VESA tightens DisplayHDR standard and comes with label for 1400cd/m² monitors
The VESA is tightening its DisplayHDR standard with which it assesses monitors on their HDR capacity. In addition, the organization is adding a top category for screens that achieve 1400cd/m² or more: DisplayHDR 1400.
The Video Electronics Standards Association says the new DisplayHDR version 1.1 contains stricter performance requirements, including brightness and color space. There is also a new test requirement, such as an active dimming specification, which responds to the capabilities of monitors with a fald-backlight. In doing so, the organization says it wants to respond to developments in HDR technology. There will also be a displayport certification specification, among other things. Manufacturers can now have their monitors tested in accordance with the new specification; until May next year at the latest, the VESA will also test monitors in accordance with the original 1.0 specification.
In addition, the VESA adds a new label within the DisplayHDR standard, namely DisplayHDR 1400. The organization is introducing this label for professional content creators. Required are a peak brightness of 1400cd/m² and low black values, of 0.2cd/m² compared to 0.5cd/m² for HDR1000. The color space requirement has also been raised to a representation of at least 95 percent of the dci-p3-d65 color space. In addition, DisplayHDR 1400 monitors must be able to maintain at least 900cd/m² of brightness for a duration of thirty minutes.
The VESA points out that the Asus ProArt Display PA32UCG achieves a peak brightness of 1600cd/m², combined with a brightness of 1000cd/m² over the entire screen. The organization does not say why it has not introduced a DisplayHDR 1600 label, although the VESA calls the 1600cd/m² peak brightness ‘rare’.
DisplayHDR 1400 now moves above DisplayHDR 1000. That was the highest categorization to date and reserved for the best HDR monitors. They must in any case have a peak brightness of 1000cd/m², whereby further, somewhat limited requirements were set in accordance with the previous specification. Think of a 10-bit screen that can dim different zones locally and display 99 percent of rec. 709 or 90 percent of dci-p3 color space.
The standardization organization has been anticipating the developments in the market for some time, and it also seems to take the wishes of the manufacturers into account. Originally there were only three categories: DisplayHDR 400, 600 and 1000. With the introduction of OLED and microLED monitors at the beginning of this year, this was expanded with a DisplayHDR True Black specification to take into account these non-LCD monitors and their very low black levels. To respond to this, DisplayHDR 500 True Black and DisplayHDR 400 True Black were added, as well as the regular DisplayHDR 500.