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High dynamic range

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High dynamic range (HDR), also known as wide dynamic range, extended dynamic range, or expanded
dynamic range, is a dynamic range higher than usual.

The term is often used in discussing the dynamic range of various signals such as images, videos, audio or
radio. It may apply to the means of recording, processing, and reproducing such signals including analog
and digitized signals.[1]

The term is also the name of some of the technologies or techniques allowing to achieve high dynamic
range images, videos, or audio.

Contents

Imaging
Capture

Rendering

Dynamic range compression or expansion

Storage

Transmission to displays

Display

Realtime HDR vision

Non-imaging
Audio

Radio

Instrumentation

See also

References

External links

Imaging

In this context, the term high dynamic range means there is a lot of variation in light levels within a scene or
an image. The dynamic range refers to the range of luminosity between the brightest area and the darkest
area of that scene or image.

High dynamic range imaging (HDRI) refers to the set of imaging technologies and techniques that allow to
increase the dynamic range of images or videos. It covers the acquisition, creation, storage, distribution and
display of images and videos.[2]

Modern movies have often been filmed with cameras featuring a higher dynamic range, and legacy movies
can be converted even if manual intervention would be needed for some frames (as when black-and-white
films are converted to color).[citation needed] Also, special effects, especially those that mix real and synthetic
footage, require both HDR shooting and rendering.[citation needed] HDR video is also needed in applications
that demand high accuracy for capturing temporal aspects of changes in the scene. This is important in
monitoring of some industrial processes such as welding, in predictive driver assistance systems in
automotive industry, in surveillance video systems, and other applications.

Capture
Main article: Multi-exposure HDR capture

In photography and videography, a technique, commonly named high dynamic range (HDR), allows to
increase the dynamic range of captured photos and videos beyond the native capability of the camera. It
consists of capturing multiple frames of the same scene but with different exposures and then combining
them into one, resulting into an image with a dynamic range higher than those of individually captured
frames.[3][4]

Some of the sensors on modern phones and cameras may even combine the two images on-chip. This also
allows a wider dynamic range being directly available to the user for display or processing without in-pixel
compression.

Some cameras designed for use in security applications can capture HDR videos by automatically providing
two or more images for each frame, with changing exposure. For example, a sensor for 30fps video will give
out 60fps with the odd frames at a short exposure time and the even frames at a longer exposure
time.[citation needed]

Modern CMOS image sensors can often capture a high dynamic range images from a single exposure.[5]
This reduces the need to use the multi-exposure HDR capture technique.

High dynamic range captured images are used in extreme dynamic range applications like welding or
automotive work. In security cameras the term used instead of HDR is "wide dynamic range".[citation needed]

Because of the nonlinearity of some sensors image artifacts can be common.[citation needed]

Rendering
Main article: High-dynamic-range rendering

High-dynamic-range rendering (HDRR) is the real-time rendering and display of virtual environments using
a dynamic range of 65,535:1 or higher (used in computer, gaming, and entertainment technology).[6]

Dynamic range compression or expansion

Main article: Tone mapping

The technologies used to store, transmit, display and print images have limited dynamic range. When
captured or created images have a higher dynamic range, they must be tone mapped in order to reduce that
dynamic range.[citation needed]

Storage

High-dynamic-range formats for image and video files are able to store more dynamic range than traditional
8-bit gamma formats. These formats include:

Formats that are only used for storage purpose, such as:
Raw image formats

Formats that use a linear transfer function with high bit-depth

Formats that use a logarithmic transfer function

OpenEXR

ACES

HDR formats that can be used for both storage and transmission to displays, such as:
HDR10

HDR10+

Dolby Vision

HLG

ISO/AWI 21496 Gain map, a layer built on top of SDR formats[7] – formerly Apple EDR[8]

Ultra HDR, a gain map image in a JPEG image file, and backwards compatible with SDR displays[9]

OpenEXR was created in 1999 by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and released in 2003 as an open source
software library.[10][11] OpenEXR is used for film and television production.[11]

Academy Color Encoding System (ACES) was created by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
and released in December 2014.[12] ACES is a complete color and file management system that works with
almost any professional workflow and it supports both HDR and wide color gamut. More information can be
found at https://www.ACESCentral.com (WCG).[12]

Transmission to displays
Main article: High-dynamic-range video

High dynamic range (HDR) is also the common name of a technology allowing to transmit high dynamic
range videos and images to compatible displays. That technology also improves other aspects of
transmitted images, such as color gamut.

In this context,

HDR displays refers to displays compatible with that technology.

HDR formats refers to formats such as HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and HLG.

HDR video refers to a video encoded in an HDR format. Thoses HDR video have a greater bit depth,
luminance and color volume than standard dynamic range (SDR) video which uses a conventional gamma
curve.[13]

On January 4, 2016, the Ultra HD Alliance announced their certification requirements for an HDR
display.[14][15] The HDR display must have either a peak brightness of over 1000 cd/m2 and a black level less
than 0.05 cd/m2 (a contrast ratio of at least 20,000:1) or a peak brightness of over 540 cd/m2 and a black
level less than 0.0005 cd/m2 (a contrast ratio of at least 1,080,000:1).[14][15] The two options allow for
different types of HDR displays such as LCD and OLED.[15]

Some options to use HDR transfer functions that better match the human visual system other than a
conventional gamma curve include the HLG and perceptual quantizer (PQ).[13][16][17] HLG and PQ require a
bit depth of 10-bits per sample.[13][16]

Display
See also: History of display technology, Backlight § Backlight dimming, OLED, and High-dynamic-range television

The dynamic range of a display refers to range of luminosity the display can reproduce, from the black level
to its peak brightness.[citation needed] The contrast of a display refers to the ratio between the luminance of
the brightest white and the darkest black that a monitor can produce.[18] Multiple technologies allowed to
increase the dynamic range of displays.

In May 2003, BrightSide Technologies demonstrated the first HDR display at the Display Week Symposium
of the Society for Information Display. The display used an array of individually-controlled LEDs behind a
conventional LCD panel in a configuration known as "local dimming" today. BrightSide later introduced a
variety of related display and video technologies enabling visualization of HDR content.[19] In April 2007,
BrightSide Technologies was acquired by Dolby Laboratories.[20]

OLED displays have high contrast. MiniLED improves contrast.[citation needed]

Realtime HDR vision

In the 1970s and 1980s, Steve Mann invented the Generation-1 and
Generation-2 "Digital Eye Glass" as a vision aid to help people see
better with some versions being built into welding helmets for HDR
vision.[21][22][23][24][25][26]

Non-imaging

Audio
Mann's HDR (high-dynamic-range)
welding helmet augments the image in
In Audio, the term high dynamic range means there is a lot of
dark areas and diminishes it in bright
variation in the levels of the sound. Here, the dynamic range refers to areas, thus implementing computer-
the range between the highest volume and lowest volume of the mediated reality.

sound.

XDR (audio) is used to provide higher-quality audio when using microphone sound systems or recording
onto cassette tapes.

HDR Audio is a dynamic mixing technique used in EA Digital Illusions CE Frostbite Engine to allow relatively
louder sounds to drown out softer sounds.[27]

Dynamic range compression is a set of techniques used in audio recording and communication to put high-
dynamic-range material through channels or media of lower dynamic range. Optionally, dynamic range
expansion is used to restore the original high dynamic range on playback.

Radio

In radio, high dynamic range is important especially when there are potentially interfering signals. Measures
such as spurious-free dynamic range are used to quantify the dynamic range of various system
components such as frequency synthesizers. HDR concepts are important in both conventional and
software-defined radio design.

Instrumentation

In many fields, instruments need to have a very high dynamic range. For example, in seismology, HDR
accelerometers are needed, as in the ICEARRAY instruments.

See also

Rec. 2100 – ITU-R Recommendation for HDR

Ultra HD Forum – Organization that has created standards for HDR

Color space

Color grading

References

1. ^ Robertson, Mark A.; Borman, Sean; Stevenson, 12. ^ a b "ACES" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Robert L. (April 2003). "Estimation-theoretic Sciences. Archived from the original on 1 August
approach to dynamic range enhancement using 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
multiple exposures". Journal of Electronic Imaging.
13. ^ a b c T. Borer; A. Cotton. "A "Display Independent"
12 (2): 220, right column, line 26219–228.
High Dynamic Range Television System" (PDF).
Bibcode:2003JEI....12..219R .
BBC. Retrieved 2015-11-01.
doi:10.1117/1.1557695 . "The first report of digitally
combining multiple pictures of the same scene to 14. ^ a b "UHD Alliance Defines Premium Home
improve dynamic range appears to be Mann" Entertainment Experience" . Business Wire. 2016-
01-04. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
2. ^ Dufaux, Frédéric; Le Callet, Patrick; Mantiuk, Rafal;
Mrak, Marta (2016). High Dynamic Range Video – 15. ^ a b c "What is UHD Alliance Premium Certified?" .
From Acquisition to Display and Applications . CNET. 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
Elsevier. doi:10.1016/C2014-0-03232-7 . ISBN 978-
16. ^ a b Adam Wilt (2014-02-20). "HPA Tech Retreat
0-08-100412-8.
2014 – Day 4" . DV Info Net. Retrieved 2014-11-05.
3. ^ "Compositing Multiple Pictures of the Same
17. ^ Bryant Frazer (2015-06-09). "Colorist Stephen
Scene", by Steve Mann, in IS&T's 46th Annual
Nakamura on Grading Tomorrowland in HDR" .
Conference, Cambridge, Massachusetts, May 9–14,
studiodaily. Retrieved 2015-09-21.
1993
18. ^ "Our Monitor Picture Quality Tests: Contrast" .
4. ^ Reinhard, Erik; Ward, Greg; Pattanaik, Sumanta;
RTINGS.com. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
Debevec, Paul (2005). High dynamic range imaging:
acquisition, display, and image-based lighting. 19. ^ Seetzen, Helge; Whitehead, Lorne A.; Ward, Greg
Amsterdam: Elsevier/Morgan Kaufmann. p. 7. (2003). "54.2: A High Dynamic Range Display Using
ISBN 978-0-12-585263-0. "Images that store a Low and High Resolution Modulators" . SID
depiction of the scene in a range of intensities Symposium Digest of Technical Papers. 34 (1):
commensurate with the scene are what we call HDR, 1450–1453. doi:10.1889/1.1832558 . ISSN 2168-
or "radiance maps". On the other hand, we call 0159 . S2CID 15359222 .
images suitable for display with current display
20. ^ "Dolby Laboratories (DLB) Acquires BrightSide for
technology LDR."
$28M" . StreetInsider.com. Retrieved 2021-08-17..
5. ^ Arnaud Darmont (2012). High Dynamic Range
21. ^ Quantigraphic camera promises HDR eyesight from
Imaging: Sensors and Architectures (First ed.).
Father of AR, by Chris Davies, SlashGear, Sep 12th
SPIE press. ISBN 978-0-81948-830-5.
2012
6. ^ Simon Green and Cem Cebenoyan (2004). "High
22. ^ Ackerman, Elise (31 Dec 2012). "Why Smart
Dynamic Range Rendering (on the GeForce 6800)"
Glasses Might Not Make You Smarter" . IEEE
(PDF). GeForce 6 Series. nVidia. p. 3.
Spectrum. Retrieved 1 Jan 2017.
7. ^ Chan, Eric (Adobe); Hubel, Paul M. (Apple)
23. ^ Mann, Steve (February 1997). "Wearable
(January 2023). Embedded Gain Maps for Adaptive
Computing: A First Step Toward Personal
Display of High Dynamic Range Images .
Imaging" . IEEE Computer. 30 (2): 25–32.
Stereoscopic Displays and Applications XXXIV.
doi:10.1109/2.566147 . S2CID 28001657 .
8. ^ "Apple's "EDR" Brings High Dynamic Range to
24. ^ "A magical welding helmet that lets you see the
Non-HDR Displays" . Prolost. 4 December 2020.
world in HDR–in real-time" . Archived from the
9. ^ "Ultra HDR Image Format v1.0" . Android original on 2016-03-28. Retrieved 2018-03-24.
Developers. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
25. ^ Mann, Steve (Fall 2012). "Through the Glass,
10. ^ "Industrial Light & Magic Releases Proprietary Lightly" . IEEE Technology and Society Magazine.
Extended Dynamic Range Image File Format 31 (3): 10–14. doi:10.1109/MTS.2012.2216592 .
OpenEXR to Open Source Community" (PDF)
26. ^ " 'GlassEyes': The Theory of EyeTap Digital Eye
(Press release). 22 January 2003. Archived from the
Glass, supplemental material for 'Through the Glass,
original (PDF) on 21 July 2017. Retrieved 27 July
Lightly' " (PDF). IEEE Technology and Society
2016.
Magazine. 31 (3). Fall 2012.
ab
11. ^ "Main OpenEXR web site" . Archived from
27. ^ EA DICE/Electronic Arts (2007). "Battlefield: Bad
the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 27 July
Company - Frostbite Engine Trailer" (video).
2016.
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2021-12-22.

External links

"High Dynamic Range (HDR) on Intel Graphics" (PDF). Intel Corporation. November 2017.

Last edited on 19 December 2023, at 20:42

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