High dynamic range
High dynamic range (HDR), also known as wide dynamic range, extended dynamic range, or expanded dynamic range, is a signal with a higher dynamic range than usual.
The term is often used in discussing the dynamic ranges of
Imaging
In this context, the term high dynamic range means there is a large amount 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 the dynamic range of images or videos to be increased. 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 will be needed for some frames (as when black-and-white films are converted to color).[
Capture
In photography and videography, a technique, commonly named high dynamic range (HDR), allows the dynamic range of photos and videos to be captured 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 the 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 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
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
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 bit-depth
- Formats that use a logarithmic transfer function
- OpenEXR
- ACES
- HDR formatsthat can be used for both storage and transmission to displays, such as:
Transmission to displays
In this context,
- HDR displaysrefers to displays compatible with that technology.
- HLG.
- gamma curve.[13]
On January 4, 2016, the Ultra HD Alliance announced their certification requirements for an HDR display.
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
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,
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
In Audio, the term high dynamic range means there is a lot of variation in the levels of the sound. Here, the dynamic range refers to the range between the highest volume and lowest volume of the 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
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
- .
The first report of digitally combining multiple pictures of the same scene to improve dynamic range appears to be Mann
- ISBN 978-0-08-100412-8.
- ^ "Compositing Multiple Pictures of the Same Scene", by Steve Mann, in IS&T's 46th Annual Conference, Cambridge, Massachusetts, May 9–14, 1993
- ISBN 978-0-12-585263-0.
Images that store a depiction of the scene in a range of intensities commensurate with the scene are what we call HDR, or "radiance maps". On the other hand, we call images suitable for display with current display technology LDR.
- ISBN 978-0-81948-830-5.
- GeForce 6Series. nVidia. p. 3.
- ^ Chan, Eric (Adobe); Hubel, Paul M. (Apple) (January 2023). Embedded Gain Maps for Adaptive Display of High Dynamic Range Images. Stereoscopic Displays and Applications XXXIV.
- ^ "Apple's "EDR" Brings High Dynamic Range to Non-HDR Displays". Prolost. 4 December 2020.
- ^ "Ultra HDR Image Format v1.0". Android Developers. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
- ^ "Industrial Light & Magic Releases Proprietary Extended Dynamic Range Image File Format OpenEXR to Open Source Community" (PDF) (Press release). 22 January 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ^ a b "Main OpenEXR web site". Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ^ a b "ACES". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on 1 August 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
- ^ a b c T. Borer; A. Cotton. "A "Display Independent" High Dynamic Range Television System" (PDF). BBC. Retrieved 2015-11-01.
- ^ a b "UHD Alliance Defines Premium Home Entertainment Experience". Business Wire. 2016-01-04. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
- ^ a b c "What is UHD Alliance Premium Certified?". CNET. 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
- ^ a b Adam Wilt (2014-02-20). "HPA Tech Retreat 2014 – Day 4". DV Info Net. Retrieved 2014-11-05.
- ^ Bryant Frazer (2015-06-09). "Colorist Stephen Nakamura on Grading Tomorrowland in HDR". studiodaily. Retrieved 2015-09-21.
- ^ "Our Monitor Picture Quality Tests: Contrast". RTINGS.com. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
- S2CID 15359222.
- ^ "Dolby Laboratories (DLB) Acquires BrightSide for $28M". StreetInsider.com. Retrieved 2021-08-17..
- ^ Quantigraphic camera promises HDR eyesight from Father of AR, by Chris Davies, SlashGear, Sep 12th 2012
- ^ Ackerman, Elise (31 Dec 2012). "Why Smart Glasses Might Not Make You Smarter". IEEE Spectrum. Retrieved 1 Jan 2017.
- S2CID 28001657.
- ^ "A magical welding helmet that lets you see the world in HDR–in real-time". Archived from the original on 2016-03-28. Retrieved 2018-03-24.
- .
- ^ "'GlassEyes': The Theory of EyeTap Digital Eye Glass, supplemental material for 'Through the Glass, Lightly'" (PDF). IEEE Technology and Society Magazine. 31 (3). Fall 2012.
- ^ EA DICE/Electronic Arts (2007). "Battlefield: Bad Company - Frostbite Engine Trailer" (video). Electronic Arts. Archived from the original on 2021-12-22.
External links
- "High Dynamic Range (HDR) on Intel Graphics" (PDF). Intel Corporation. November 2017.