Almost all new TVs and projectors have the power to decode HDR, or excessive dynamic vary, video. Typically, HDR content material appears higher than non-HDR materials, although a person show’s potential to cope with the additional knowledge can differ tremendously. There are a number of HDR codecs, together with Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision 2, HDR10, HDR10 Plus and HLG. Most shows can solely decode one or two of those. Likewise, streaming companies and 4K Blu-rays sometimes supply just one or two.

Happily, all HDR shows can play HDR content material — simply not all the time in the very best format obtainable. This is what to remember when looking for a brand new TV or deciding which streaming service to make use of for a film or present.

The fundamentals

In CNET’s TV and projector reviews, we have discovered that each the capabilities of the TV itself and the way in which HDR is used within the film or TV present have a larger impression on picture high quality than the precise HDR format. In different phrases, simply because a show helps a “higher” HDR format does not imply it’ll look higher than one that does not. This is a tour of the HDR panorama at this time.

• Every little thing helps HDR10, however many TVs and sources may also have at the least one of many different codecs.
• Dolby Imaginative and prescient and HDR10 Plus can look higher in particular methods in comparison with HDR10. All will look higher than non-HDR, customary dynamic vary content material.
• One format may look “higher” than one other on paper, however in the true world, picture high quality relies upon much more on the TV’s total efficiency and the way the content material was made.

Most new TVs can show HDR content material, which preserves extra element in each vibrant and darkish areas of a picture, making a larger “dynamic vary” than non-HDR content material (i.e., just about every little thing you have ever watched). That older format is now known as SDR, or customary dynamic vary. On an HDR TV, HDR content material can look much more punchy and vibrant than conventional video.

Learn extra: How HDR Works

Simply having an HDR TV is not sufficient; you additionally want HDR content material. With out it, the TV does not have a lot to work with. It could nonetheless look good and may artificially broaden SDR content material for a slight enchancment, however to get probably the most out of HDR you want content material designed for it. Fortunately, there’s now a lot obtainable, together with motion pictures, TV exhibits and even video video games. Chances are high your favourite new applications already help HDR.

HDR10

• Supported by every little thing.
• Higher picture high quality potential than SDR, however maybe inferior to HDR10 Plus or Dolby Imaginative and prescient.
• Static metadata.

HDR10 is about as near a common customary as we have. As a result of it is free for producers to make use of, it is supported nearly in every single place. Each HDR TV can decode it and each HDR streaming machine helps it. Almost all HDR content material consists of an HDR10 model, generally alongside extra superior codecs equivalent to Dolby Imaginative and prescient, which we’ll talk about shortly.

HDR10’s essential limitation is its “static” metadata, that means a single HDR “look” is utilized to a complete film or present. That is nonetheless higher than SDR, but it surely does not enable very vibrant or very darkish scenes to look their very best throughout the identical movie. This one-size-fits-all method works, but it surely prevents each the content material and the TV from reaching their full potential. Dynamic metadata, which most different HDR codecs use, addresses this limitation.

Static metadata is like forcing a complete soccer workforce to put on the identical measurement shirt. It would match the quarterback and look OK on the large linebacker and tiny kicker, however everybody would look higher in shirts sized for them.

HDR10 is not backward-compatible with SDR TVs, so it is no good for broadcast. You may discover it obtainable with streaming content material and on 4K Blu-ray.

HDR10 Plus

• Championed by Samsung.
• Dynamic metadata.
• Probably higher picture than vanilla HDR10.

As you might have guessed from the title, HDR10 Plus is just like HDR10, however with just a little plus. The “plus” on this case is dynamic metadata, which improves on HDR10’s static model. Which means that on a per-scene — and even per-image — foundation, the content material can present the TV with all the knowledge it must look its very best.

Whereas there are specific charges for producers to make use of HDR10 Plus, they are much lower than what Dolby costs for Dolby Imaginative and prescient. As a result of it is from Samsung, it is extremely unlikely there’ll ever be an LG TV with HDR10 Plus. Sony is one other holdout, possible for related causes. Nonetheless, Epson, TCL, Hisense, Roku and others supply HDR10 Plus compatibility.

On the content material aspect, there’s Amazon, Apple TV, Disney Plus, Paramount Plus and Netflix, amongst others. Remember that simply because an organization or streaming service helps HDR10 Plus does not imply that each product or present/film is suitable with or has HDR10 Plus knowledge.

Learn extra: What is HDR10 Plus?

Dolby Imaginative and prescient and Dolby Imaginative and prescient 2

• Probably the very best picture high quality of all of the codecs.
• Much less content material obtainable than with HDR10.
• The de facto “step up” HDR format.

Dolby Imaginative and prescient, like HDR10 Plus, can have dynamic metadata. Streaming companies together with Netflix, Amazon, Vudu and Apple TV help it, and you’ll find it on some 4K Blu-rays. Some Dolby Imaginative and prescient options — together with dynamic metadata and coloration dealing with — are optionally available in HDR formatting for NextGen TV, although over-the-air HDR content material stays uncommon.

The draw back of Dolby Imaginative and prescient is that producers need to pay Dolby to make use of it. In return, Dolby helps them optimize their TVs to look their greatest with DV content material. For some corporations, that is a straightforward approach to enhance image high quality. Bigger producers — like a sure Korean model that begins with the letter S — want to put money into their very own HDR codecs as a substitute, thanks very a lot.

After HDR10, that is the most well-liked HDR format, however that does not imply it is common. Samsung is the most important holdout, for causes talked about above. Typically talking, if an organization does not help Dolby Imaginative and prescient, it possible helps HDR10 Plus, although some corporations help each. There’s much less Dolby Imaginative and prescient content material than there may be vanilla HDR10 content material, however big-budget motion pictures and TV exhibits nearly all the time embrace it. 

Introduced at CES 2026, Dolby Imaginative and prescient 2 introduces a number of new options. Essentially the most controversial, for my part, is optionally available motion smoothing, which might enable administrators or showrunners to easy scenes they take into account too juddery, equivalent to quick pans. The format additionally consists of “content material intelligence” options that alter a TV’s efficiency primarily based on ambient mild and the content material being proven. Midpriced and lower-end TVs will help the bottom model of Dolby Imaginative and prescient 2, whereas higher-end fashions will supply Dolby Imaginative and prescient 2 Max, which incorporates the motion-smoothing characteristic. We’ll need to see the way it’s applied as soon as TVs and suitable content material arrive, probably later this 12 months.

The excellent news is DV2 is suitable with all present Dolby Imaginative and prescient TVs. Older DV TVs will not have entry to the brand new options, after all, however the HDR and dynamic metadata will nonetheless work.

HLG

• From BBC and NHK.
• Free to make use of.
• Broadcast-friendly.

Hybrid Log Gamma was created by Britain’s BBC and Japan’s NHK. Not like the codecs we have mentioned up to now, it is truly backward-compatible with SDR TVs. One sign that works on each older TVs and newer ones is a large deal for broadcasters. As you possibly can think about, it is not with out drawbacks — primarily with regards to image high quality. Like HDR10, HLG is probably going higher than SDR, however it might not match the image high quality of another HDR codecs. It is the format used for over-the-air HDR broadcasts.

There’s already large TV help. Content material remains to be within the early phases, nonetheless. If you may get the BBC’s iPlayer (whether or not you are within the UK or using a VPN), that service has HLG help. DirecTV and YouTube additionally help HLG, however there’s simply not lots of content material up to now. It is free and fills an vital area of interest, but it surely’s been years because it got here out and it hasn’t been broadly adopted. Some telephones can file HDR by way of HLG, which you’ll be able to playback on HLG-compatible shows.

For more information, and why it is so totally different from different strategies, take a look at our explainer on hybrid log gamma. 

Superior HDR by Technicolor (SL-HDR1, 2 and three)

• Not broadly supported.
• Every “taste” has its personal area of interest.
• Unlikely to see large adoption

Technicolor’s Superior HDR is available in a number of flavors: SL-HDR1 is just like HLG in that it is totally backward-compatible with SDR TVs, permitting for one sign to rule all of them; SL-HDR2 has dynamic metadata like HDR10 Plus and Dolby Imaginative and prescient; SL-HDR3 makes use of HLG as a base, however provides dynamic metadata.

Content material is restricted to some NextGenTV broadcasts. It is unlikely it’ll get large acceptance amongst streaming corporations. 

Learn extra: What is Advanced HDR by Technicolor?

There may be just one. Or three. Or perhaps 5

This is the tl;dr: HDR10 is the principle HDR format. Dolby Imaginative and prescient and HDR10 Plus are the step-up choices that supply doubtlessly higher picture high quality. All HDR ought to look higher than older SDR content material (or the non-HDR model of contemporary content material). NextGenTV continues its slow rollout. The potential of free over-the-air HDR remains to be there, however at this level it is within the fingers of the person channels and channel homeowners as to how a lot HDR they need to broadcast. 

Typically talking, it is price ensuring any new TV you are contemplating helps both Dolby Imaginative and prescient or HDR10 Plus because the dynamic metadata could make a noticeable distinction, particularly on the best TVs. The excellent news is that almost all of latest exhibits, motion pictures and even many video games, all help HDR in a method or one other. Most TVs and projectors do as nicely, although after all, some higher than others.

Observe: This story was first revealed in 2018 however is up to date usually to mirror new HDR codecs and data.

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Along with overlaying audio and show tech, Geoff does photo tours of cool museums and areas around the globe, together with nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000-mile road trips and extra.

Additionally, take a look at Budget Travel for Dummies, his guide, and his bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines. You possibly can observe him on Instagram and YouTube.