HDR - short for High Dynamic Range - TVs have been around for a few years now, but it's still one of the more confusing buzzwords in the home entertainment space. Without context, HDR can seem a meaningless acronym. It can however have a significant impact on picture quality. Here's everything you need to know about HDR TVs.
What is HDR?
When it comes to TVs, HDR refers to two things: the TV, and the content. A HDR display has a higher contrast ratio than a typical 4K TV display. This refers to the difference between how dark it can go and its peak brightness. Most HDR TVs do this by using a brighter panel. This also results in a wider colour space, which means images displayed by the TVs aren't just capable of going brighter, they're also more vivid. HDR TVs are designed to display a more vibrant, true to life image.
In order to get the most out of a HDR TV, you need HDR content. As in, movies or TV shows that can take advantage of a HDR display. This type of content isn't exactly widely available right now, but it's also not as scarce as it used to be.
You can't just watch anything and expect it to take advantage. There are three main options for HDR content: streaming services, digital rentals, and 4K Blu-Ray discs.
What do I need to watch HDR content?
If you want to watch HDR content, you need a couple of things. The most important is a TV that supports HDR. Once that's sorted, you also need a source for your HDR content.
Many TVs now come with apps for streaming services like Netflix preinstalled. If that's the case, all you need to do is fire up Netflix and pick a movie or show that's been optimised for HDR. You'll know this is the case because it will have a HDR or Dolby Vision icon next to the title.
If the streaming service you want to watch doesn't have an app on your TV, you may a set-top box that supports HDR, such as an Apple TV+ or a Nvidia Shield.
If you want to watch HDR content from a 4K Blu-Ray, you'll need a 4K Blu-Ray Player that also supports HDR. Most should, but you may also need to be mindful of what HDR formats it supports. If your TV supports Dolby Vision (more on that in a second), you'll want to ensure your 4K Blu-Ray player also supports Dolby Vision.
If you're plugging in a HDR device to your TV, your device will need a HDMI port that supports HDCP 2.2 copy protection. If your TV has a HDR, it should this kind of port.
You'll also need a high speed HDMI cable. You may encounter flickering images if your cable isn't fast enough, especially with Dolby Vision.
What is the difference between HDR10 and Dolby Vision?
Whether a TV supports HDR isn't simply a yes or no question, there's also a matter of format. HDR comes in different varieties, and HDR10 and Dolby Vision are the two main standards. Both tell HDR compatible displays how to display content, but HDR10 is a little more basic. HDR10 provides a TV with one set of instructions for an entire show or movie. Dolby Vision is more dynamic, and is capable of providing instructions on a frame-by-frame basis.
TV manufacturers such as LG, Sony, and Hisense all have TVs that support both HDR10 and Dolby Vision. Samsung is the only major TV manufacturer that doesn't support Dolby Vision.
All 4K Blu-Ray discs support HDR10 as a baseline, but can also support Dolby Vision. If you were to buy a 4K Blu-Ray with Dolby Vision, it would still playback on a 4K UHD Blu-Ray player that doesn't have Dolby Vision support.
When it comes to streaming, most services that support HDR support both HDR10 and Dolby Vision.
HDR10 and Dolby Vision aren't necessarily at odds with one another - one provides a baseline HDR10 experience, while the later goes one step further - but their presence could still be an important factor when it comes to deciding which TV to purchase. HDR10 is enough to get going, but Dolby Vision is a better experience.
There is however a newer version of HDR10 - HDR10+ - that provides parity with Dolby Vision. HDR10+ isn't widely supported yet - Samsung is the only major manufacturer with HDR10+ TVs, and Amazon Prime Video is the only service with HDR10+ content.
How do I tell if a TV has HDR?
The best way to check if a TV has HDR is to look at the spec sheet for the model of the manufacturer's website. As part of the spec sheet, it should list what formats it supports, so you'll be looking to find HDR10, HDR10+, and or Dolby Vision on the spec sheet.
If you're in a store, a TV may have a sticker that says HDR10 or Dolby Vision on it as part of the display.
When you're watching HDR content on your TV, it may pop with an alert that explicitly says HDR is on. This will depend on your model, however.
What streaming services support HDR?
Streaming services are one of the easiest ways to find HDR content, but not every streaming service supports HDR. Here's the breakdown of services available locally:
Services that support HDR
Services that don't support HDR
In the case of Netflix, you won't get HDR unless you're paying for its Premium plan.
Does streaming HDR video use more data?
Streaming HDR video will technically use a little more data than non-HDR video, but not in any significant way. Metadata - the information that tells your TV how to display HDR video - is essentially just a text file, so it won't really impact the amount of data you're using when watching Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, for example.
Alex Choros
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