You’ve seen HDR plastered on every TV, phone, monitor, and streaming service. Marketing promises mind-blowing visuals and lifelike colors. But what IS HDR actually, does it really look better, and should you spend extra money on it?
Let me explain what HDR is, cut through the marketing hype, expose the “fake HDR” problem, and help you decide if it’s worth your money.
Table of Contents
In Simple language
HDR (High Dynamic Range) is display technology that shows brighter highlights, deeper blacks, and more vivid colors than standard displays. But only if your device has proper hardware, because most “HDR” products are fake and will disappoint you.
What is HDR actually?
HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. It enhances video by expanding contrast, color, and brightness. Allowing for deeper blacks, brighter whites, and more vivid colors to create lifelike and immersive visuals.
Think of it this way: Your eyes can see an enormous range of brightness from the dimmest shadow to the brightest sunlight. Traditional displays (called SDR – Standard Dynamic Range) can only show a limited range. HDR technology expands the contrast ratio and increases brightness levels, allowing for more vivid colors and improved detail in both bright and dark parts of a scene.
Real-world example:
Imagine watching a sunset:
- SDR: The sky looks dull orange. The sun is just a bright blob. Shadow details are muddy.
- HDR: The sun actually glows with intensity. You see color gradients in the clouds. Shadow details are visible.
That’s HDR more brightness range, more color, more detail.
The Problem Nobody Tells You: “Fake HDR” is Everywhere
Here’s the dirty secret: Most devices labeled “HDR” are lying to you. Industry experts estimate that over 90% of “HDR” monitors and many budget TVs are what’s called fake HDR.
What is Fake HDR?
A fake HDR display can receive an HDR signal but doesn’t have the hardware to display it properly. It’s like buying a sports car with a 200 mph speedometer but an engine that only does 60 mph.
What happens with fake HDR:
- The entire screen dims
- Blacks turn gray and washed out
- Colors look flat
- The image looks worse than SDR mode
How to Spot Fake HDR
Red flags:
❌ DisplayHDR 400 certification (basically fake)
❌ Peak brightness under 600 nits
❌ No mention of “local dimming zones”
❌ Price seems too good to be true
What to look for:
✅ DisplayHDR 600 minimum (better: 1000 or 1400)
✅ OLED technology (always true HDR)
✅ Full-Array Local Dimming with 500+ zones
✅ Mini-LED with 1000+ dimming zones
✅ Peak brightness: 600 nits minimum
How HDR Actually Works
HDR combines four key technologies:
1. Higher Peak Brightness
SDR displays: 250-350 nits
Real HDR displays: 600-10,000 nits
This allows small parts of the image (like the sun or fire) to be dramatically brighter without brightening the whole screen.
2. Deeper Blacks and Better Contrast
SDR: Usually 1,000:1 contrast ratio
HDR (mini-LED): 30,000:1 to 50,000:1
HDR (OLED): Infinite (pixels turn completely off)
3. Wider Color Gamut
HDR supports higher bit depths like 10-bit or 12-bit color. Which means it can display over a billion colors compared to the roughly 16 million available in SDR.
4. Local Dimming
This separates real HDR from fake HDR. HDR uses wider color gamuts such as Rec. 2020, which covers a much larger color range than the Rec. 709 used in SDR.
Traditional LCD backlights illuminate the entire screen. Local dimming divides the backlight into hundreds or thousands of independent zones that dim or brighten separately.
Types:
- Edge-lit: Terrible for HDR
- Full-Array Local Dimming (FALD): Hundreds of zones, good HDR
- Mini-LED: 1,000+ zones, excellent HDR
- OLED: Millions of zones (each pixel), perfect blacks
The HDR Format War
HDR10 (The Standard)
- What it is: Baseline HDR format, universally supported
- Pros: Free, supported everywhere, huge content library
- Cons: Static metadata (can’t optimize scene-by-scene)
HDR10+ (Samsung’s Version)
HDR10+ is similar to HDR Vivid, sharing dynamic metadata, comparable brightness, and royalty-free status.
- What it is: Enhanced HDR10 with dynamic metadata
- Pros: Scene-by-scene optimization, royalty-free, supported by Amazon Prime Video
- Cons: Samsung TVs only (no Dolby Vision support)
Dolby Vision (Premium Option)
- What it is: Most advanced consumer HDR
- Specs: 12-bit color depth, up to 10,000 nits, dynamic metadata
- Pros: Best picture quality, supported by Netflix, Disney+, LG, Sony
- Cons: NOT on Samsung TVs, licensing fees increase costs
HLG (Broadcast HDR)
- What it is: HDR for live TV broadcasts
- Pros: Works on both HDR and SDR TVs, great for live sports
- Cons: Lower quality than HDR10+ or Dolby Vision
HDR Vivid (China’s Format)
HDR Vivid is a new HDR standard developed by CUVA (China UHD Video Industry Alliance), focusing on enhanced dynamic range and color accuracy with dynamic metadata for scene-by-scene optimization. It supports peak brightness of 4000 nits and a wide color gamut (BT.2020), and is an open, royalty-free standard.
Important primarily for the Chinese market, though some international facilities like Mission Digital in the UK have become certified for HDR Vivid grading and mastering.
Where You Encounter HDR
TVs (Most Common)
Best HDR TVs (2025):
- Best overall: LG C5 OLED (~$1,700 for 55″)
- Best value: TCL QM6K (~$550 for 55″)
- Best brightness: Hisense U8QG (~$1,500 for 65″)
Gaming Monitors
Warning: More fake HDR here than anywhere else.
Best HDR gaming monitors:
- ASUS ROG Swift OLED (~$1,000-1,200)
- KTC M27T6 Mini-LED (~$300)
- Dell AW3423DWF OLED (~$800)
Smartphones
Modern flagships have excellent HDR:
- iPhone 15 Pro: Dolby Vision, 1,600-2,000 nits
- Samsung S24 Ultra: HDR10+, 2,600 nits
- Google Pixel 10 Pro: HDR10+, 2,400 nits
Streaming Services
Services with HDR:
- Netflix: HDR10, Dolby Vision (premium plan)
- Disney+: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision
- Apple TV+: Dolby Vision (all content)
- Amazon Prime: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision
- YouTube: HDR10 (free)
Gaming
Consoles:
- PlayStation 5: HDR10, Dolby Vision (streaming only)
- Xbox Series X/S: HDR10, Dolby Vision (gaming & streaming)
Best HDR games: Cyberpunk 2077, Horizon Forbidden West, Alan Wake 2, Forza Horizon 5
Real Benefits of HDR
What HDR Does Well
✅ Highlights look stunning (sunsets, explosions, neon lights pop)
✅ Shadow detail preserved (see details without raising overall brightness)
✅ Colors more vibrant and accurate
✅ More immersive experience
When HDR is Worth It
Movies and TV shows – Especially nature documentaries, sci-fi, fantasy
Single-player games – Immersion matters more than competitive advantage
Sports and live events – Bright stadiums with dark shadows benefit greatly
When HDR is Overrated
Competitive gaming – You want visibility, not cinematic beauty
Well-lit rooms – HDR shines in dark environments
Budget devices – Fake HDR makes images worse than good SDR
Should You Actually Buy HDR?
Buy HDR if:
✅ You’re purchasing a new TV or monitor anyway
✅ You can afford real HDR (OLED or mini-LED)
✅ You watch streaming services with HDR content
✅ You play single-player story games
✅ You watch in a dark or controlled-light room
Don’t buy HDR if:
❌ It’s a “DisplayHDR 400” monitor
❌ Budget is tight (save money for better SDR)
❌ You only do competitive gaming
❌ Your room has lots of ambient light
❌ You don’t watch 4K/HDR content
How Much Should You Spend?
TVs:
- Entry-level real HDR: $600-$900 (55″ mini-LED)
- Mid-range HDR: $1,200-$2,000 (OLED or premium mini-LED)
- Premium HDR: $2,500+ (flagship models)
Monitors:
- Entry-level real HDR: $300-$500 (mini-LED)
- Mid-range HDR: $700-$1,000 (OLED or premium mini-LED)
- Premium HDR: $1,200+ (4K high-refresh OLED)
Rule of thumb: If you’re spending under $500 on a monitor or under $700 on a TV, skip HDR claims they’re likely fake.
The Bottom Line
HDR is genuinely impressive technology when implemented properly. It provides a more vivid and dynamic viewing experience by expanding brightness, contrast and color range far beyond what standard displays can achieve.
But the market is flooded with fake HDR products that don’t deliver. Before buying anything labeled “HDR,” verify it has:
- OLED technology OR
- Mini-LED with 500+ zones OR
- DisplayHDR 600+ certification OR
- Peak brightness over 600 nits
If you can afford real HDR and watch HDR content, it’s transformative. If you’re on a budget or buying a device that only claims “HDR support” without the specs to back it up, save your money and get a high-quality SDR display instead.
The future of HDR is bright (pun intended), but in 2025, buyer beware: not all HDR is created equal.
