August 27, 2015. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has announced an industry-standard definition for high dynamic range (HDR) compatible video displays. HDR images are capable of a greater range of luminance than is available from those provided by standard dynamic range (SDR)and enhance the perceived detail, particularly in real-world scenes that range from very bright sunlight to extreme shade. HDR will be included in many 4K Ultra-High Definition (4K UHD) televisions, along with higher frame rates and wider color gamut, to provide a more realistic viewing experience.
A joint effort between CEA and its member manufacturers has resulted in the establishment of the new display characteristics for HDR interoperability. According to Brian Markwalter, CEA’s senior vice president for research and standards, “HDR provides a significant step-up in delivering an incredible viewing experience for the consumer. 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.”
As approved by the CEA’s Video Division Board, a TV, monitor or projector may be referred to as a HDR Compatible Display if it meets the following minimum attributes:
- Includes at least one interface that supports HDR signaling as defined in CEA-861-F, as extended by CEA-861.3.
- Receives and processes static HDR metadata compliant with CEA-861.3 for uncompressed video.
- Receives and processes HDR10 Media Profile from IP, HDMI or other video delivery sources. Additionally, other media profiles may be supported.
- Applies an appropriate Electro-Optical Transfer Function (EOTF), before rendering the image.
With the gradual introduction of more 4K UHD displays into the marketplace, the CEA hopes that these standards will help retailers and consumers identify displays that incorporate both interface and processing technology essential for showing the new content properly.