HDR tone mapping
How out-of-range HDR is compressed: - static: a fixed curve. - adjustable: a user slider. - dynamic: frame-by-frame analysis.
- Standard
- Vendor
- ISO 21118
- Extension
How to compare it
Tone mapping type
For projectors this is *the* HDR spec. Dynamic tone mapping (e.g. JVC Frame Adapt HDR) is the premium tier.
Tone-mapping brand name
The vendor's name for its tone-mapping engine.
SEO and grouping only.
Standard: Vendor
Metadata handling
Whether the projector reads the static HDR metadata or ignores it.
A reviewer-tested property. It matters for titles with odd metadata (e.g. 4,000-nit masters).
Standard: CTA-861.3-A (static HDR InfoFrame, MaxCLL/MaxFALL)
Deep cut
Tone mapping type. Static tone mapping relies on ST 2086 mastering metadata and MaxCLL/MaxFALL from CTA-861.3, which are often missing or wrong in real content. Dynamic analysers ignore metadata and measure the frame.
Metadata handling. MaxCLL is the brightest pixel in the title. MaxFALL is the highest frame-average light level. A title mastered at 4,000 nits with MaxCLL 1,000 should be treated as a 1,000-nit title.
Terms on this page
Tone mapping
Projectors reach about 50–300 nits on screen, while HDR is mastered to 1,000–4,000 nits, so content must be compressed. This happens through static tone mapping, user-adjustable sliders, or dynamic / frame-adaptive tone mapping (JVC Frame Adapt HDR, Epson's and Sony's dynamic HDR enhancers, BenQ HDR-PRO, Optoma's "HDR Boost" and others). In practice this is the most important HDR quality factor. ⚖ hdr.tone_mapping = static | adjustable | dynamic