❝ Broadcasters can use HDR to differentiate their programming because it offers a wider range of creative choices .❞
Semptember 2018 CREATION 19
primarily with 4K / UHD , promising greater quality and more details . “ HDR also accentuates the contrast on smaller screens , where you do not notice the increase in pixels 4K / UHD brings as much ,” says Blackett . As for whether HDR can be deployed independently from 4K / UHD , he ponders : “ HDR conceivably can be deployed outside of 4K / UHD and in some ways makes more sense to do so on devices like smartphones , but so far , no one is doing this in any great way or scale .”
Another issue that remains to be navigated where HDR is concerned is a potential standards war — there is Dolby Vision , HDR + 10 and the aforementioned HLG from the BBC and NHK . Blackett offers : “ It ’ s a bit different with HDR as screens ‘ can ’ run multiple standards , but in general , yes , multiple standards can , and usually do , hinder development and buying decisions , particularly for consumers who only want one .”
The HDR standards war is likely to continue for some time , and it is difficult to predict , with any degree of accuracy , which standard will eventually prevail , suggests Robert Stacy , general manager , APAC , AJA Video Systems .
For a solutions provider like AJA , the focus is instead on ensuring that it provides tools to its customers to create content , regard-
The real challenges of HDR
BY DANIELE SIRAGUSANO
A lot of people are getting very excited by the prospects of high dynamic range ( HDR ) for both movies and television . And HDR , does bring new possibilities to the image . HDR increases the contrast ratio , giving you simultaneous bright highlights and detailed deep shadows . It also extends the palette of bright , saturated colours , giving the colourist more to work with .
But there are traps for the unwary : the enlarged colour palette mainly adds fluorescent and light-emitting colours . Surface colours play a much larger role for most movies and TV shows — and standard dynamic range ( SDR ) TV already covers most of them . Saturated colours can also drift quickly from a natural to an unnatural appearance .
This means that the extended gamut of HDR needs to be controlled and managed with great care , and that is why the colourist needs a powerful toolkit ( like Baselight v5 ) that works in a perceptual domain , rather than in camera or display RGB spaces .
In addition to the creative tools in v5 , FilmLight has developed a new colour appearance model ( Truelight CAM ) that allows you to ‘ render ’ an image for all of the various viewing conditions and device capabilities . This ensures that any monitor gives a consistent view of the material at every stage of production and post ; and this technology also means that producing various deliverables becomes easy .
The higher contrast of HDR also means that images are perceived as sharper : there
less of the standard they choose to work in , he reveals .
To help customers plan their workflows and make the right decisions in positioning HDR workflow tools , AJA is promoting the concept of the Single Master Workflow . Stacy explains : “ This means that when doing live production , rather than having two separate productions , trucks , crews and equipment for HDR and SDR , products like AJA ’ s FS-HDR can be strategically placed throughout the workflow . The FS-HDR acts as a seamless bridge between SDR and HDR .
“ This means you can easily match existing SDR and HDR camera sources into a common production format , that only one set of graphics need to be produced , and your output feeds can be easily adapted to either Rec-709 or HDR format such as HLG or PQ .”
The end-result , he surmises , is both SDR and HDR deliverables being able to be met with the same crew , resources , time — with only a small increment in cost , as opposed to a whole new investment in infrastructure .
AJA has also recently added the BBC ’ s implementation of LUTs , which are based on HLG . “ What makes the FS-HDR such an essential tool with this backdrop of
is more differentiation between each pixel . This is great when you need the sharpest possible pictures , such as sports on television . But for drama or movies , HDR can be too sharp : the director will want the light to bloom , not cut like a knife .
Again , the colourist needs new tools to shape and modify the texture of the image with fine control , in order to fulfil the director ’ s vision . New tools on the colour workstation give control over texture and allow non-linear spatial transformations . And those tools are needed to maintain the look across different deliverables , too — as every display technology adds its own Modulation Transfer Function ( MTF ) to the final texture of the image .
This perceived increase of contrast and sharpness also affects motion artifacts , which are contrast-sensitive . HDR allows you to create high contrast in high frequencies , which will emphasise motion judder : a slow panning shot that may look fine in SDR but might be distracting in HDR .
It is possible to produce beautiful and cinematic images in HDR , but we need a new set of tools to achieve this . With the right toolset , HDR has the power to be a transformative shift in the visual language of television and movies . The creative possibilities are exciting : now is the time to develop the skills and techniques to ensure that those possibilities are best used to enhance the story .
Daniele Siragusano is image engineer at Filmlight .
❝ Broadcasters can use HDR to differentiate their programming because it offers a wider range of creative choices .❞
— David Colantuoni , Senior Director , Product Management , Avid
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“ In HD mode , this allows for four simultaneous conversions on four separate channels for under US $ 2,000 per channel ,” Stacy concludes .
For Avid , who has been empowering content production around the world , HDR offers broadcast workflow differentiation through the offering of high-quality imagery , says David Colantuoni , senior director , product management , Avid . He adds : “ HDR images look better because colour , contrast and brightness are more realistic and more dynamic in presentation .
“ Broadcasters can use HDR to differentiate their programming because it offers a wider range of creative choices . Because today ’ s camera technology is able to capture so much more of an image , it is expected we would
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Tel : + 65 ( 6841 ) 4707 changing and emerging standards is that we can easily update and add more camera formats as things go along ,” says Stacy .
For those operating in Asia- Pacific , he also agrees with APB ’ s suggestion that HDR is a viable option with HD . “ Compared to a 4K / UHD upgrade , HDR with HD is actually quite complementary and gives you the biggest bang for the buck ,” he elaborates . “ 4K / UHD is quite expensive , and presents many technical challenges from an infrastructure point of view .”
Whichever route broadcasters choose , Stacy recommends the FS- HDR , which he also describes as a “ great solution ” for broadcasters who want to broadcast in HD , but also have SD needs to maintain . “ The FS-HDR is both a frame sync capable of doing up / down / cross-conversions , as well as being a device for doing colour converwant productions to be able to take advantage of this new technology when it is presented to a viewer .”
Many of Avid ’ s editorial , graphics and asset management products , Avid Media Composer , for instance , support HDR workflows , Colantuoni says , and the company will continue to advance HDR by introducing new products . He also advises : “ Broadcasters must ensure that their entire production pipeline can accept , process and deliver HDR media from acquisition to delivery . Avid works to ensure that we retain HDR metadata through this production pipeline .”
As for any potential HDR standards war , Avid is unconcerned that it will have any definitive impact on its product roadmap . “ There are a wide range of HDR formats available today , all of which are associated with particular cameras or monitoring devices ,” Colantuoni explains . He believes that regardless of the resolution , HDR has emerged as a viable production option . In either a 4K / UHD or HD world , there is value in the presentation of HDR , althought much will depend on the workflow . “ In feature film productions , you would see more 4K / UHD HDR workflows , but in sports , you would tend to see more HD 1080p HDR workflows .”
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