VESA introduces three-tier DisplayHDR open standard for LCD screens
VESA (the Video Electronics Standards Association) released the first specifications for the DisplayHDR open standard that is designed to help manufacturers better classify upcoming LED-based laptop displays and PC monitor screens according to their respective high dynamic range performance. The new standard delineates three tiers according to performance criteria such as luminance, color gamut, bit depth and rise time, with each tier having its own specific DisplayHDR logo. The minimum requirement for the DisplayHDR certification are HDR10 compliance, true 8-bit drivers without dithering and inclusion of global or local dimming arrays.
DisplayHDR 400 corresponds to the low-end tier, bringing significant improvements over the SDR (standard dynamic range) baseline. Its main prerequisites are:
• true 8-bit color precision
• global dimming array
• peak luminance of 400 cd/m2
DisplayHDR 600 represents the mid-range tier, targeting professional/enthusiast-level laptops and high-performance monitors. The main requirements for this tier include:
• peak luminance of 600 cd/m2
• full-screen flash – for realistic effect rendition in games and movies
• local dimming array with real-time contrast ratio adjustment
• 10-bit color precision
As the high-end tier, DisplayHDR 1000 is aimed at professional/enthusiast/content-creator PC monitors. The requirements are steeper, and they include:
• peak luminance of 1,000 cd/m2 with full-screen flash
• local dimming array that yields 2X contrast increase over the DisplayHDR-600 tier
• 10-bit color accuracy
The new standard from VESA is expected to be featured by a number of manufacturers at CES 2018, and certified commercial display models should be available in Q1 2018.