HDR Vivid is a relative newcomer to the field of HDR technology. Like HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, HDR Vivid sets specifications for dynamic HDR metadata to achieve accurate tone mapping approved by the colorist. Developed in China, there are more than 40,000 hours of HDR Vivid content streaming in China. HDR Vivid has been broadly adopted by Chinese OEM manufacturers and OTT operators. It’s important to be aware of this option, particularly if you are a colorist mastering media for the Chinese market.

“HDR Vivid is based on ST.2084 and comparable to other HDR standards in terms of depth and brightness. Its advantage is that it supports a wider range of output deliverables,” says Tracy Tsui of the UHD World Association (The UWA), an association of enterprises, scientific research institutes, and professional institutions in UHD product manufacturing, video transmission, content production, application and service working to promote HDR Vivid—and a new CSI sponsor. “It is also a fully open standard. Manufacturers can incorporate HDR Vivid into their products without royalty fees for HDR Vivid 1.0.”

For colorists, producing deliverables in HDR Vivid is easy as the trim tools are already supported, and it’s included as an output option in DaVinci Resolve and Baselight. To promote greater awareness of the standard, The UWA is looking to partner with post houses in the US, Europe and elsewhere in hosting demonstration events. It is also developing a certification program for post houses and individuals to signify their expertise in delivering HDR Vivid content.

“HDR Vivid is a good option for colorists and post houses,” says Tsui. “Ultimately, we believe that HDR Vivid has the potential to become a global standard. It is easy for colorists and post houses to incorporate into their workflows, it’s a low cost alternative for OEMs and operators, and it benefits consumers with great content and experience.”