It’s time to renew the television and you go to a store to consider different models, but once you get to work comparing the specifications you find yourself in an alphabet soup: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision or simply HDR. We already made it clear to you that all these technologies are aimed at offering better image quality, but they do not work the same nor do they achieve the same result. Therefore, today we are going to review what the differences are so that you can make the right choice for the next television. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links What is HDR The High Dynamic Range (HDR) is an imaging technology that aims to increase the difference between dark and light areas. Keep in mind that 4K resolution adds a higher number of pixels, while HDR makes those pixels better by offering much more vivid colors and deeper blacks. HDR10, the standard format HDR10 is essentially “normal” HDR, since it is the standard that all televisions and all platforms usually use. The reason is that it is open language; Brands do not have to pay for it and usually include it in their televisions. How does it work? Movies, for example, usually have predefined brightness and color levels, so once we play it they will be applied throughout it. The settings will be the same throughout the movie, whether all scenes are darker or lighter, and that is where the problem is. The biggest drawback of the HDR10 format is that does not apply scene to scenebut throughout the entire film equally. This means that sometimes the lightest or darkest scenes do not look quite good, so in the end some detail will be lost in these types of scenes. Dolby Vision, scene-by-scene configuration Dolby Vision is a technology from Dolby Laboratories, so in order to include it in their televisions, brands have to pay for it. This makes many brands decide not to use them and We have the best example in Samsungwhich prefers to include other open HDR formats. The great usefulness of Dolby Vision is that, unlike HDR10, it is capable of adjusting the brightness and colors scene by scene, adapting to certain situations in which there is high contrast so that the entire movie looks good. Perhaps you have seen the name of this technology on platforms like Netflix, and it is because it is the one that is usually found in high-quality content. But here’s something you should keep in mind: it doesn’t matter if your television is compatible with this format, if the platform decides that it will only include it in the most expensive subscription levels, and you have the cheapest one, you won’t be able to take advantage of it. Keep this in mind when choosing a television, Are you going to take advantage of this technology?. HDR10+, almost free Dolby Vision TV showing content without HDR10+ (left) and with HDR10+ (right). Why doesn’t Samsung include Dolby Vision in its televisions? The fact that, along with brands like Amazon and Panasonic, it decided to launch its own format has a lot to do with it. HDR10+ is the free technology that directly competes with the Dolby Vision that we have now, and is currently available on many televisions, especially mid-range and high-end. However, despite the fact that HDR10+ is currently found in a good assortment of televisions, the truth is that supported content is very limited; even more than Dolby Vision. Keep in mind that if you buy a Samsung, Prime Video will be your best ally because it is one of the few that uses HDR10+. Although HDR10+ tries to compete head-to-head with Dolby Vision, the latter plays in another league. The reality is that there are still no home televisions capable of squeezing out their full potential; While current screens reach brightnesses of 2,000 nits, Dolby Vision is designed to reach levels of up to 10,000 nits and much higher color richness. It is basically a future-proof technology. On the other hand, with HDR10+ we are faced with a format that, despite having a similar name, is different from HDR10 because allows you to optimize lighting scene by scene throughout the entire moviethus offering a much better result. HLG, the format for live broadcasting We have Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) on practically all televisions, and this is because it is the format that is used in live content (also delayed) instead of streaming. In other words: it is the one used when you watch the news or a football match. HLG is intended for use on both HDR-compatible televisions and SDR models (older TVs), since it is a format that is broadcast in content en masse. The quality does not come close to what we find in Dolby Vision technology, but it is efficient for live broadcasting. The good and the bad of both options, face to face HDR10 Dolby Vision HDR10+ HLG THE GOOD 🟢 It is present in practically all televisions. It offers the best quality by having a lighting configuration that varies scene by scene. It is present on many televisions and offers an experience close to Dolby Vision. It offers better quality in live or delayed broadcasts. THE BAD 🔴 It maintains the same lighting settings throughout the movie, offering poorer quality in scenes with high contrast. It is not present on all TVs and sometimes the platforms reserve it for the most expensive subscriptions. There is not much supported content. It is not compatible with streaming content. Ideal for: People looking for a very economical television. Enjoy the best experience watching a movie or series and playing video games. Watch movies in better quality than HDR10 offers. Watch live or delayed broadcasts with better quality. What TV should I buy then? At this point, you may be thinking which one is worth it. If you choose a TV, you should pay attention to the HDR or Dolby format, especially depending … Read more
