Technical Paper HDR Demystified
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Technical Paper HDR Demystified EMERGING UHDTV SYSTEMS By Tom Schulte, with Joel Barsotti The CE industry is currently migrating from High High Dynamic Range is the capability to represent a Definition TV (HDTV) to Ultra High Definition TV large luminance variation in the video signal, i.e., (UHDTV). In addition to higher resolution, UHDTV from very dark values (0.00005 cd/m2) to very benefits greatly from additional visual quality bright values (greater than 1000 cd/m2). Existing enhancements like Higher Dynamic Range (HDR) systems, now referred to as Standard Dynamic and Wide Color Gamut (WCG). Range (SDR), support luminance values only in the These enhanced features have been received very range of 0.0002 to 100 cd/m2. positively by consumers, and CE manufacturers are HDR creates brighter whites, darker blacks, and moving very quickly to introduce equipment to the brighter colors that better match images we see in market with various levels of UHD capability. This the real world. The enhanced image quality due to fast movement in the industry has left many of us HDR is appreciable under virtually any viewing confused about UHDTV capabilities, proposed condition. system features, system compatibility, and standards. Wide Color Gamut (WCG) – A TV’s color gamut In this preliminary draft document, we attempt to indicates the level of saturation and number of colors shed some light on High Dynamic Range and Wide that a TV can produce. Wide Color Gamut indicates Color Gamut, the two significant features of UHDTV the capability of displaying images with a wider that will affect how we test and calibrate the image range of colors than have been supported by accuracy of these new generation TVs. conventional systems. We cover the different industry proposals related to Video systems up to now have been based on the HDR and WCG and we briefly discuss how CalMAN BT.709 and BT.601 color spaces, which contain display calibration software addresses these new only a small percentage (about 33.5%) of all 1976 technologies. CIE visible chromaticity values. This legacy color space leaves a large set of visible colors that cannot UHDTV Capabilities be rendered on SDTV or HDTV displays. The new UHDTV system comprises a number of Note: The NTSC color gamut was never used, even advanced technologies. Those technologies include: for the NTSC system, and is totally irrelevant. Larger color spaces, such as DCI-P3 and BT.2020 High Resolution Video – Higher spatial resolution can represent a much larger set of visible colors was the first promoted feature of UHDTV. A UHD (about 41.8% and 57.3% respectively). Displays TV's native resolution will be 3840x2160 pixels. capable of producing a majority of these color This is four times the total number of pixels spaces can render more colorful and realistic produced by HDTV at 1920x1080. However, the content. visible resolution improvement over HDTV could be less pronounced in a home environment, due to the The UHD spec will call for a wider color gamut, limitations of human visual acuity, screen size, and creating more vivid colors and more detailed color home viewing distances. gradation than with HDTVs. High Dynamic Range (HDR) – The dynamic range of a TV refers to its luminance, the maximum and minimum amount of light the TV is capable of producing. SpectraCal, Inc. Page 1 HDR Demystified continued High Dynamic Range (HDR) not increase an image’s dynamic range, nor does it involve the method with which the image is High dynamic range will potentially provide the transmitted to a display device or the method with most significant UHD picture quality improvement which the image is rendered on the display. over HDTV. HDR provides a more lifelike range of image light levels than previously possible. High Dynamic Range TV – HDR TV is not about overcoming limitations on the capture end, as with The average picture level (APL) of UHD images consumer photography. Professional film and digital will remain fairly consistent with HDTV images, but video cameras have long had greater dynamic range the black level detail will be enhanced and the than the 6 exposure stops (or a few more with highest luminance levels will occur only in specular camera s-curves and grading correction) supported highlights within the HDR images. by the BT.709 HDTV SDR system. (An exposure The contrast range and light levels in specular stop is a doubling or halving of light.) Most digital highlights will increase dramatically, coming closer cinema cameras today can capture at least 14 stops to reproducing the rich contrast, tonal details, and of exposure range, but this wide dynamic range is bright picture highlights that we see in the real not currently preserved, even for cinema world. HDR, along with wide color gamut, enables a presentation. HDR grading for the home can be more natural saturation of bright colors, without the delivered with 8-10 stops of exposure range. artificially muted saturation inherent in the BT.709 HDR TV is also not primarily about overcoming HDTV system (figure 1). limitations on the playback end. Late model TVs have become capable of displaying much brighter images than the current BT.709 HDTV luminance spec of 100 cd/m2 (now commonly known as nits). Even before the push to HDR, many TVs with LED backlights could produce brighter colors than the BT.709 standard and could produce peak luminance Figure 1: HDR produces bright highlights, but it levels over 400 nits. Current displays can produce also yields brighter, natural colors and improved greater dynamic range than the current specifications shadow detail. Image credit: Scott Wilkinson, for the content distribution chain can handle. Trends AVS Forum post suggest that HDR-capable consumer TVs should be High Dynamic Range Photography – The first able to produce "specular highlights" with luminance experience many of us had with HDR was with a of 1,000-1,500 nits or brighter in the next few years. smartphone camera that provided an HDR function. HDR photography is about overcoming the limitations of consumer image sensors to increase an image’s exposure range. It typically does this by automatically capturing three images, at different exposures, then combining the best exposed parts of the three images into a single HDR photo. This results in a captured image with increased tonal detail in both the dark and bright areas of the photo. However, there is no expanded range; it does not make the dark areas of the photo darker or the bright areas of the photo brighter. HDR photography entirely involves optimizing the Figure 2: The original dynamic range of captured image exposure capture process, basically to tone content will be able to be substantially preserved by a new HDR TV system, compared map an HDR image into an SDR container. It does to the current SDR TV system. Image credit: Dolby SpectraCal, Inc. Page 2 HDR Demystified continued Dual modulation backlights and zone LED delivery system that includes the criterion of backlighting were both introduced prior to HDR and backward compatibility of HDR content with SDR are prime enablers of HDR, but until now we displays. couldn’t fully take advantage of these technologies. CTA – The Consumer Technology Association TVs with LED backlights, OLED displays, or (CTA), formerly the Consumer Electronics quantum dots can also produce a wider range of Association (CEA), has defined the following colors, including more highly saturated colors, minimum guidelines for a TV, monitor, or projector which also look brighter. To accurately render to be referred to as an HDR-Compatible Display: BT.709 images, HDTVs currently need to limit any • Includes at least one interface that supports of these enhanced capabilities. HDR signaling. The main challenges that need to be addressed to • Receives and processes static HDR metadata. enable HDR TV are primarily the specifications and (An HDMI input needs to be HDMI 2.0a to systems for the middle processes of mastering, pass HDR metadata.) encoding and delivering TV images to consumer display devices. • Receives and processes the HDR10 Media Profile from IP, HDMI or other video delivery sources. This requires HDMI 2.0a. Other HDR TV Standards media profiles may additionally be supported. Standards have been and continue to be formulated • Applies an appropriate Electro-Optical for every aspect of HDR content creation, transport, Transfer Function (EOTF) before rendering delivery, and display. The International the image. Telecommunications Union (ITU), Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), UHD Alliance – The UHD Alliance is a multi- Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Motion industry alliance that formed to promote UHD Picture Experts Group (MPEG), and the Blu-ray standards development and UHD branding and Disc Association (BDA) have all developed certification. The alliance members include all major standards relating to some aspect of UHDTV and production studios, content distributors, and display HDR. manufacturers. SMPTE – SMPTE ST2084:2014 (and CEA-861-3) The UHD Alliance has defined an ULTRA HD standardizes an Electro-Optical Transfer Function PREMIUM certification and logo for devices, (EOTF) for HDR that was developed by Dolby Labs content and services that meet the following to define the process by which digital code words are minimum UHD specs. converted into visible light. • Resolution: 3840x2160 for content, SMPTE – SMPTE standard ST2086:2014 defines distribution, and playback displays. static metadata; metadata that does not change • Color bit depth: 10 bits minimum for content during playback of the associated video content. and distribution, 10 bits for playback displays. • Color representation: BT.2020 for content, SMPTE standard ST2094, which is being considered distribution, and playback displays. in committee, along with CEA-861-G/HDMI 2.x, • Mastering display; transfer function: SMPTE will define content-dependent (dynamic) metadata.