HDR is rapidly becoming the next big development in the audiovisual industry and should help to shift a large number of 4K units. Recently, Sony discussed the benefits of HDR and the advantages it brings to the gaming experience. If you’re unaware, HDR delivers a higher contrast and more vibrant image. The wide colour gamut transforms footage and makes it look extremely sharp. Here we can see a simulated SDR vs HDR comparison and it’s clear that the SDR image looks extremely dull:
As per usual, YouTube has embraced the latest technological marvel and understands the benefits it provides. In a blog post, YouTube explained:
“Starting today, you can watch YouTube videos in HDR on supported devices, such as HDR TVs with the new Chromecast Ultra, and soon on all 2016 Samsung SUHD and UHD TVs. If you’re using a device that doesn’t yet support HDR, don’t worry, videos will still play in standard dynamic range. As more HDR devices become available, YouTube will work with partners to enable streaming of the HDR version.”
It’s important to remember that HDR is still in its infancy and requires an HDR certified TV. I’m fairly certain that HDR monitors do not exist yet but this should change relatively soon once the demand for HDR increases. Clearly, YouTube’s support for HDR content will remain fairly useless right now but it sets things up for the future rather nicely.
