HDR10+ is a high dynamic range video format that extends HDR10 with dynamic metadata, describing the brightness of each scene or frame so that a display can tone map every shot individually to its own capabilities. In HDR video, it keeps the same foundation as HDR10, namely the PQ transfer function, 10-bit encoding and BT.2020 color primaries, and adds a stream of per-scene instructions on top.
The format is defined in SMPTE ST 2094-40 and is offered under a royalty-free license for content and device makers, with a modest administrative fee for certification. It is the main open alternative to Dolby Vision, and every HDR10+ stream contains a valid HDR10 base that older displays can still play.
How HDR10+ dynamic metadata works
HDR10+ works by attaching scene-level luminance information to the video so that the display no longer applies one tone curve to the whole program. Plain HDR10 carries only static metadata (SMPTE ST 2086 mastering display data plus MaxCLL and MaxFALL), which describes the brightest moment of the entire film and forces a compromise for every darker scene.
In an HDR10+ stream, each scene or frame carries values such as the maximum scene luminance, a luminance distribution in percentiles and an optional Bezier tone mapping curve chosen during mastering. In HEVC and AV1 these values travel as SEI messages or metadata OBUs inside the bitstream, and over HDMI they are passed as vendor-specific infoframes.
The display reads the metadata for the current scene, compares it with its own peak luminance and applies a curve that preserves as much highlight detail as the panel can show. A dim interior is then rendered with full mid-tone contrast, while a bright sky in the next shot is compressed only as much as necessary.
The following table summarizes the main metadata fields and their purpose.
| Metadata element | Scope | What it tells the display |
|---|---|---|
| Mastering display data | Whole program (static) | Primaries and peak of the grading monitor |
| MaxCLL and MaxFALL | Whole program (static) | Brightest pixel and brightest average frame |
| Maximum scene luminance | Scene or frame | Highest level in the current shot |
| Luminance percentiles | Scene or frame | How brightness is distributed in the shot |
| Bezier curve anchors | Scene or frame | Suggested tone curve for a target display |
| Targeted system display luminance | Scene or frame | Display peak the curve was designed for |
Key technical parameters
HDR10+ inherits its signal parameters from HDR10, so the picture data is identical and only the metadata layer differs. Content is typically mastered at 1,000 or 4,000 nits, while the PQ curve itself can describe levels up to 10,000 nits.
| Parameter | Typical value | Practical effect |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer function | PQ (SMPTE ST 2084) | Absolute luminance coding up to 10,000 nits |
| Bit depth | 10-bit | Enough steps to avoid most banding |
| Color primaries | BT.2020 container | Wide gamut, usually filled to about P3 |
| Mastering peak | 1,000 to 4,000 nits | Sets the range the metadata describes |
| Codecs | HEVC, AV1, VP9 | Metadata embedded in the bitstream |
| Interface | HDMI 2.0a or later | Dynamic metadata passed to the display |
A newer extension, HDR10+ Adaptive, lets compatible televisions also use an ambient light sensor so the tone curve accounts for room brightness. A related profile for gaming, HDR10+ Gaming, adds automatic calibration and support for variable refresh rate.
HDR10+ compared with HDR10, Dolby Vision and HLG
HDR10+ sits between plain HDR10 and Dolby Vision: it adds dynamic metadata at no royalty cost, but it stays at 10-bit and has a smaller ecosystem than Dolby Vision. HLG solves a different problem, namely broadcast compatibility without metadata.
| Format | Metadata | Bit depth | Licensing | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HDR10 | Static | 10-bit | Open, no fee | Universal baseline for HDR |
| HDR10+ | Dynamic | 10-bit | Royalty-free, small admin fee | Streaming and Blu-ray |
| Dolby Vision | Dynamic | 10-bit or 12-bit | Licensed per device | Streaming, cinema, Blu-ray |
| HLG | None | 10-bit | Royalty-free | Live broadcast |
In practice, the visible difference between HDR10+ and Dolby Vision depends more on the display and its tone mapping than on the format. Both formats matter most on mid-range panels with limited peak brightness, where static tone mapping would otherwise clip or flatten highlights.
Creating and delivering HDR10+ content
HDR10+ metadata is usually generated after grading by analyzing the finished HDR10 master shot by shot. Analysis software measures each scene and writes a metadata file, often in JSON form, which the encoder then injects into the bitstream during compression.
Colorists can trim the generated curves for specific scenes when automatic analysis misjudges intent, for example a deliberately dark night sequence. The workflow does not require a separate grade, which keeps production cost low compared with formats that need dedicated trim passes.
| Situation | Recommended approach | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Streaming catalog | HDR10+ with HDR10 fallback | One file serves both device types |
| Mixed device audience | Deliver both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision | Covers each TV brand’s preferred format |
| Live sports | HLG instead | No time for per-scene analysis |
| Archive master | Keep metadata as a sidecar file | Allows re-encoding without new analysis |
Limitations and common misconceptions
HDR10+ improves only how a display adapts the picture, so it cannot compensate for a weak panel. A television with low peak brightness or poor local dimming still shows limited highlight impact, with or without dynamic metadata.
- It does not add new picture data: the image is the same HDR10 signal, and only the tone mapping changes.
- Device support is uneven: some major television brands support Dolby Vision but not HDR10+, and the reverse is also true.
- Metadata can be lost: an AV receiver, capture device or editing step that ignores it silently falls back to HDR10.
- High-end displays benefit least: a panel that reaches the mastering peak needs little tone mapping, so static and dynamic metadata look nearly the same.
Explained without jargon
HDR video can contain much brighter highlights than most televisions can show, so every television has to squeeze the picture into its own limits. With ordinary HDR10, the television gets one set of instructions for the whole film, so it treats a dark cave and a sunny beach the same way.
HDR10+ adds a note for every scene, telling the television how bright that particular shot really is. The television can then adjust each scene separately. The result is better detail in both dark and bright scenes, especially on affordable sets that cannot get very bright.
A typical use case
A streaming service prepares a nature documentary graded at 1,000 nits on a reference monitor. After grading, the post-production team runs an analysis pass that produces HDR10+ metadata for about 900 shots, then reviews a handful of dark underwater scenes where the automatic curve lifted the shadows too much and trims them back.
The encoder packages the HEVC stream with the metadata embedded. A viewer with a 500-nit television receives curves that keep the sunlit coral reef from clipping while the deep-water scenes retain their intended darkness. A viewer whose older television supports only HDR10 receives the same file and simply sees the static fallback, so one master serves both audiences.