Seminar 6: High Dynamic Range Imaging - Technologies, Applications and Perceptual Considerations

High-dynamic range imaging, better known by its acronym, HDR, has established itself as a foundational component for aspects defining today’s image fidelity. HDR technology is widely supported by millions of devices covering the whole production pipeline from cameras to post-production tools, deployment systems, and displays and is embraced by content creators, providers, and consumers alike. HDR imaging is based on several key concepts that facilitate perceptually meaningful, artistically compelling, and technologically effective delivery of movies, TV shows, and video games that are more immersive and realistic than previously possible. These improvements offered by HDR imaging have required significant changes to the underlying technologies, such as increases in signal range and granularity, as well as the implementation of advanced content remapping approaches. They also brought to the forefront some visual phenomena and perceptual effects that in the past were not considered relevant to everyday viewing, making HDR content presentation qualitatively different from standard dynamic range (SDR) content consumption. This seminar provides an overview of these key concepts enabling today's HDR ecosystem, including technological aspects, industry standards, formats, and applications and places them into context of the unique perceptual properties HDR imaging adds to the creative presentation of content.