Splitting from the rest of the consumer video industry, which has primarily adopted HDR10, Dolby Vision and the Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) formats, Samsung has partnered with Amazon Video to introduce HDR10+.
According to Samsung and Amazon, HDR10+ is an updated open standard that utilizes dynamic metadata to produce “enhanced contrast and colors on an expanded range of televisions.”
“As an advanced HDR10 technology, HDR10+ offers an unparalleled HDR viewing experience [that includes a] vivid picture, better constrast and accurate colors that brings HDR video to life,” says Kyoungwon Lim, vice president of visual display division at Samsung Electronics. “We're excited to work with world-class industry partners, including Amazon Video to bring more amazing HDR content directly to our 2017 UHD TVs, including our QLED TV lineup.”
HDR10 vs. HDR10+
The differences between HDR10 and HDR10+ are stark, says Samsung. HDR10+ can adjust brightness levels on a scene-by-scene basis or even a frame-by-frame basis. The HDR10 standard employs static metadata that does not change based on scene-specific brightness levels necessary to maximize image quality.
“Together with Samsung, we are excited to offer customers an enhanced viewing experience on a broad range of devices,” says Greg Hart, vice president, Amazon Video Worldwide. “At Amazon, we are constantly innovating on behalf of customers and are thrilled to be the first streaming service provider to work with Samsung to make HDR10+ available on Prime Video globally later this year.”
The two companies say they were the first to bring HDR10 to the consumer video and streaming media categories back in 2015. This move, they recall, laid the groundwork for the introduction of the HDR10+ format.
Samsung's partnership with Amazon Video is not unique. The company previously partnered with Colorfront to improve HDR10+ through the use of Colorfront's Transkoder post-production software. Additionally, Samsung has partnered with MulticoreWare to complete the integration of HDR10+ in the free x265 High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) codec.
Samsung's entire 2017 UHD product lineup, including its flagship QLED TVs, support HDR10+. Samsung will issue a firmware update for its 2016 UHD televisions to support HDR10+ later this year.
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