Can someone explain what HDR monitors are?

[decoy11]

So I can across this video from Nvidia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDUGWUWRRNU

They seem to be hyping up HDR monitors but I can't find any info besides TVs with write ups that are very vague.
The only other explanation I could find was this http://on-demand.gputechconf.com/gtc/20 ... S5639.html video and it confused me a bit more.

[spacediver]

It means the display can output a much higher luminance range. So you can get highlights that are super bright. Makes for a very realistic image, as in our natural environment we are exposed to "HDR content" all the time. It also means that you can capture a lot of detail across that range without the image being blown out. So, for example, you could have a very bright explosion, but see a lot of the fiery detail within that explosion, while at the same time seeing a lot of shadow detail in the darker portions of the picture that aren't part of the explosion.

[pneu]

Dynamic range is measured in stops. 1 stop = 1 doubling of light energy. So for example 60cd/m2 to 120cd/m2 is a stop. 120cd/m2 to 240cd/m2 is a stop. etc.

Professional grade HDR cameras used in hollywood, such as the Sony F65 or Red Epic, have a maximum of about 14-17 stops of dynamic range. Therefore it follows that you would want the same amount of stops at your display to see all the dynamic range that was captured.

As it turns out it's quite difficult to do that many stops at the display. You need a dark black level and/or a bright white level.

Here is a spreadsheet I made for calculating the amount of stops there are for given display. Input your values in the top left and it will tell you how many stops you have.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... 1733586897

[decoy11]

Thank you for the detail responses guys.

So when I am looking to buy a new monitor what in the spec sheets do I look for to decided if the panel is HDR? I assume that Brightness, Static Contrast Ratio, and Dynamic Contrast Ratio is what I should pay attention to. Do the type of back-light factor into the brightness as well?

[spacediver]

As of today, I don't think there are any HDR monitors appropriate for gaming on the market. If one is HDR, then you''ll know for sure, as it'll be one of the biggest marketing points.

[sega4ever]

So HDR monitors have better contrast ratios than ones out today?

[spacediver]

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... 1733586897

cool spreadsheet. Question though: why does the number of stops differ depending upon whether you're in 8 or 10 bit? Shouldn't # of stops be simply be log(max luminance) / log(min luminance)? (base 2 log)

[pneu]

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... 1733586897

cool spreadsheet. Question though: why does the number of stops differ depending upon whether you're in 8 or 10 bit? Shouldn't # of stops be simply be log(max luminance) / log(min luminance)? (base 2 log)

It's because I'm calculating the number of stops starting at digital value 1, due to the fact that if we start from digital value 0 in the case that black is 0cd/m2 (OLED) then it would be dividing by zero. With higher bit depth, digital value 1 is darker, so that's where that extra bit of dynamic range comes from.

I did originally put in a condition to only start counting from 1 if the black level was 0, but then that results in another problem where a 0cd/m2 black would give you less stops than a really tiny but non-zero black level such as 0.00000001.

[spacediver]

thanks, makes sense.

[decoy11]

So I was reading up on samsung hdr tvs and the use of quantum dots which lead me to this monitor. http://hexus.net/tech/news/monitors/860 ... t-monitor/

Would this be considered an HDR monitor?