June 9, 2023, 11:00 am | Read time: 5 minutes
Both iPhones and Android smartphones now come standard with cameras that support the so-called HDR mode. This standard is also found in televisions. But what does the term mean? TECHBOOK explains.
The term HDR has become a trend in the industry in recent years. TVs, cameras, and smartphones support HDR, but the term doesn’t always mean the same thing. While HDR in TVs relies on specific hardware, the camera technology in smartphones is the same with or without the standard. Manufacturers enable HDR photos through special software that can produce images with more contrast and detail. But what is HDR used for?
Overview
What does the term mean?
HDR stands for “High Dynamic Range.” The technology describes the ability to perceive more than normal optics do. It was first used in the mid-1980s in computer image processing and later found its way into photography. Since around 2012, smartphones have also featured HDR. The Google Nexus 4 was one of the first models to have the HDR function integrated into the camera by default. In TVs, High Dynamic Range is used to enhance the picture and make it as realistic as possible.
How does HDR work on smartphones?
The HDR function is part of the camera software on Android smartphones and iPhones, so it doesn’t rely on built-in hardware. Activating the function is simple. The appropriate menu item is usually found in the settings of the camera app.
In principle, High Dynamic Range is advantageous for smartphone cameras. The technology eliminates issues like overly bright or dark shots, flat details, and insufficient dynamics.
When you should use HDR
- Landscape shots: Especially in landscape shots, poor lighting can cause some details to be lost. HDR balances the exposure difference between the sky and the landscape, preventing certain areas from appearing overexposed.
- Whenever the sun is glaring: Strong sunlight can wash out colors and often cause lens flare. Additionally, annoying shadows can appear. Users can prevent all these issues by enabling High Dynamic Range on their smartphones.
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When HDR is not recommended for photos
However, there are also situations where High Dynamic Range can worsen the photo.
- Shots with movement: Since HDR takes multiple photos in quick succession, movement can quickly lead to blurriness.
- High contrast is lost: If you want to photograph a silhouette in the dark, the HDR mode would wash out the contrast.
Conclusion: Even HDR mode can’t save a dark backdrop. However, when used correctly, your photos will be significantly more detailed.
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High Dynamic Range on TVs
The term HDR is also frequently found in TV sets. Unlike smartphone cameras, High Dynamic Range in TVs is not implemented through software but requires specific hardware. However, the standard is also intended to produce more contrast-rich and three-dimensional images in TVs.
The higher image contrast is achieved by expanding the brightness range, resulting in a stronger depth effect. The image appears more three-dimensional because HDR recognizes more brightness nuances and shades objects better. At the same time, thanks to High Dynamic Range, images are displayed with more colors. While SDR still has a bit depth of 8 bits, HDR has 10 or even 12 bits. By increasing to 10 bits–also known as HDR10–the number of displayable colors rises from 16.77 million to over a billion. However, whether the TV actually displays an HDR image depends on several factors.
First, the entire transmission path must support the standard, including the screen, player, connection cable, and data carrier. If the path is interrupted at any point, the final image will not be broadcast in HDR. There are also TV sets that cannot truly display High Dynamic Range, even if they bear the logo. The logo only means that the device can read the signals. The transmission often fails because the devices do not reach the necessary brightness range.
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Differences between HDR, HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision
HDR comes in various levels and standards. The simplest version is HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma), which does not transmit information but can reproduce HDR images with the lowest quality on average 4K TVs. The standard is optimized for the limited bandwidths available to TV broadcasters.
Much more well-known and widespread is HDR10, which transmits basic information once to define the brightest and darkest image detail of the entire film. The standard is static, so one HDR setting applies to an entire film. Individual scenes cannot benefit from it, and HDR10 does not transmit as many brightness nuances. However, HDR10 already significantly increases the bit depth.
HDR10+ is a dynamic HDR, meaning it adjusts contrast information for each scene individually. In terms of the number of nuances, it is comparable to HDR10. The standard was introduced by Samsung, as they did not want to pay a license fee for HDR10 Dolby Vision and therefore developed their own solution. Samsung allows the use of HDR10+ without a license fee. HDR10+ shows almost no quality differences to the aforementioned Dolby Vision (DV). Dolby Vision also works dynamically and offers a wide range of nuances.