transforms the entire signal intelligently in order to produce the best possible image on the diffuser used.

One of the major differences between the approach operated by Dolby Vision and the other HDR solutions is precisely in the presence of metadata accompanying each image, from its recording to its display on the spectator screen.

The classic HDR standard (HDR 10) contains only static metadata used to describe the properties of the reference monitor used to create the content as well as some basic information relating to brightness (maximum and average level).

Dolby Vision implements dynamic metadata generated during the very creation of content, thus capturing the dynamic properties of each scene. With this information, the Dolby Vision display manager is able to adapt much more precisely the content disseminated to the graphic properties of the diffuser. The nuances are thus perfectly preserved, which is essential in particular to faithfully reproduce the flesh tones.

Dolby Vision IQ

Dolby Vision IQ is an evolution of the Dolby Vision which adjusts in real time the brightness, colors and contrast of the TV screen as a function of the room lighting conditions. Dolby Vision IQ combines the dynamic metadata contained in the video file and the ambient brightness data of the brightness sensor integrated into the TV. Thus, whatever the overall brightness of video content in Dolby Vision, the image remains readable when looked at in a bright room or in a dark room. In the middle of the day, if time is covered at times and suddenly plunges the room into a darker atmosphere, the brightness of the Dolby Vision image is adjusted in real time to preserve the level of contrast. Conversely, if the room is suddenly illuminated, Dolby Vision IQ increases the overall brightness of the image to unclog the darkest areas while preserving the gray scale and the colorimetry.

Where to find HDR and Dolby Vision content ?

There are several possibilities to enjoy films and series shot and products with a wide dynamic range (HDR and Dolby Vision).

Blu-ray UHD-4K

Some UHD-4K Blu-ray discs offer content in HDR version. They can only be read on a UHD-4K Blu-ray player.
Several titles are already available in HDR version and many others are announced: Mad Max Fury Road, Creed, The Expendables 3, San Andreas, in the heart of the ocean (in the Heart of the Sea), Pan, The Ender’s strategy (Ender’s Game), Lego – La Grande Aventure, Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, Point Break, Man of Steel, Deadpool.

Amazon, Netflix

Amazon and Netflix online video services offer several Ultra High Definition TV films and TV series with HDR and Dolby Vision encoding.

TNT, satellite TV

Only offered on an experimental basis, HDR content on HD TNT is limited for the moment to some broadcasts of major sporting events (Roland Garros 2016 Roland Tennis tournament, for example), accessible only via the Eiffel Tower Transfer (TNT).

How to enjoy an HDR or Dolby Vision image ?

TV or video projector

A 4K UHD TV or a 4K UHD UHD video projector supporting HDR and/or Dolby Vision content is necessary to enjoy an image with a wide range. These televisions and video projectors have at least one HDMI 2 input.0 HDCP 2 compatible.2.

HDR sources

For the time being, the HDR and Dolby Vision content sources are counted on the fingers of one hand

• Blu-ray UHD-4K films encoded in HDR require a UHD-4K Blu-ray player.
• Films and series encoded in HDR or Dolby Vision on online video services Amazon and Netflix: require internet access (very) broadband as well as a formula for the formula giving access to these contents.
• YouTube: The online video platform has announced a future HDR compatibility, thanks to an update update of its application for televisions allowing the management of the VP9-Profile 2 Codec 2.