High dynamic range (HDR) is bringing viewers pictures like they’ve never seen before, and players across the industry are working hard to enable broader adoption. With ongoing technical advances, more and more HDR-capable cameras hitting on the market all the time, and increasing consumer demand for HDR content, production monitoring systems are, by necessity, evolving to accommodate the extended requirements of working with this new format.
These test and measurement solutions for HDR (or hybrid SDR/HDR) workflows now must be able to handle new codecs that support HDR and measure according to new standards and recommendations for HDR. They need to provide all the familiar functionality of a traditional waveform and vectorscope, plus new tools essential to modern HDR production monitoring.
If you check out my new video on HDR monitoring, you’ll see all those tools and functions in action on a live video display on the VB440 IP probe. Under 2 minutes in length, the video is a quick visual overview of all the essentials you’ll want in a monitoring solution, as well as convenient customizable options. Watch how these different tools can be applied to HDR content. You’ll see content in the video display with overlays, audio metering alongside, and then a variety of display options adjacent depending on which is selected.
I’ve just posted a video highlighting the probe’s audio monitoring capabilities, as well. Under a minute, the second video will show you how the probe displays everything you need to ensure correct audio — and lets you hear the audio and downmix the stereo in a standard web browser! It supports up to 64 stereo pair, 5.1 and 7.1 stereo stound, and AES3 and AES67 standards. It shows you loudness and ancillary data (including the presence of ST 2110-40 flows). It’s a great solution for HDR.
You get a nice idea from the video, but there’s nothing like a hands-on demo. I’ll be showcasing the VB440 at NAB Show New York, and I’d be happy to give you a tour of HDR monitoring and answer any questions. Let me know if you’ll be at the show too.