What exactly is high dynamic range (HDR) and why would you even want it? The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is looking to clear up some confusion amongst consumers and retailers.
Today, the CEA released the official industry definition for HDR compatible video displays. The organization worked alongside display manufacturer members, content providers, distributors and others, in order to establish the new display characteristics for HDR interoperability.
Of course, this will really interest consumers looking for the latest and greatest. After all, HDR promises a better range of brightness and shadow detail, making for a better overall viewing experience. The move should pave the way for more HDR-compatible displays, allowing both consumers are retailers to identify the necessary interface and processing technologies needed to display the new content.
According to the CEA's Video Division Board, a TV, monitor or projector may be referred to as an HDR Compatible Display if it meets the following criteria:
1. It must have at least one interface that supports HDR signaling as defined in CEA-861-F, as extended by CEA-861.3.
2. It must receive and process static HDR metadata compliant with CEA-861.3 for uncompressed video.
3. It must receive and process HDR10 Media Profile* from IP, HDMI or other video delivery sources. Other media profiles may also be supported. [*The HDR10 Media Profile is defined as a) EOTF: SMPTE ST 2084; b) Color Sub-sampling: 4:2:0 (for compressed video sources); c) Bit Depth: 10 bit; d) Color Primaries: ITU-R BT.2020; and e) Metadata: SMPTE ST 2086, MaxFALL, MaxCLL.]
4. It must apply an appropriate Electro-Optical Transfer Function (EOTF), before rendering the image.
"HDR provides a significant step up in delivering an incredible viewing experience for the consumer," said Brian Markwalter, senior vice president of research and standards at the CEA. "We encourage manufacturers and our industry partners to use this voluntary compatibility guideline to provide greater consistency and clarity while ensuring compatibility and interoperability across the full content development to display ecosystem."
The new HDR interoperability guidelines follow in the footsteps of the CEA's other work to bring 4K UHD technology into the mainstream. This is a good thing, since 4K can deliver four times the resolution of a 1080p HDTV. The CEA previously collaborated with member companies to define 4K UHD TVs, monitors and projectors, as well as 4K UHD cameras and camcorders. The CEA continues to work on educating both consumers and retailers about 4K technology.
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