What Is HDR and Why Does It Matter?
High Dynamic Range (HDR) is arguably a bigger visual upgrade than 4K resolution itself. HDR expands the range of colours and brightness a display can show — making bright highlights more dazzling and dark shadows richer and more detailed. But there are several competing HDR formats, and knowing the differences helps you get the most from your setup.
The Four Main HDR Formats
HDR10 — The Open Standard
HDR10 is the baseline open standard supported by virtually all 4K HDR televisions and most streaming services. It uses static metadata, meaning brightness levels are set once for an entire film rather than adjusted scene by scene.
- Peak brightness: Up to 1,000 nits (typically)
- Colour depth: 10-bit
- Cost: Royalty-free / open standard
- Support: Universal — found on all HDR TVs and most content
Dolby Vision — The Premium Experience
Dolby Vision is a proprietary format from Dolby Laboratories that uses dynamic metadata, adjusting brightness and colour settings on a frame-by-frame or scene-by-scene basis. This results in more precise and nuanced picture quality.
- Peak brightness: Up to 10,000 nits (in the spec; current TVs reach 4,000+)
- Colour depth: 12-bit
- Cost: Requires licensing fee (for manufacturers)
- Support: Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+, and many LG, Sony, TCL TVs
HDR10+ — Samsung's Dynamic Alternative
HDR10+ was developed by Samsung as a royalty-free alternative to Dolby Vision. Like Dolby Vision, it uses dynamic metadata for scene-by-scene optimisation, but it's built on the open HDR10 framework.
- Peak brightness: Up to 4,000 nits
- Colour depth: 10-bit
- Cost: Royalty-free
- Support: Amazon Prime Video, Samsung TVs, some Panasonic models
HLG — Built for Broadcasting
Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) was developed jointly by the BBC and NHK for live broadcasting. It's designed to be backwards-compatible — an HLG signal looks reasonable on non-HDR displays too.
- Best for: Live TV and broadcast content
- Peak brightness: Generally lower than other HDR formats
- Support: BBC iPlayer, YouTube, broadcast streams
Format Comparison at a Glance
| Format | Metadata Type | Bit Depth | Royalty-Free | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HDR10 | Static | 10-bit | Yes | Universal compatibility |
| Dolby Vision | Dynamic | 12-bit | No | Premium streaming |
| HDR10+ | Dynamic | 10-bit | Yes | Samsung ecosystem |
| HLG | Static | 10-bit | Yes | Live broadcast TV |
Which HDR Format Should You Prioritise?
For streaming, Dolby Vision delivers the best results if your TV and streaming service both support it. If not, HDR10+ is a great alternative for Samsung TV owners using Amazon Prime. HDR10 remains a solid baseline guaranteed to work everywhere. The key is to ensure your TV, streaming device, and content all support the same format for the best results.