Sony brings HDR to high-end UHD TVs via update this summer

Sony will add support for high dynamic range display to its Bravia X93C and X94C TVs this summer. The UHD TVs receive the firmware update online and after installation, the TVs can display HDR videos.

It is still unclear when users can expect the update; Sony is sticking to ‘this summer’. Owners of the relevant devices will probably still have to wait until HDR content becomes available. According to Sony, Netflix and Amazon now offer HDR videos, but in Europe this is currently only the case in Germany and Great Britain.

TV manufacturers have turned to high dynamic range this year as a technology to provide better picture quality. HDR enables higher peaks in brightness, up to 1000cd/m², which filmmakers can use to render scenes in bright light more realistically. Many high-end models from TV manufacturers already support the display of HDR material, whether or not after a firmware update. However, there is still a lack of a single standard for the format.

An explanation and the state of affairs regarding HDR was discussed in an earlier background article and an overview article about the CES.