By Bruce Walker • September 22, 2021
*Well, maybe not everything…😊
Over the years, there have been many new developments in the TV industry aimed at improving the customer experience. Some have worked (larger screens, mini-LED, 4K) and some have not (3D, curved TVs, or even the Nintendo Power Glove).
In more than 30 years in this industry, I have never seen a technology so universally praised as the thing to get on a TV than High Dynamic Range, or HDR.
Everyone loves HDR. Moviemakers love it because they have a better canvas to paint their story with. Content providers like Netflix or Amazon love it because they can deliver better content. TV manufacturers love it because it challenges us to make TVs that can deliver on the promise of this exceptional technology. Most importantly, viewers like you love it because, quite simply, it gives you a remarkable picture!
HDR Defined
But what is HDR? What do I need to get HDR? How can I best appreciate it? Let’s take a (not too) deep dive into this revolution in picture quality.
The following may not withstand the rigors of engineering analysis, but it’s how I help explain HDR to folks. Imagine the familiar scene of taking a picture with the camera on your phone of someone sitting in front of a window on a sunny day. In most cases, the picture you take will result in:
- The subject exposed properly, but the background (or outside) becomes overexposed, or washed out.
- The background is properly exposed, but the subject is underexposed, or appearing in silhouette.
But when you look away from your screen or viewfinder, and look at the scene, you can see both the subject and the outside clearly…your eyes and brain have HDR!!!