4K HDR Formats Explained: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and HLG

"4K HDR" on a box tells you less than it seems. 4K is a resolution: 3,840 by 2,160 pixels. HDR, high dynamic range, is a family of formats that describe how bright and how colorful the picture can get. A TV and a streaming device can both say "HDR" and still disagree about which version they speak, and when they disagree, you quietly get a lesser picture.

This guide explains the four formats you'll see on streaming devices, written in November 2026 from the published format specifications and manufacturers' spec sheets.

What HDR changes

Standard dynamic range video was designed around old CRT TVs, with a limited brightness range and a limited set of colors. HDR video is mastered for far brighter highlights, deeper shadow detail and a wider color gamut. It uses a different transfer function, the curve that maps signal values to light output, and 10 or more bits per color channel instead of 8, so gradients like skies don't break into bands.

No TV can show everything an HDR master contains. Each TV has to tone map, fitting the content into its own brightness range. Metadata, information sent alongside the video, tells the TV what it's dealing with. The formats differ mainly in how detailed that metadata is.

HDR10: the baseline

HDR10 is the open standard every HDR TV and every HDR streaming device supports. It uses the PQ transfer function (standardized as SMPTE ST 2084), 10-bit color, and static metadata: a few values describing the whole film, such as the brightest pixel and the average brightness of the brightest frame.

Static means one set of instructions for two hours of content. A TV tone maps a dark cave scene and a bright desert scene with the same rule, which can crush shadows in one or clip highlights in the other. It's the reason the dynamic formats exist.

HDR10+: dynamic and royalty-free

HDR10+ adds dynamic metadata, which can change scene by scene or even frame by frame, on top of an HDR10 base. Samsung developed it with partners and the content side is royalty-free. Samsung TVs support HDR10+ and, notably, do not support Dolby Vision, which is why the format matters so much to Samsung owners.

Among streaming services, Prime Video has used HDR10+ widely for years, and support has spread to other services over time. Many streaming devices now output it, including recent Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV and Google TV models. The Nvidia Shield is a notable exception.

Dolby Vision: dynamic, widely used, licensed

Dolby Vision also uses dynamic metadata, and it allows mastering at up to 12 bits per channel. TV makers and device makers pay Dolby a license fee to support it. Most major streaming services offer Dolby Vision versions of their originals and many films, and LG, Sony, TCL, Hisense, Vizio and Panasonic TVs commonly support it.

Dolby Vision comes in profiles. Streaming typically uses profile 5, or profile 8, which carries an HDR10-compatible base layer; UHD Blu-ray discs use profile 7. You rarely need to think about profiles unless you play ripped discs through a media player, where support for profile 7 varies between devices.

Variants such as Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive use a TV's light sensor to adjust the picture to room brightness. They're TV features, not something a streaming device adds.

HLG: built for broadcasting

Hybrid Log-Gamma, developed by the BBC and NHK, takes a different approach. It needs no metadata and is designed so a single signal looks acceptable on both SDR and HDR screens. That makes it practical for live broadcasts and sports. Streaming apps use it for some live content, and nearly every HDR device supports it.

Who supports what

Support varies by model year and price tier within each brand, so check your exact TV model's spec sheet.

How to match your setup

Start with the TV. Look up its model number, then check whether it lists Dolby Vision, HDR10+ or both. If it supports only one dynamic format, any device that supports that format gives you the full picture. If it supports both, a device that does both keeps every option open.

Next, make sure the signal path carries HDR. Use an HDMI port that supports 4K HDR (often labeled, or described in the TV's manual), and turn on the TV's enhanced HDMI setting for that port; manufacturers call it things like HDMI UHD Color, Input Signal Plus or HDMI Ultra HD Deep Colour. Use a cable rated High Speed or Premium High Speed.

Finally, set the streaming device to switch formats automatically rather than forcing HDR all the time. The setup guide covers those settings on each platform.

A note on brightness and expectations

HDR looks its best on TVs that can get genuinely bright, such as OLEDs and mini-LED sets. On a budget TV with modest peak brightness, HDR can look dimmer than SDR, because the TV is squeezing a wide range into a narrow one. That's the TV's limit rather than the streaming device's. If HDR looks dull on a cheaper set, try the TV's HDR picture modes, or compare with SDR and keep whichever you prefer.

Questions

Sources: HDR10+ Technologies · Dolby: Dolby Vision. Specs as published by the manufacturers in November 2026.