DisplayHDR
The Higher Standard for HDR Monitors

With the increasing availability of HDR content, the DisplayHDR and DisplayHDR True Black specifications from VESA provide an important benefit to the display industry and consumers.  The DisplayHDR and DisplayHDR True Black specifications assure that HDR content will appear vivid and life-like, with accurate color and contrast reproduction.  Consumers should look for VESA tested and certified DisplayHDR or DisplayHDR True Black products.  VESA’s multi-tiered performance ratings and logo system for DisplayHDR and DisplayHDR True Black represent visible, meaningful performance levels relevant to specific applications and usage scenarios. See DisplayHDR at CES 2023 (YouTube) and Blog.

Choose Certified DisplayHDR Products

DisplayHDR is the open standard for HDR quality and performance and only displays that meet all the specifications may carry the DisplayHDR logo.

If a monitor claims HDR support without a DisplayHDR performance specification, or refers to pseudo-specs like “HDR-400” instead of “DisplayHDR 400” it’s likely that the product does not meet the certification requirements. Consumers can refer to the current list of certified DisplayHDR products on this website to verify certification.

VESA Addresses Use of Illegitimate DisplayHDR 2000 Logo: Recently, the Chinese retail website Taobao has listed two display products that have a VESA certified “DisplayHDR 2000” logo – an updated Samsung Odyssey G9 monitor as well as a new Acer EI491CRG9 monitor. In addition, several media outlets have reported that these monitors have received “DisplayHDR 2000” certification from the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). VESA wishes to set the record straight on this development. There is no “DisplayHDR 2000” tier in the VESA DisplayHDR specification and logo program at this time.

VESA has no knowledge of the origins of the DisplayHDR 2000 logo currently posted on these display listings on the Taobao website. However, VESA takes any misuse of our trademarks and logos seriously. VESA does not endorse the use of this logo unless and until a DisplayHDR 2000 tier has been officially announced by VESA, and any products claiming to meet this tier level have been officially certified by VESA and are listed on our website at https://displayhdr.org/certified-products/.

Until the displayhdr.org website displays DisplayHDR 2000, any such logo usage should be assumed to be unapproved and deceptive.

View Certified Products

What’s the difference between HDR-10, HDR-1000, and DisplayHDR 1000? Read our post “Not All HDR is Created Equal” to learn more.

DisplayHDR Performance Levels

The DisplayHDR specification for LCDs establishes distinct levels of HDR system performance for LCD and emissive (e.g. OLED) displays. Choose a performance tier to discover the differences.

First genuine entry point for HDR.

Significant step up from SDR baseline:

  • True 8-bit image quality – on par with top 15% of PC displays today
  • Global dimming – improves dynamic contrast ratio
  • Peak luminance of 400 cd/m2 – up to 50% higher than typical SDR
  • Minimum requirements for color gamut and contrast exceed SDR

HDR with local dimming, for thinner, lower-cost, lower-power laptops and monitors.

True local dimming and high-contrast HDR at the lowest price point and thermal impact:

  • Peak luminance of 500 cd/m2 – optimized for better thermal control in super-thin notebook displays
  • Same color gamut, black level and bit-depth requirements associated with DisplayHDR 600 and DisplayHDR 1000 levels
  • Includes local dimming
  • Requires 10-bit image processing

Targets professional/enthusiast-level laptops and high-performance monitors.

True high-contrast HDR with notable specular highlights:

  • Peak luminance of 600 cd/m2 – double that of typical displays
    • Full-screen flash requirement renders realistic effects in gaming and movies
  • Real-time contrast ratios with local dimming – yields impressive highlights and deep blacks
  • Visible increase in color gamut compared to already improved DisplayHDR 400
  • Requires 10-bit image processing

Targets professional/enthusiast/content-creator PC monitors.

Outstanding local-dimming, high-contrast HDR with advanced specular highlights:

  • Peak luminance of 1000 cd/m2 – more than 3x that of typical displays
    • Full-screen flash requirement delivers ultrarealistic effects in gaming and movies
    • Unprecedented long duration, high performance ideal for content creation
  • Local dimming yields 2x contrast increase over DisplayHDR 600
  • Significantly visible increase in color gamut compared to DisplayHDR 400
  • Requires 10-bit image processing

PC monitors for professional content-creators.

Outstanding local-dimming, high-contrast HDR with advanced specular highlights:

  • Peak luminance of 1400 cd/m2 – more than 4x that of typical displays
    • Full-screen flash requirement delivers ultrarealistic effects in gaming and movies
    • Unprecedented long duration, high performance ideal for content creation
  • Dynamic contrast ratio that is 3.5X greater than the DisplayHDR 1000 level
  • Increased color gamut (95% DCI-P3 65) compared to all other current DisplayHDR tiers

Incredibly accurate shadow detail for a remarkable visual experience.

Deeper black levels and dramatic increases in dynamic range create a remarkable visual experience:

  • Peak luminance of 400 cd/m2
  • Brings permissible black level down to 0.0005 cd/m2 – the lowest level that can be effectively measured with industry-standard colorimeters
  • Provides up to 50X greater dynamic range and 4X improvement in rise time compared to DisplayHDR 1000

Incredibly accurate shadow detail for a remarkable visual experience.

Deeper black levels and dramatic increases in dynamic range create a remarkable visual experience:

  • Peak luminance of 500 cd/m2
  • Brings permissible black level down to 0.0005 cd/m2 – the lowest level that can be effectively measured with industry-standard colorimeters
  • Provides up to 50X greater dynamic range and 4X improvement in rise time compared to DisplayHDR 1000

Incredibly accurate shadow detail for a remarkable visual experience.

Deeper black levels and dramatic increases in dynamic range create a remarkable visual experience:

  • Peak luminance of 600 cd/m2
  • Brings permissible black level down to 0.0005 cd/m2 – the lowest level that can be effectively measured with industry-standard colorimeters
  • Provides up to 50X greater dynamic range and 4X improvement in rise time compared to DisplayHDR 1000

Getting Started with DisplayHDR

Up and Running with DisplayHDR

Connected and ready to experience your DisplayHDR monitor? Read our step-by-step guide to ensuring your HDR-capable PC setup is in HDR mode.

Backlight Dimming, Explained

To achieve the contrast ratios demanded by HDR content, an LCD must be capable of changing the backlight brightness. Read our post explaining local and active dimming to learn more.

Questions about DisplayHDR?

Check out our Frequently Asked Questions page for answers and links to additional information about DisplayHDR.

LUMINANCE + COLOR GAMUT + BIT DEPTH + RISE TIME

Summary of Performance Differences by Tier

Minimum
Peak Luminance
Range of Color Typical
Dimming
Technology
Maximum
Black Level
Luminance
Maximum
Backlight Adjustment
Latency
Brightness
in cd/m2
Color Gamut Brightness
in cd/m2
Number of
Video Frames
DisplayHDR 400 400 sRGB Screen-level 0.4 8
DisplayHDR 500 500 WCG* Zone-level 0.1 8
DisplayHDR 600 600 WCG* Zone-level 0.1 8
DisplayHDR 1000 1000 WCG* Zone-level 0.05 8
DisplayHDR 1400 1400 WCG* Zone-level 0.02 8
DisplayHDR
True Black 400
400 WCG* Pixel-level 0.0005 2
DisplayHDR
True Black 500
500 WCG* Pixel-level 0.0005 2
DisplayHDR
True Black 600
600 WCG* Pixel-level 0.0005 2
*Wide Color Gamut

The DisplayHDR specification for LCDs establishes distinct levels of HDR system performance to facilitate adoption of HDR throughout the PC market: DisplayHDR 400, DisplayHDR 500, DisplayHDR 600, DisplayHDR 1000, and DisplayHDR 1400. The DisplayHDR True Black specification for OLED and other emissive displays includes three levels of HDR system performance: DisplayHDR True Black 400, DisplayHDR True Black 500, and DisplayHDR True Black 600. Additional tiers are expected to be added later for both standards to support continuous innovations and improvements in display performance. All tiers require support of the industry standard HDR10 format.

Member Participants

More than two dozen active member companies contributed to the development of DisplayHDR, including:

  • MSI Logo

What is DisplayHDR?

The High-Performance Monitor and Display Compliance Test Specification (DisplayHDR) from VESA defines the display industry’s first fully open standard specifying HDR quality, including luminance, color gamut, bit depth, and rise time (see EE Times article). With DisplayHDR, VESA is helping to alleviate consumer confusion surrounding HDR performance specifications in the PC space by:

  • Creating an open specification for the PC industry shared publicly and transparently
  • Developing an automated testing tool that end users can download to perform their own testing if desired. You can download DisplayHDR Test Tool for HDR display performance verification aimed at professional users here.
  • Delivering a robust set of test metrics for HDR that clearly articulates the performance level of the device being purchased

The first release of the DisplayHDR specification, DisplayHDR version 1.0, was introduced in December 2017 and is geared toward liquid crystal displays (LCDs). In January 2019, VESA followed this up with the release of the DisplayHDR True Black standard, a variant on DisplayHDR, which is optimized for emissive display technologies – including organic light emitting diode (OLED) and future microLED displays. DisplayHDR True Black allows for significantly deeper black levels in addition to greater dynamic range and improved rise time – enabling a visually stunning experience for home theater and gaming enthusiasts in subdued lighting environments.

Roland Wooster on The Display Show Episode #8

 

The Tom’s Hardware Show 12/3: Talking HDR Monitors

 

Why DisplayHDR?

High Dynamic Range (HDR) displays deliver better contrast and color accuracy, as well as more vibrant colors, compared to Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) displays. As a result, HDR is gaining interest for a wide range of applications, including movie viewing, gaming, and creation of photo and video content. HDR logos and brands abound, but until now, there has been no open standard with a fully transparent testing methodology. Since HDR performance details are typically not provided, consumers are unable to obtain meaningful performance information.

Get all the specs and details