HDR and Dolby Vision: Characteristics, operation, utilities – All about these technologies

Nor should we neglect the ability to reproduce black televisions. We cannot talk about an enlarged dynamic beach if the brightness won is at the expense of the yield of dark colors. More rigorous standards will be established with HDR 10 and Dolby Vision standards.

Understand HDR and Dolby Vision technologies

Since the arrival of UHD 4K televisions, we have heard of HDR and Dolby Vision technologies. Less publicized than ultra high definition, HDR (from English High Dynamic Range, For “high dynamic beach”) and Dolby Vision are just as important and want a real revolution in the world of television and image.

Hdr

What is HDR? First of all, you should know that the dynamic range of an image represents the gap in the range of colors reproduced by a screen, from the darkest black with the brightest white. Standard high-definition televisions (SDR, for Standard Dynamic Range) have the capacity to produce 255 shades of colors, while UHD 4K televisions with HDR mention will be able to display 1024 shades of colors, which is a giant step in terms of image reproduction.

HDR therefore has the mandate to make colors more natural and to establish a clear improvement in contrasts. The ultimate goal is to be able to recreate what the human eye sees in the real world.

Functioning

The basic idea of ​​HDR is to be able to enlarge the color spectrum that a television can display by increasing its brightness, while preserving deep blacks. We must not confuse the increase in brightness with an aggressive over-shift image that we would have badly adjusted. On the contrary, by increasing the brightness, we will then be able to recreate more details in the light colors. We can also eliminate the saturation created by a screen unable to reproduce the shades of the shiny areas of an image.

From a more technical aspect, a television will have to comply with specific specifications to deserve the HDR mention. A television will have to make a brightness of more than 100 nits (maximum brightness reproduced by an SDR TV, equipped with an 8 -bit panel). The standards will be more rigorous for televisions bearing the mention HDR 10. A panel capable of a 10 -bit display will then be necessary to meet the requests for the Reclag.2020.

Nor should we neglect the ability to reproduce black televisions. We cannot talk about an enlarged dynamic beach if the brightness won is at the expense of the yield of dark colors. More rigorous standards will be established with HDR 10 and Dolby Vision standards.

To have a so-called HDR result, it will be necessary that the video source (film, TV show) is shot and broadcast in HDR, as well as read on video components (television, 4K Blu-ray player) complying with this technology.

The arrival of UHD 4K television has somehow gave birth to HDR technology. Its image resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels makes it possible to adopt a wider colorimetric space (Reclag.2020) which represents 75% of what the human eye can perceive.

The different HDR standards

The HDR mention means that a television is capable of reproducing brightness peaks greater than 100 nits, therefore higher than a standard standard beach television (SDR) can offer. Most HDR televisions exceed these requests, without however complying with strict regulations.

Complying with tighter specifications, HDR 10 is a standard based on an open platform. A panel using a 10 -bit color quantification scale will be compulsory to be compatible with the Reclag.2020, which covers 75% of the colorimetric space perceived by the human eye. The brightness capacity of HDR 10 televisions is greater than standard HDR models.

Ultra HD Premium

Ultra HD Premium televisions are subject to more defined standards. To be certified, a TV must:

• Have a display resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels
• Have a panel using a 10 -bit color quantification scale
• HDMI ports compatible with encoding Rec.2020
• Be able to reproduce 90% or more of the colorimetric space DCI-P3
• Have a maximum brightness of at least 1000 nits and a level of reproduction of blacks less than 0.05 nits (LED televisions).
• Have a maximum brightness of at least 540 nits and a level of reproduction of blacks less than 0.0005 nits (OLED televisions).

HDR contents

There are several possibilities to enjoy the various films and series products in HDR. Several Blu-ray 4K discs sold on store shelves are compatible with HDR technology. For continuous video lovers (streaming), certain platforms, including the Netflix giant, offers selected titles in HDR. The number of these titles is increasing. It is now possible to take advantage of all the quality that our televisions have to offer!

Dolby Vision

Dolby Vision is an HDR technology developed by the Dolby company. Stricter and better defined, it also goes further in terms of the required specifications. A tight control of televisions on the mention Dolby Vision will be carried out, but Dolby will also impose a rigorous follow -up to film studios. Everything is thought of so that the image reproduced at home is perfectly consistent with the vision of creators.

Dolby Vision is a standard of Dolby laboratories, unlike HDR 10, which is an open platform. Dolby will require UHD 4K television manufacturers a 12 -bit color quantification panel (compared to 10 bits for HDR 10 TVs). It is therefore agreed that to deserve the mention Dolby Vision, the equipment used by television manufacturers will have to be approved and certified by Dolby. The same goes for the material entering into the production and dissemination of Dolby Vision content. All stages of the process are therefore controlled by Dolby, which guarantees a result faithful to the vision of the directors.

Here is a concrete example of the Dolby Vision certification. If a film is shot with cameras that can capture a brightness of 2000 Nits, to reproduce the film at home well, we must have a TV capable of displaying peaks of equivalent equivalent brightness. This is what Dolby Vision offers by their certification. Of course, we can watch this same film with an HDR 10 TV which will have a maximum capacity of 1000 Nits, for example, but the latter will not be able to faithfully display all the information encoded in the film.

Dolby’s vision

Current image reproduction standards are based on the limits of technology, which may seem normal at first. However, between the capture of an image by the professional cameras of the biggest movie studios and what will be displayed on our screens, there will be a whole compression process to be able to comply with the technical limitations of televisions, Blu-ray readers and home cinema amplifiers. This compression will alter the colors, the brightness and the contrast of the original image that directors see on their professional monitors.

Dolby wants to drop the barriers imposed by the limitations of current technology. The vision of the Dolby laboratories is to make it possible to use as much as possible all the electronic devices used to reproduce the image. To do this, Dolby is inspired by human vision to reach perfection.

Rigorous tests

Dolby brought together a team of specialists and spectators to carry out several image tests. The aim of the experience was to determine what would meet people’s expectations in terms of reproduction of blacks, whites and contrast. The tests made it possible to conclude that an image capable of displaying a brightness ranging from 0 to 10,000 nits was satisfactory for the group of people together.

Obviously, we are still far from having televisions capable of offering brightness of 10,000 nits. Let us remember that a standard television is limited to 100 nits, and that UHD 4K HDR televisions on the market rarely exceed 1000 Nits (the most efficient will revolve around 2000 Nits). Even professional studio monitors will reach peaks of brightness not exceeding 4000 Nits.

So that’s what Dolby can see: push the limits of current technology with Dolby Vision, always keeping the emphasis on what the human eye is able to perceive. Connected by a Dolby Atmos House Cinema system, the moviegoers’ audiovisual experience will be complete.

12 -bit quantification

In order to be able to reproduce the image of 0 to 10,000 nits which was established as the objective to be achieved during the tests mentioned above, Dolby had to find the way to display this dynamic beach huge. Dolby has therefore developed a new electro-optical transfer function called EOTF (for Electro Optical Transfer Function) to encode all of the 10,000 nits out of 12 bits without any visual artefact, which would have been impossible on a 10 -bit panel contained in an HDR 10 TV.

The human eye is very sensitive to variations in brightness. To display a perfect and smooth contrast, a television panel with 12 -bit color quantification will be necessary to achieve this goal. The number of colors reproduced by a 10 -bit panel will not be high enough and will display visible artefacts. This phenomenon, baptized posterization, is well known to photographers and people who work in the field of digital image processing.

For the moment, the number of Dolby Vision certified televisions is low, but we predict the appearance of models of UHD 4K and OLED TVs qualifying in the close future.

HDR and Dolby Vision: Characteristics, operation, utilities – All about these technologies

Technological revolutions in the world of tics are multiple. Technologies HDR and Dolby Vision are among the most striking in recent years. Designed to provide a great visualization experience, they are now integrated into all screen models.

Although they present many similarity points, HDR and Dolby Vision are competing formats. They are available in different versions to offer a good diversity of possibilities. They allow you to have images of which liveliness, contrast and brightness are excellent.

These technologies help in particular to avoid eye problems due to the blue light of the screens. This guide presents you in detail the HDR and the Dolby Vision !

HDR and Dolby Vision technologies: what is it ?

Images are visual content which each have a dynamic. This beach represents the gap between the color ranges produced by a screen: From the brightest to the darkest black.

Before the implementation of HDR and Dolby Vision technologies, televisions were equipped with SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) technology). It allows you to produce 255 shades of colors.

As to HDR (High Dynamic Range), It is a technology intended to restore details of visual content both dark and bright. It specifically makes it possible to display the significant brightness deviations between the darkest and clearest areas of an image. This technology thus makes it possible to obtain a Excellent level of contrast.

Unlike standard dynamic beach images (SDR), HDR technology offers more readable and contrasting images. The black and white areas are well nuanced and the richer and subtle colors. It allows you to display 1024 Different shades of colors.

Basically, HDR technologies have been set up to enlarge the color spectrum that televisions can display. They must also promote the increase in brightness while preserving deep blacks. The objective of increasing the brightness is indeed to display more details in terms of shades.

The introduction of this technology in the audiovisual field has distinguished a multitude of details. However, it is important that the devices used to process and visualize the image are compatible with technology.

There Dolby Vision technology is a Advanced version of standard HDR. It optimizes the display of image details, but also colorimetry and contrasts. When a screen has this technology, the images displayed are optimized one after the other.

We talk about Dynamic HDR. The latter provides the best possible display for each type of images. In Dolby Vision or HDR, the images are well displayed with a more extensive dynamic range. This possibility is not possible with the SDR format.

What are the main differences between these two technologies ?

HDR and Dolby Vision technologies are used to offer better quality display for visual content. However, they have certain differences in technical details.

The format

Format is one of the main differences between these two technologies. HDR is a Open Source Technology. Thus, it can be used free of charge without the payment of any operating rights. This is one of the main reasons why many television manufacturers adopt this technology.

Conversely, Dolby technology is a Private property of Dolby. Companies who wish to use it in their manufacturing process must pay the license to have access to it. The payment of this license is due to the specificities and functionalities of the Dolby Vision which are more advanced than those of HDR.

Specificities and features

In terms of specificities and functionalities, the differences between these two technologies are notable. THE technical characteristics HDR are standard data. The depth of colors is to 10 bits and the maximum brightness is 1000 cd per square meter.

HDR can display on average 1.07 billion colors. Dolby Vision technology, on the other hand, has a quantification of colors of 12 bits. It is able to display even deeper colors or about 68.7 billion colors.

However, there is not yet TVs able to display this color depth. Manufacturers using this technology therefore adapt it to 10 -bit stations. This makes it possible to more subtlely improve the display in 10 -bit format.

Metadata

Metadata are very important characteristics in the production, dissemination and display of visual content. They bring together All information that describes content and that allow you to use it. They indicate:

• the date ;
• time ;
• the format ;
• shutter speed;
• the dimensions ;
• The focal length used and;
• the type of device used to create content.

The metadata widen the field of use of visual content such as photos, images and videos. When the image is displayed in HDR format, the metadata are static. With the Dolby Vision format, on the other hand, the metadata is dynamic. They also implemented from one scene to another.

Concretely this means that when a film is broadcast on a HDR TV station, The rendering will be constant throughout the viewing. On the other hand, for a TV compatible with technology Dolby Vision, The rendering is more immersive according to the different scenes. The functioning of these two technologies is based on certain standards of which here are the most important.

What are the different standards of HDR technology ?

There are a variety of HDR standards used by television manufacturers. Failing to use a single standard, these manufacturers combine two or three standards to offer the best possible image quality.

Ultra HD Premium standard

Standard Ultra HD Premium is the highest certification for HDR technologies. It is issued by Ultra HD Alliance. To have this certification, the equipment must fill a number of characteristics.

He must indeed have an image resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels and a 10 -bit color depth. The capacity of the colorimetric space, the brightness and the HDR compatibility are other parameters taken into account to offer this certification.

THE television Of type Oled are those that generally have this type of certification.

The HDR10 standard

For HDR certifications, HDR10 is the standard standard that makes it possible to assess other standards. It was retained by the UHD Alliance for the allocation of the Ultra HD Premium label. In addition, this certification represents The calibration of films sold On certain supports such as Blu-Ray HD.

The HDR10 standard uses a 10 -bit color quantification system. TV manufacturers who use this standard can easily implement it. She is the main competitor of Dolby Vision certification.

The HDR10 standard+

The HDR10+ standard is also an HDR standard developed by the UHD alliance. This certification takes up the basics of HDR10 with notable improvements. She exploits metadata integrated into visual content so that the diffuser can optimize the display.

Unlike HDR10, HDR10+ uses dynamic metadata. These are configured to offer clear and very precise images. This version of the HDR reassess the core tone correspondence curve for each image to display.

This standard is very well suited to televisions and projector videos. It is important to note that certification, HDR10+ benefits from size support. Indeed, it is supported by The 20th Century Fox, Panasonic Corporation and Samsung.

HDR10+ adaptive standard

The HDR10+ adaptive standard appeared a few years after leaving HDR10 certification+. Supported by the giant manufacturer Samsung, this standard ensures dynamic optimization of scene images by scene.

By using the metadata of the HDR10+standard, it improves lighting conditions in order to provide a single HDR user experience. TVs with this standard display images without No loss of contrast and brightness.

The HDR10+ adaptive standard makes it possible to respect the director’s intentions and ideas.

HDR standard, HDR Pro

HDR and HDR Pro certifications should not be confused with the HDR10 standard. They are not actually defined labels officially defined. However, they are affixed to certain televisions to indicate that they offer Dynamic beaches wider than SDR televisions.

TV brands that do not meet all the criteria of the ultra HD label, but whose peak of brightness reaches 100 nits use this name. This allows them to distinguish themselves from standard televisions (SDR).

What are the standards of Dolby Vision ?

There Dolby Vision technology has their own standards. There are mainly three: the Dolby Vision standard, the Dolby Vision IQ standard and the Dolby Vision IQ Precail standard

The Dolby Vision standard

The Dolby Vision label is the main competitor of the standard HDR10 standard. Unlike the latter, it offers a 12 -bit encoding which allows you to benefit from a wide variety of color shades.

It also offers a diversity of features that the HDR10 version. It collects metadata which are associated with each image displayed. This ensures a faithful restitution of the scenes as the director desired it.

In terms of light, Dolby Vision can reach A peak of 4000 nits. The designers of this technology predicted to reach 10,000 nits in the coming years.

However, Dolby Vision certified televisions do not exceed 1000 Nits in the display. The Dolby Vision standard is supported by many major technology companies such as:

It should be noted that this label is a Owner standard. To use it in the display, production, distribution or postproduction, you must have certified Dolby Vision equipment.

Given its characteristics, Dolby Vision is positioned as a future technology in the world of audiovisual production. Although some manufacturers of televisions have adopted it, its access remains restrictive due to its high cost.

The Dolby Vision IQ standard

Formalized in 2021, the Dolby Vision IQ is an improved version of the Dolby Vision standard. He uses the metadata of the latter which he combines with the lighting sensors of the TV to detect the room of the room of the room.

The screen display is then suitable for the amount of light available in the room. This preserves the level of contrast, whatever the variations in ambient light. The image adjusts in real time.

What’s more, All content details are displayed intelligently to make it possible to distinguish them. Certain televisions of LG and Panasonic manufacturers are already equipped with this technology. They thus optimize the display by promoting better eye comfort.

The Dolby Vision Iq Precision Detail standard

This standard is a new feature only intended for televisions already certified Dolby Vision IQ. She allows to reveal more details that the latter both in clear areas and dark areas of the image.

This label also has a wider palette of more intense and more nuanced textures and textures. It is generally integrated into LG OLED C2 and LG OLED G2 type televisions. It adjusts in real time, the contrast, the color and the details of the wide -dynamic beach scenes.

Furthermore, The quality of the display is optimized depending on the lighting conditions and the type of content visualized. This makes it possible to make the most of the features of the latest LG OLED EVO.

Some advantages of Dolby Vision technology

Dolby Vision technology has many advantages. It makes it possible to make as simple as possible the creation, integration and dissemination of very high resolution visual content.

Advantages for producers

In terms of visual content production, Dolby Vision facilitates content creation. THE captured images by cameras are returned with the greatest accuracy. Its features limit creative compromises during the calibration and mastering process.

Furthermore, The Dolby system records the dynamic metadata of each image. The producer therefore has at the end of calibration the creative decisions concerning the restitution of the plan image by plan. CMU or organizational unit allows you to create an HDR version with metadata and a SDR version directly usable.

The other advantage of this technology is that it allows you to easily adapt visual content to the characteristics of televisions. The more they are efficient, the better the display quality is better.

The screens are based on the same metadata in order to restore images that are closest to reality. Producers thus offer quality content with less work.

Advantages for viewers

Outside producers, viewers also draw the advantages of this technology. THE Dolby Vision is compatible with a diversity of material configurations. It can be added to many broadcasters allowing spectators to Enjoy a better image quality.

TVs with Dolby Vision certification offer unrivaled depth of images. All the details of the image appear in a legible way. Spectators thus benefit from a high display quality offering Excellent visual comfort.

In addition, the configuration of computers, tablets and smartphones screens from this technology will allow in the near future to have Impeccable and attractive display on his screen.

Where to find content in HDR and Dolby Vision format ?

The alternatives to find content in HDR or Dolby Vision format are diverse. However, it is necessary to have a material adapted to this type of content.

Blu-ray UHD 4K discs

Recent disks models Blu-ray UHD 4K offer content in HDR or Dolby Vision version. More and more films are compatible with these technologies to offer spectators a great visualization experience.

However, these contents are only readable with a 4 k UHD Blu-ray player. Dead Pool, Game of Throne, The Expendables, Mad Max Fury Road, San Andreas and the Great Adventure are some films and series available in HDR and Dolby Vision format.

Many other contents are announced in these formats.

Amazon and Netflix

Amazon and Netflix streaming services also offer a panoply of TV series and ultra high definition movies from Dolby Vision or HDR encoding. To benefit from it, two conditions are necessary.

First, you must subscribe to a specific subscription which offers the possibility of visualizing content in this type of format. Second, you must haveExcellent Internet connection For a successful experience. It is recommended to use the optical fiber To have a fairly high flow level.

TNT and satellite TV

HDR and Dolby Vision content are also offered on TNT and satellite TV. However, the dissemination of these contents via these channels is still done on an experimental basis. Only a few major sporting events are currently broadcast such as the Roland Garros tournament.

The YouTube platform

YouTube also offers a wide range of videos broadcast in HDR or Dolby Vision. It is possible to follow these videos directly on your TV station. This is possible thanks to The NVDIA SHIELD TV or Amazon Fire TV Stick 4 k box.

HDR games and technologies, Dolby Vision: what to remember ?

Game designers also have great interest in HDR and Dolby Vision technologies. In 2019, we were counting more than a hundred games using these technologies.

This craze around HDR and Dolby Vision in the design of the games pushed publishers and consolliers to create the HDR Gaming Interest Group In 2018. The objective of this crucible is to set up a set of rules of good practices for an efficient use of these technologies in the gaming world.

This initiative is supported by many manufacturers of monitors such as Benq and aop. Almost all modern games are today compatible with the HDR technology. This is due to the fact that this technology is of the type open source.

To integrate the Dolby Vision, it is first necessary that the different graphics are carried out according to well -defined conditions. They must also be able to be calibrated in Dolby Vision. Also, game engines must be compatible with this technology.

In addition, Dolby collaborates with the main manufacturers of game engines to ensure their adaptability to Dolby Vision. It is finally necessary Design reference monitors For Dolby Vision content.

The experience of games with these technologies is significantly improved. Gamers thus benefit from clean graphics that translate The reality of the game. They are immersed in the world of the game and this allows them to play easily by enjoying an undeniable display quality.

Dolby Vision is available on Xbox Series, One X and many modern PCs.

HDR smartphones and technologies, Dolby Vision: what should be remembered ?

If a few years ago, HDR and Dolby Vision technologies were the prerogative of television manufacturers, they are increasingly acclaimed by manufacturers of mobile devices. Indeed, since 2016 these companies have integrated these technologies into tablet and smartphones screens.

Certifications HDR, HDR10 and even HDR10+ appear on the screens of high -end smartphones and even those of lower quality. They are no longer reserved for high standing phones. The least advanced mobile phones also have this technology.

In addition, the tablets industry evolves at the same rate as that of smartphones. The recent tablets also have these technologies to provide their users with excellent display quality.

The Ultra HD Alliance has also enabled all these manufacturers to affix its logo on their products. This requires that their devices have a display capacity which varies from 0.005 to 540 Nits. The same criteria are applied for computers.

The display capacity in this case varies between 0.1 and 600 nits. The certification body also requires other requirements in terms of depth of colors, resolution and colorimetric space.

HDR and Dolby Vision technologies are positioning themselves today as the future of visual content. They guarantee Visual experience much above the standard standard. They facilitate the exact restitution of the images with a high level of precision. However, it is important to have suitable equipment To take advantage of the advantages of these technologies !