HDR Formats Explained: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG

Posted on February 18, 2026 by TVZZA Team
HDR Picture Settings
HDR Formats Explained: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG (2026)

HDR increases contrast and color volume for more lifelike images. But the alphabet soup of formats can be confusing. Here’s what matters in 2026.

Core Formats

  • HDR10: The baseline, widely supported with static metadata.
  • HDR10+: Adds dynamic metadata for scene‑by‑scene tone mapping.
  • Dolby Vision: Premium dynamic metadata and wide device support on streaming.
  • HLG: Backwards‑compatible HDR for broadcast.

Getting the Best Picture

  • Enable the TV/monitor’s enhanced/4K120/HDR input mode for consoles and PCs.
  • Use certified high‑bandwidth cables to avoid signal issues at 4K120 or VRR.
  • Match app and device settings—some apps prioritize Dolby Vision when available, others use HDR10.

How HDR Looks in Real Use

On a good setup, HDR isn’t about turning everything into a neon light show. It is about subtle detail in bright highlights—a sun glinting off metal, a candle flame with texture instead of a flat blob—and richer detail in shadows. When formats and tone mapping work together, scenes feel closer to what your eyes see in real life rather than a washed‑out or crushed mess.

Don’t chase every logo on the box. A bright, well‑calibrated HDR10 TV can look better than a dim model that supports Dolby Vision on paper. Start with the picture preset closest to “Cinema” or “Filmmaker,” disable most artificial enhancements, and adjust from there. A few minutes of tweaking beats hours spent debating acronyms.

Bottom Line

Choose the display that can get bright, manage tone mapping well, and supports the formats you watch most—features beat logos. Once everything is dialed in, HDR should disappear into the experience and simply make great content look more alive.

For the best experience, pick one or two reference titles—movies or games you know well—and use them as your personal HDR test suite. Any time you upgrade hardware or change settings, watch those scenes again and ask whether faces look natural, shadow detail is preserved, and bright highlights feel exciting without making you squint. Over time, this habit teaches you more about how HDR behaves on your specific setup than any spec sheet, and it makes it much easier to spot when something in the chain is misconfigured.

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