What Is HLG HDR?
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HLG is royalty-free, unlike more niche standards like Dolby Vision, and unlike the other HDR standards, it doesn't use metadata to tell the TV how to display the HDR content.
HLG encodes its HDR data into a single wide-range signal compatible with both SDR and HDR televisions. As a result, other HDR standards are not supported at all by SDR TVs. That cuts the amount of transmission bandwidth required in half for broadcast content. However, SDR TVs that try to play HLG content will display a standard image—though there is some potential for additional detail in highlights. HLG HDR achieves its improved dynamic range without the use of metadata, too. Where Dolby Vision and HDR 10+ use metadata to inform a display of how, when, and where to adjust brightness accordingly, HLG forgoes that information is often lost during a broadcast.
What Is HLG HDR?
How does it differ, and is it better than HDR10?
By Jon Martindale Jon Martindale Writer Jon Martindale has been a feature tech writer for more than 10 years. He's written for publications such as Digital Trends, KitGuru, and ITProPortal. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on April 24, 2022 Reviewed by Ryan Perian Reviewed by Ryan Perian Western Governors University Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email TV & Displays Samsung Projectors Antennas HDMI & Connections Remote Controls Hybrid Log Gamma HDR, or HLG HDR, is a high dynamic range imagery standard developed by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK). Although it could be considered a competitor to other HDR standards like HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision, it is designed more for broadcast TV than streaming or locally sourced media.What Is HLG
HLG is an HDR standard designed to both add HDR compatibility to broadcast TV signals and maintain a similar simplicity for the broadcast data itself, without adding much in the way of additional bandwidth demands. It allows broadcasters to transmit a signal with a wide dynamic range supported by HDR and SDR televisions, massively reducing the cost and complexity of the broadcast signal.HLG is royalty-free, unlike more niche standards like Dolby Vision, and unlike the other HDR standards, it doesn't use metadata to tell the TV how to display the HDR content.
Do I Need HLG in My New TV
If you plan to watch broadcast TV on your new television, it's a good idea to get one with HLG support, as it is gradually seeing increased adoption among broadcasters. For example, Sky UK announced in 2020 that its Sky Q satellite TV box would support HLG content moving forward. Some streaming content also takes advantage of the HLG HDR standard. For example, you can stream the BBC's Planet Earth II (some segments) and Blue Planet II series from its iPlayer app with HLG HDR.How Does HLG Work
Although the result is similar to other HDR standards, HLG HDR is designed for broadcast television rather than predominantly for streaming or local media playback. However, it does work a little differently to HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision.HLG encodes its HDR data into a single wide-range signal compatible with both SDR and HDR televisions. As a result, other HDR standards are not supported at all by SDR TVs. That cuts the amount of transmission bandwidth required in half for broadcast content. However, SDR TVs that try to play HLG content will display a standard image—though there is some potential for additional detail in highlights. HLG HDR achieves its improved dynamic range without the use of metadata, too. Where Dolby Vision and HDR 10+ use metadata to inform a display of how, when, and where to adjust brightness accordingly, HLG forgoes that information is often lost during a broadcast.