A Brightness Measure for High Dynamic Range Television

As standards for a complete high dynamic range (HDR) television ecosystem near completion, the industry is taking its first steps in HDR production. HDR is associated not only with a greater dynamic range but also brighter screens than conventional television, so the potential arises for unwanted, uncomfortable brightness jumps at program junctions and channel changes. To ensure a degree of consistency between programs, some production guidelines for HDR brightness are required. The guidelines should be applied to the signal during production, rather than in displays. In this paper, we summarize tests showing that the mean displayed pixel luminance is a good predictor of subjective brightness. We then explore viewer tolerance to brightness shifts of different sizes, and propose a potential normal operating range for the mean display luminance of 10 to 80 cd/m
²
, extending to 5 to 160 cd/m
²
for special creative effect.