What is HDR? HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and HLG compared

HDR stands for high dynamic range. It describes a picture that can show very dark and very bright areas at once, with more detail in both and a wider palette of colors. HDMI.org summarizes HDR as deeper blacks and brighter whites, more detail in dark and bright parts of the same image, and an extended color space.

Static and dynamic HDR

HDR information travels with the video as metadata, which is data that tells the TV how bright the content was meant to look. HDMI.org separates two kinds. Static HDR sets one brightness profile for the whole movie. Dynamic HDR adjusts as the video plays, scene by scene or even frame by frame, so each moment is shown at its ideal depth, detail, brightness and contrast. HDMI.org calls the move from static to dynamic a noticeable step up in quality, in the same way static HDR was over standard dynamic range (SDR).

The main formats

HDR10 is the baseline. It is a static format, and virtually every HDR TV supports it. If a disc or stream is HDR, HDR10 is the fallback.

Dolby Vision is a dynamic format. Dolby says it tunes the image to the service, device and platform you are using, for brighter highlights, richer color and more contrast and detail. TechRadar adds that Dolby Vision is designed to handle tone mapping on TVs that cannot reach the full brightness the content was made for. Tone mapping is the process of compressing the brightest parts of a picture to fit what a screen can show. Dolby also promotes a newer Dolby Vision 2 that responds to your viewing environment.

HDR10+ is also dynamic. The HDR10+ group describes it as enhancing dynamic range and color accuracy, and says it is now available on the world's biggest streaming services.

HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) shows up in spec lists next to HDR10 and HDR10+, for example on the Samsung QN90F. The sources used for this article do not describe how HLG works, so treat it as a bonus on a spec sheet and check your TV's manual for where it applies.

Which brands support which

• Samsung. Tom's Guide says Samsung TVs do not support Dolby Vision. TechRadar's sport guide notes the QN90F supports HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG, and that its HDR10+ is the format offered by Amazon and Netflix.
• LG and Sony. Tom's Guide points to Sony and LG OLEDs for Dolby Vision. The LG C6 supports Dolby Vision but not HDR10+, according to TechRadar's gaming guide.
• Hisense. TechRadar notes the U8Q supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+.

Gaming adds another variable: Dolby Vision gaming and HDR10+ gaming are separate options, and the TCL QM6K is listed by TechRadar with Dolby Vision gaming, while the QN90F is listed with HDR10+ gaming.

Why brightness matters more than the label

HDR is only as good as the TV that shows it. TechRadar explains that HDR can contain highlights above 1,000 nits and that movies are commonly mastered at 1,000. A TV that does not reach that brightness has to compress the highlights. That is why a bright mid-range TV can show HDR better than a dim set that technically supports every format. See TV brightness and nits explained.

HDR on your TV: practical tips

1. Check the formats your TV and your streaming devices support. A Dolby Vision-capable streamer is wasted on a TV without it.
2. Pick the right picture mode. TechRadar measures brightness in both the Standard mode and the most accurate preset, usually Movie, Cinema or Filmmaker, because the two can give different results.
3. Use a high-quality HDMI cable and an HDMI port that supports the format, particularly for gaming. See HDMI 2.1 explained.

If Dolby Vision matters to you, filter by supported HDR formats in the finder. You can also see how models handle them on pages like LG C6, Samsung QN90F, Sony Bravia 8 II and Hisense U8QG.