Advanced HDR by Technicolor announced its participation today in the Pearl TV NEXTGEN TV Converter Box Program, a new initiative unveiled at the 2026 CES Show to support the development of affordable, ATSC 3.0-enabled converter boxes for the US market.   

With Pearl TV’s launch and deployment of this strategy, Advanced HDR by Technicolor is playing a leadership role in adjusting its intellectual property (IP) offering to ensure affordable viewing experiences can be delivered without compromising picture quality.

The economics of delivering video to mass-market audiences have historically forced a choice between picture fidelity and distribution cost. It is a tension that becomes acute in a program like Pearl TV’s affordable converter box initiative, where price constraints are a design requirement.

In addition, Advanced HDR by Technicolor also addresses that tension directly through a single-stream transmission architecture that carries dynamic range metadata at standard definition bandwidth. It is a feature that has practical implications for all members of the TV value chain interested in meeting the cost and performance requirements of Pearl TVs affordability program. Since the vast majority of TV viewers do not require UHD features to enhance their viewing experience, the capability to add high dynamic range (HDR) to Full HD video resolutions through Advanced HDR by Technicolor gives viewers the best possible video quality at the lowest possible converter box cost.

Broadcasters avoid the infrastructure investment required to transmit parallel SDR and HDR streams for different display capabilities, while device manufacturers (including TV, tablet and mobile phone makers) can meet HDR compliance at lower bill-of-materials cost. As a result, end users automatically receive picture quality scaled to the capability of any display, regardless of whether they own a standard definition (SD), high-definition (HD), or ultra-high definition (UHD) device. Advanced HDR by Technology therefore helps to deliver on NEXTGEN TVs promise of further improved viewing experiences while at the same time continuing to support legacy SDR video streams at the best possible quality.

“The unique combination of single stream distribution and dynamic management of HDR and SDR provided by the Advanced HDR by Technicolor solution creates an economically beneficial situation across the ecosystem,” said Rick Dumont, head of business development for Advanced HDR by Technicolor. “We optimize the NEXTGEN TV viewing experience for consumers with HDR or SDR displays, delivering premium video quality in full HD HDR. With Advanced HDR by Technicolor being designed for a low memory footprint implementation, it also relieves part of the tremendous pressure that consumer device makers are under with today’s memory device shortages that drive up memory pricing.

For a converter box program targeting price-sensitive households, the combination of backward compatibility and transmission efficiency means HDR can be included as a baseline feature rather than an upgrade offered for those who can afford to pay for premium services.

“Getting NEXTGEN TV into every American home starts with making the converter box affordable, and that takes industry leaders willing to step up. Advanced HDR by Technicolor’s commitment to special IP pricing does exactly that, lowering the barrier for manufacturers and accelerating the transition. We’re grateful that they’ve joined the growing coalition turning this device from a concept into a reality for store shelves and ultimately for consumers throughout the U.S,” said Pearl TV managing director Anne Schelle.

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About Advanced HDR by Technicolor

Advanced HDR by Technicolor is a suite of high-dynamic-range (HDR) technologies designed to deliver superior video quality across a variety of display devices and network environments. It includes formats like SL-HDR1, SL-HDR2, and SL-HDR3, which dynamically optimize and convert HDR content to match the capabilities of the display device in real-time. This allows broadcasters and content providers to deliver a high-quality viewing experience with improved contrast, brightness, and color accuracy while maximizing bandwidth efficiency. With support for multiple distribution workflows, Advanced HDR by Technicolor enables seamless integration into existing infrastructures, making it a preferred solution for broadcasters seeking to future-proof their HDR delivery. Advanced HDR by Technicolor’s partnerships include broadcasters, streaming service providers, TV and conversion box manufacturers, SoC producers as well as hardware and software solution providers. To learn more about Advanced HDR by Technicolor visit: https://advancedhdrbytechnicolor.pro.

About Pearl

Pearl TV is a business organization of U.S. broadcast companies with a shared interest in exploring forward-looking broadcasting opportunities, including innovative ways of promoting local broadcast TV content and developing digital media and wireless platforms for the broadcast industry. Pearl’s membership, comprising more than 820 TV stations, includes eight of the largest broadcast companies in America: Cox Media Group, Graham Media Group, Gray Television, Hearst Television Inc., Sinclair Broadcast Group, and the E.W. Scripps Company.

The most effective path to a better viewing experience, he said, comes from HDR, which also enhances brightness, contrast, as well as color depth to create a more realistic image.

Industry experts and colorists say HDR combined with standard high-definition resolution can deliver roughly 85% of the total perceived improvement in picture quality. This shifts the definition of picture quality away from pixel count and toward how images are rendered. A higher range of brightness, made possible by HDR, therefore also provides a perceived higher resolution.

According to Miglani, before increasing the number of pixels, it is important to ensure that the available pixels can each contribute to a sharper picture by adding a higher brightness range, which means adding HDR.

“TV manufacturers have amplified the benefits of 4K resolution for years, supporting the idea that more pixels equals a better viewing experience,” explained Miglani. “It is a narrative that’s easier to tell consumers, because it looks like simple math. Explaining the benefits of HDR is more difficult. However, when you provide consumers with a side-by-side comparison of TVs with and without HDR, the difference is clear. HDR displays win.”

That contrast reflects how modern TVs actually perform, where built-in upscaling reduces the impact of higher resolution while HDR improves brightness, contrast, and color in ways viewers can more easily perceive.

“The TVs available today are highly likely to be 4K capable, and the latest TVs and conversion boxes are able to upscale 1080p content up to 4K,” said Miglani. “This delivers about a 10% to 15% improvement in the viewing experience, which is modest compared to the visual improvements offered by HDR.”

Consumer Misconceptions

After years of marketing focused on resolution, many consumers assume that upgrading to 4K will always deliver a better picture. In practice, the benefits of 4K often depend on viewing distance, screen size, and content quality. In addition, HDR has often been marketed in relation to 4K, to the point that consumers are unaware that HDR is available for any resolution, like the widely available 1080p (2k) and even 720p (1k) resolutions.

“One of the most common misconceptions is that upgrading to 4K is always better,” Miglani said. “To truly see the difference, viewers need to sit close enough to the screen, have a high-quality TV, and know what details to look for.”

Another common assumption is that more pixels automatically result in a better image. In reality, HDR enhances the elements the human eye is most sensitive to, including contrast and color variation.

“Resolution defines the number of pixels available on a TV screen. HDR, on the other hand, delivers brighter highlights, deeper shadows, and richer colors,” he said. “With HDR, more information is dedicated to color and differences in brightness, which makes those improvements stand out.”

Those improvements are already being delivered to viewers as broadcasters deploy HDR over the air.

“For consumers waiting for more 4K content, it is important to note that HDR content is already available today from over-the-air broadcasts, including stations owned by Gray Media and Sinclair,” said Miglani.

Why This Shift Matters

The transition to next-generation broadcast standards is accelerating the move toward HDR.

Broadcasters across the United States are shifting from ATSC 1.0 to ATSC 3.0 (also called NextGenTV), a newer format that supports HDR, higher frame rates, improved audio, and 4K resolution. However, bandwidth constraints are influencing how these capabilities are deployed.

HDR with 1080p (full HD) or 720p (HD) requires significantly less bandwidth than full 4K video, making it a more practical way for broadcasters to improve picture quality and deliver more channels over the same available bandwidth. Streaming services also receive a significant bandwidth savings when HDR is paired with lower resolutions than 4K. For consumers enjoying these streaming services, the lower bandwidth means a more stable delivery of wireless indoor (Wi-Fi) and outdoor (cellular) service, with less interruptions.

As a result, many broadcasters are prioritizing HDR with 1080p resolution rather than delivering full 4K streams. This approach allows them to provide a more noticeable improvement in picture quality without exceeding bandwidth limits.

What Consumers Should Look For

For consumers shopping for a new TV, HDR support should be a primary consideration.

In addition to HDR capability, buyers should evaluate audio quality and whether the TV is optimized for broadcast or streaming environments, with resolution becoming a secondary factor in overall picture quality.

“There are several HDR formats available today,” Miglani said. “HDR10 and HLG are more basic standards, while Dolby Vision and Advanced HDR by Technicolor offer more sophisticated capabilities.”

He added that for consumers watching over-the-air television, antenna quality remains critical.

“If a consumer wants to watch TV over the air, the most important factor is the antenna,” he said. “Professional installation can make a significant difference in performance.”

A Shift in Focus

Whether 4K and even 8K content becomes available, the industry will continue to evolve. However, TV and hardware manufacturers, broadcasters and streaming service providers are increasingly focused on improving how each pixel is displayed rather than simply increasing the number of pixels on the screen. Rising concerns about sustainability, such as the Ecodesign Directive in the EU, means power-hungry 4K and 8K resolutions are less attractive when seen through the perspective of reducing energy use and carbon emissions. 

For consumers, that shift suggests that better picture quality may come not from more resolution, but from better use of the resolution they already have.     

Watch the Full Vidcast Interview Here. 

The ongoing deployment of NEXTGEN TV (ATSC 3.0) in North America—and the introduction of DTV+ in Brazil, which leverages many elements of ATSC 3.0—signals accelerating global momentum behind next-generation broadcast standards. To enjoy free OTA content in HDR, consumers need an HDR-enabled receiver. By pairing Amlogic-powered converter boxes with Advanced HDR by Technicolor, device makers can help ensure that more households can benefit from improved contrast, brightness, and color performance as broadcasters expand HDR programming.

As a leading system-on-chip manufacturer, Amlogic powers a broad range of operator and retail receiver devices worldwide. This scale helps accelerate ecosystem adoption by enabling multiple converter box manufacturers to deliver consistent HDR experiences on a widely deployed silicon platform.

“As NEXTGEN TV adoption accelerates, consumers expect premium picture quality from free over-the-air broadcasts, including HDR,” said James Xie, SVP, Corporate Business Strategy at Amlogic. “By enabling Advanced HDR by Technicolor on our widely adopted converter box platforms, we’re helping OEM partners bring a consistent, high-quality HDR experience to market faster and at scale—supporting a growing ecosystem of consumer devices.”

“Device manufacturers across the industry are recognizing the impact HDR has on consumer perception of video quality,” said Rick Dumont, head of business development for Advanced HDR by Technicolor. “NEXTGEN TV converter boxes extend ATSC 3.0 reception to TVs that don’t have built-in NEXTGEN TV capability, and integrating Advanced HDR by Technicolor enables consumers to maximize picture quality on compatible displays. Because our solution can carry SDR and HDR in a single signal, viewers can receive the best possible experience without needing to worry about TV compatibility. We look forward to continued partnership with Amlogic and other receiver brands to bring NEXTGEN TV content in Advanced HDR by Technicolor to viewers.”

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About Advanced HDR by Technicolor

Advanced HDR by Technicolor is a suite of high-dynamic-range (HDR) technologies designed to deliver superior video quality across a variety of display devices and network environments. Developed as a collaboration between  Philips and Technicolor, it includes formats like SL-HDR1, SL-HDR2, and SL-HDR3, which dynamically optimize and convert HDR content to match the capabilities of the display device in real-time. This allows broadcasters and content providers to deliver a high-quality viewing experience with improved contrast, brightness, and color accuracy while maximizing bandwidth efficiency. With support for multiple distribution workflows, Advanced HDR by Technicolor enables seamless integration into existing infrastructures, making it a preferred solution for broadcasters seeking to future-proof their HDR delivery. Advanced HDR by Technicolor’s partnerships include broadcasters, streaming service providers, TV and conversion box manufacturers, SoC producers as well as hardware and software solution providers. To learn more about Advanced HDR by Technicolor visit:https://advancedhdrbytechnicolor.pro. 

About Amlogic

Amlogic is a fabless semiconductor company specializing in system-on-chip (SoC) solutions for consumer and commercial applications. Our products power devices such as TVs, set-top boxes, audio systems, Edge AI platforms, and wireless communication technologies. Our SoCs feature cutting-edge hardware, including low-power multimedia processing, advanced edge AI accelerators, robust on-chip security, high-performance CPUs and GPUs, versatile I/O interfaces, and efficient communication subsystems. With user-friendly development systems and comprehensive turnkey solutions, we empower our customers to quickly bring innovative, market-leading products to life. Founded in Silicon Valley with R&D support, and sales offices worldwide. To learn more about products of Amlogic visit: https://www.amlogic.com

“Live production environments, particularly in sports, now operate in mixed-format conditions where HDR video, SDR advertising, and graphics overlays intersect in real time. This complexity has exposed limitations in traditional static conversion approaches,” said Ryan Wallenberg, Vice President of Engineering at Cobalt Digital. 

The static diffuse white capability allows operators to define a consistent white point across content while maintaining the benefits of dynamic, frame-by-frame processing. The result is greater visual stability across feeds and graphics without sacrificing adaptability.

“The enhancement reflects ongoing collaboration between Advanced HDR by Technicolor and Cobalt Digital, shaped by feedback from live production teams. It also acknowledges the continued reliance on legacy workflows. Static conversion methods remain widely used, creating friction as organizations transition to HDR,” said Rick Dumont, Head of Business Development for Advanced HDR by Technicolor.

By combining stability with dynamic optimization, the feature serves as a bridge between legacy and next-generation approaches.

Cobalt Digital integrates the capability into its 9904 card, which now also supports ST 2110 and both SDI and SMPTE infrastructures. The underlying Advanced HDR by Technicolor framework enables HDR to SDR and SDR to HDR conversion while preserving signal integrity.

The feature moves from earlier custom implementations into a fully commercialized offering, expanding access to a broader range of broadcasters and content providers This support is critical as broadcasters increasingly adopt ATSC 3.0, which includes HDR to enhance the viewing experience across all TV resolutions.  

The release comes as production models continue to evolve. Remote workflows are expanding, but major live events still rely on hybrid production environments. In both cases, consistent signal handling across formats is becoming a critical requirement.

Advanced HDR by Technicolor and Cobalt Digital present the enhancement at NAB through curated demonstrations that highlight its impact on real-world content. Meetings with Advanced HDR by Technicolor executives at Central Hall — C3062MR are available by invitation only. Demonstrations will be provided by Cobalt Digital at North Hall — N1340.  

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About Advanced HDR by Technicolor

Advanced HDR by Technicolor is a suite of high-dynamic-range (HDR) technologies designed to deliver superior video quality across a variety of display devices and network environments. Developed as a collaboration between InterDigital and Philips, it includes formats like SL-HDR1, SL-HDR2, and SL-HDR3, which dynamically optimize and convert HDR content to match the capabilities of the display device in real-time. This allows broadcasters and content providers to deliver a high-quality viewing experience with improved contrast, brightness, and color accuracy while maximizing bandwidth efficiency. With support for multiple distribution workflows, Advanced HDR by Technicolor enables seamless integration into existing infrastructures, making it a preferred solution for broadcasters seeking to future-proof their HDR delivery. Advanced HDR by Technicolor’s partnerships include broadcasters, streaming service providers, TV and conversion box manufacturers, SoC producers as well as hardware and software solution providers. To learn more about Advanced HDR by Technicolor visit:

https://advancedhdrbytechnicolor.pro. 

About Cobalt Digital

Cobalt Digital Inc. designs and manufactures award-winning ST 2110, IPMX, and SDI conversion, compression, processing, routing, control, and multiviewer technology for the production, broadcast television, and ProAV environments. As a founding member in the openGear® initiative, Cobalt offers a full range of openGear® compliant solutions as well as video and audio processing products for closed caption compliance, production trucks, master control, HD news, signal transport, audio loudness processing, and color correction. Cobalt’s Blue Box Group line of interface mini-converter boxes streamlines and simplifies a wide range of ST 2110, IPMX, and SDI conversion and processing tasks. In addition, the company’s multi-image display processors enable multiviewer capabilities in the most demanding studio and remote production/broadcasting environments. Cobalt Digital products are distributed through a worldwide network of dealers, system integrators, and other partnerships. For further information visit: www.cobaltdigital.com

Momentum is building around dynamic HDR conversion as broadcasters and streaming service providers seek to deliver premium video quality without increasing bandwidth or workflow complexity. Deployment of Advanced HDR by Technicolor is expanding across NEXTGEN TV (ATSC 3.0) and into HDR streaming operations. Implementations with partners such as Hisense combine Advanced HDR by Technicolor with NEXTGEN TV capabilities to enhance the viewing experience of live sports.  The solution is also supported by core video workflow providers across the ecosystem including Mainconcept, Cobalt, Ateme and Amagi.   

Demonstrations will focus on a few key developments in how HDR is produced and distributed: 

• Dynamic HDR conversion solution that replaces static LUTs processing while optimizing content frame by frame and maintaining contrast, brightness and color depth across varying types of content. 

   

• Single-stream delivery of HDR and SDR which eliminates the need for parallel workflows and enables one signal to serve legacy SDR and HDR-enabled devices.

   

• HDR delivery within SDR bandwidth constraints using existing 8-bit AVC workflows, removing the requirements for 10-bit HEVC implementations.

   

• Content provided at UHD/HDR-like quality at less than 25% of the bandwidth usually associated with such formats.

This approach challenges workflows that have prioritized SDR compatibility over HDR performance.  

“Production teams selecting the predictable and safe path of legacy SDR workflows and static LUTs HDR are limiting the viewing experience of consumers while undermining the business case for this technology. If HDR is to be considered a premium feature, then it must be delivered as the ‘hero’ format rather than the compromise,” said Rick Dumont, head of business development for Advanced HDR by Technicolor.   

As broadcasters and streaming service providers compete in an increasingly saturated market, the inconsistent implementation of HDR has weakened the technology’s ability to capture consumer attention, lessening its impact as a driver of subscriptions or advertising dollars. 

At the same time, the production teams that choose to maintain separate SDR and HDR workflows introduce added costs to production, storage and distribution. Those parallel workflows are going to be more difficult to sustain as content libraries continue to grow and live production demands become more complex.   

By comparison, a single-stream approach reduces the requirements on infrastructure and bandwidth while simplifying operations. There is no longer a need for manual color adjustments and grading decisions which can deteriorate performance across devices.     

At NAB 2026, attendees will be able to experience:

• Side-by-side comparison of static vs. dynamic HDR conversion
• Demonstrations of a HDR-first workflow
• End-to-end delivery scenarios using a single HDR signal with SDR downconversion capability 
• A showcase of the latest NEXTGEN TV conversion devices integrated with Advanced HDR by Technicolor which include ADTH, Geniatech, MyVelo TV, ZapperBox, and Zinwell. 

 Advanced HDR by Technicolor experts will be on hand during the show at the following locations:  

• Advanced HDR by Technicolor Meeting Room (Invitation Only) located at C3062MR in Central Hall
• ATSC booth located at C1655 in Central Hall
   
  The Advanced HDR by technicolor team will showcase a single master workflow leveraging dynamic HDR conversion that maintains high quality HDR, while providing best possible SDR at the same time, throughout the content value chain. Experts will also demonstrate how dynamic conversion with Intelligent Tone Management outperforms legacy systems based on static LUTs conversion.

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About Advanced HDR by Technicolor

Advanced HDR by Technicolor is a suite of high-dynamic-range (HDR) technologies designed to deliver superior video quality across a variety of display devices and network environments. Developed as a collaboration between InterDigital and Philips, it includes formats like SL-HDR1, SL-HDR2, and SL-HDR3, which dynamically optimize and convert HDR content to match the capabilities of the display device in real-time. This allows broadcasters and content providers to deliver a high-quality viewing experience with improved contrast, brightness, and color accuracy while maximizing bandwidth efficiency. With support for multiple distribution workflows, Advanced HDR by Technicolor enables seamless integration into existing infrastructures, making it a preferred solution for broadcasters seeking to future-proof their HDR delivery. Advanced HDR by Technicolor’s partnerships include broadcasters, streaming service providers, TV and conversion box manufacturers, SoC producers as well as hardware and software solution providers. To learn more about Advanced HDR by Technicolor visit:

https://advancedhdrbytechnicolor.pro. 

That, he says, is where Advanced HDR by Technicolor comes in. This solution uses embedded metadata and machine learning to deliver a single stream as HDR on devices that support it, while automatically falling back to SDR on those that do not, protecting investments in legacy infrastructure without sacrificing image quality on modern displays.

“If you only have one HDR pipeline, you can drop the SDR pipeline completely,” he said. “That’s a huge benefit for both broadcast and streaming service providers. And on the viewer side, they benefit because regardless of what device they have, they’re always getting the highest quality stream that is possible.”

The challenge of converting legacy SDR content into HDR-compatible formats is particularly acute for Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television, or FAST, services. These platforms have built large audiences by offering free access to older catalog content, from 1970s sitcoms and 1990s dramas to more modern blockbusters. But that content arrives in a patchwork of formats, color spaces, resolutions, and aspect ratios that were never designed to coexist in a single distribution pipeline.

Managing Multi-Generational Content Complexity for A Modern Audience

Legacy content, he explained, often carries inconsistent color metadata, varying gamma settings, and brightness levels that do not meet HDR mastering standards. Content that was originally shot on analog formats adds further complications. Upscaling, de-interlacing, and color remapping all introduce processing demands that can threaten the low-latency performance that live scheduling and dynamic ad insertion require.

That last point matters enormously to FAST operators, whose entire business model depends on advertising. If an HDR program is interrupted by an SDR commercial, the jarring brightness shift is not just an aesthetic problem. It is a failure that undermines the premium experience that operators are selling to both viewers and advertisers.

“Users who pay a lot for premium content or a huge live sports event would be very frustrated if there is a break in the HDR processing,” Schönberger said. “The ad must be HDR in the same way as the premium content.”

MainConcept’s codec handles that conversion on the fly, translating incoming SDR advertising feeds into HDR output without introducing visible transitions or latency. Schönberger said the technology exists to execute that process seamlessly, but it requires some integration work on the operator side.

Adding to the complexity is the fact that HDR itself is not a single standard. The market currently supports at least six distinct formats, including HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), PQ, and Advanced HDR by Technicolor. Each format carries different technical requirements, and playback devices do not always support every option.

MainConcept’s approach centers on building support for all of those formats directly into its encoder software development kits, which are licensed to broadcasters, OTT platforms, production companies, and operators in industries ranging from security surveillance to medical imaging.

That said, Schönberger highlighted Advanced HDR by Technicolor as a format with particular promise for operators navigating the SDR-to-HDR transition. The technology can take an existing eight-bit SDR feed and generate HDR output from it, meaning operators do not necessarily need to overhaul their production infrastructure to begin delivering HDR content. It also supports HDR-to-dynamic-HDR conversion, adjusting metadata on a per-frame basis to maximize image quality across different display types.

“You can stick to your existing eight-bit SDR infrastructure,” Schönberger said. “You can easily turn your legacy SDR content into HDR, and in the end you only have one stream.”

The format has already been adopted into broadcast standards. It is part of the TV 2.5 standard in Brazil and is included in ATSC 3.0, the next-generation broadcast specification being deployed across the United States. Several U.S. broadcasters, including Sinclair and Gray Media, have already put the technology into production.

Beyond traditional broadcast and streaming, Schönberger sees HDR playing a growing role in augmented reality, virtual reality, and extended reality applications, particularly as wearable devices become more capable. The deeper blacks, brighter highlights, and expanded color palette that HDR enables translate directly into more convincing immersive environments.

“The audience wants to dive completely into the premium content they’ve paid for,” he said.

“HDR extends the contrast ratio and color palette beyond SDR. It shows a more realistic, more detailed, and more immersive picture quality regardless of whether devices support standard definition (SD), high definition (HD) or ultra-high definition (UHD) content.”

Preparing for an HDR Future

Schönberger said the trajectory of the industry is clearly toward dynamic HDR, which adjusts image parameters frame by frame rather than applying a single static setting to an entire program. Doing that at scale, particularly for live content, will increasingly require automated and AI-assisted processing tools.

“Doing this on the fly requires AI-driven or automated tools,” he said. “Dynamic HDR is the future.”

For an industry still managing the long tail of SDR infrastructure while racing to deliver premium HDR experiences, the codec layer may be the least visible but most essential piece of the puzzle. 

Watch the Full Vidcast Interview Here.

Q: MainConcept has been in the codec business for more than three decades. How does that depth of experience shape the way you approach a technology shift like HDR?

Frank Schönberger: It gives you perspective that younger companies simply do not have. We have watched the industry move through analog to digital, standard definition to high definition, file-based workflows to streaming, and now this HDR transition. Each of those shifts created winners and losers, and the difference usually came down to whether a company could support the old infrastructure while building for the new one. That is essentially the same challenge we face today. Our customers cannot abandon their SDR viewers overnight. They need solutions that allow them to move toward HDR without leaving legacy audiences behind, and without doubling their operational costs in the process.

Q: Premium content has always been a differentiator, but you seem to be saying the stakes are higher now. Why?

Schönberger: The number of streaming services competing for subscriber attention has grown dramatically. At the same time, broadcast is losing ground to streaming in most markets. So you have a situation where everyone is fighting for the same viewer, the same subscriber dollar, the same advertising spend. Premium content, and the technology that delivers it at its best, becomes a real competitive lever. HDR is part of that. When it works well, it is genuinely better. Brighter whites, deeper blacks, more vivid colors. It is a more realistic picture. Viewers who have experienced it on a quality display notice the difference, and that matters to the operators paying for it.

Q: HDR is not a single standard. There are at least six formats in active use. How does MainConcept manage that fragmentation?

Schönberger: That fragmentation is one of the more difficult aspects of the current landscape. You have HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Hybrid Log-Gamma, PQ, and Advanced HDR by Technicolor, and each of them has different technical requirements and different levels of device support. Our approach is to build support for all of those formats into our encoder software development kits (SDKs) so that our customers are not forced to make an either-or decision. We also have a dedicated universal color space converter that handles the transformation between formats, including conversion back to SDR when needed. The goal is to give operators the flexibility to work within whatever HDR ecosystem their distribution partners and device manufacturers require.

Q: The industry has largely been running dual workflows, one for SDR and one for HDR. What does that actually cost an operator?

Schönberger: It doubles everything. You have double the hardware, double the maintenance, double the operational overhead. For a broadcaster with a large content catalog and multiple distribution channels, that is a significant ongoing expense. And it creates workflow complexity that introduces risk. More moving parts means more opportunities for something to go wrong, especially in live production environments where you have no margin for error. The industry has understood for some time that the goal should be a single pipeline that serves both SDR and HDR audiences from one stream. The question has always been how to get there without degrading quality at either end.

Q: That is where Advanced HDR by Technicolor enters the picture. How does it address the single-stream problem?

Schönberger: Advanced HDR by Technicolor is genuinely well-suited to this challenge because of the way it was designed. It uses embedded metadata and machine learning to deliver a single stream as HDR on devices that support it, while automatically falling back to SDR on those that do not, protecting investments in legacy infrastructure without sacrificing image quality on modern displays. And the machine learning component is important. Traditional SDR-to-HDR conversion relied on static lookup tables, which produced inconsistent results and compressed the HDR signal in ways that undermined the whole point of using HDR in the first place. The adaptive approach in Advanced HDR by Technicolor adjusts on a per-frame basis, which is what you need for live content where lighting conditions are constantly changing. A stadium broadcast at noon looks nothing like the same stadium at dusk, and a static conversion cannot handle that transition gracefully.

Q: Free ad-supported streaming services carry enormous libraries of older content. What specific challenges does that create for HDR delivery?

Schönberger: The scale and inconsistency of legacy content are core issues. When you have a catalog built over decades, you are dealing with content that was produced under completely different technical standards. Different color spaces, different gamma curves, different aspect ratios, varying levels of metadata, some of it analog in origin. There is no single conversion approach that handles all of that uniformly. Each piece of content may need a different treatment to look correct in an HDR environment. And the operational complexity compounds when you factor in live scheduling and dynamic ad insertion, because you may be switching between content from completely different eras and technical backgrounds within a single viewing session. The codec infrastructure has to absorb all of that variation and produce a consistent output stream.

Q: The advertising model is the revenue engine for FAST services. What happens when an HDR program is interrupted by an SDR commercial?

Schönberger: It is a real problem, and it goes beyond aesthetics. When a viewer is watching premium HDR content and an SDR advertisement appears, there is an immediate and jarring shift in brightness and color quality. The viewer notices. In some cases, it looks like something has gone wrong with the broadcast. For an operator who has positioned their service around a premium viewing experience, that is a credibility problem. The ad has to match the quality of the content surrounding it. Our encoders handle that conversion in real time, translating an incoming SDR advertising feed into HDR output without introducing a visible break. The viewer should only notice the ad, not the technical transition.

Q: Where does HDR fit in the emerging world of augmented and virtual reality?

Schönberger: It is a natural fit. The whole premise of immersive content is that you want the viewer to feel present in what they are watching. HDR contributes directly to that by extending the contrast ratio and color palette beyond what SDR can produce, which means the image is closer to what the human eye actually perceives in real life. As wearable devices improve, the display technology will increasingly be capable of rendering HDR content in ways that are genuinely immersive. The production and delivery infrastructure needs to be ready for that. Dynamic HDR, which adjusts image parameters on a per-frame basis rather than applying a single static setting across a whole program, is where that is heading. It is more computationally demanding, but the combination of better processing hardware and AI-assisted automation is making it practical at scale.

Key Takeaways

The HDR transition is not simply a display technology upgrade. It is a fundamental reorganization of how video content gets produced, packaged, and delivered across an increasingly fragmented device landscape. For operators managing legacy content libraries, dual SDR and HDR workflows, and advertising feeds that may arrive in any format, the codec layer is the critical point of integration.

Schönberger’s central argument is that the industry no longer needs to accept the cost and complexity of parallel pipelines. Solutions like Advanced HDR by Technicolor, now available as an MainConcept SDK and already deployed by broadcasters operating under ATSC 3.0, make single-stream delivery viable today. The technology handles the SDR-to-HDR conversion in real time, preserves metadata integrity through the encoding process, and adapts dynamically to the kind of variable content that defines modern broadcasting. For an industry navigating simultaneous pressures from subscriber competition, advertising revenue requirements, and the approaching demands of immersive media, that combination of efficiency and quality may prove to be the most consequential codec development in a generation.

For consumers, these experiences have reinforced a simple expectation: HDR delivers visibly better video.

“The opportunity for video on mobile rests on the recognition that camera and display capabilities have vastly improved over the last decade—and that HDR can elevate the overall viewing experience,” Dumont said.

The Creator Boom Raises the Quality Bar

This value proposition is gaining momentum as the line between amateur and professional content creators continues to blur. The global creator ecosystem now exceeds 200 million individuals, including more than 160 million amateurs and millions of full-time professionals. Short-form video remains the preferred format for the majority of social media users, and brands continue increasing their investment in influencer-driven campaigns.

The result: creators rely more than ever on high-quality, visually compelling video to differentiate their content and expand their reach.

“As a result, many elements that would traditionally be considered high-end in the professional production world are now packed into the compact mobile phone—particularly advanced HDR capabilities,” said Dumont.

These capabilities are helping fuel the surge in user-generated content across platforms. Vloggers offer a vivid example. “Only a few years ago, a vlogger would record content on their phone and then return home to download everything onto their laptop for editing,” Dumont recalled. “For many amateur vloggers, that process has evolved.”

Today’s mobile devices enable advanced editing, color adjustments, and immediate posting or streaming—an essential advantage in the fast-moving world of social media. Higher expectations for image quality, combined with HDR-originated source material, are reshaping what creators can accomplish directly on their phones.

Optimal Quality from Capture to Display

From a professional standpoint, broadcasters, streaming providers, and creators all face the same challenge: ensuring that audiences can enjoy content at the best possible quality, regardless of the receiving device.

“Additional information—or metadata—allows creators to always record at the best capabilities of their device while enabling playback at the best capabilities of any receiving phone, TV, or display,” Dumont explained. “This is becoming mandatory to ensure high-quality experiences for both creators and viewers.”

As part of the ATSC 3.0 standard, Advanced HDR by Technicolor addresses this challenge for broadcasters by offering dynamic HDR-to-SDR and SDR-to-HDR conversion within a single stream. The same principles apply to mobile and OTT streaming.

“Whether it’s a professional streaming service or content streamed from one phone to another, metadata allows the content to be transported efficiently,” said Dumont. “Depending on the capabilities of the receiving device, the video is displayed in the best possible quality—without compromising compatibility.”

Lowering the barrier to entry for amateur creators is another advantage. “The system can make shading adjustments automatically,” Dumont said. “Phones today have it all—capabilities that rival professional cameras and exceed most TV displays—in a pocket-sized device.”

Integrating HDR Across the Ecosystem

Whether consumers watch video on a phone or a TV, image quality and overall quality of experience (QoE) remain paramount. And advertisers, broadcasters, and streaming providers all share a stake in ensuring consistency.

“Advertisers always want the best quality possible, regardless of device,” said Dumont. “When it comes to brands and logos, colors shouldn’t shift between a high-end device and a low-end device. During a live sporting event, it would be a pity if quality is lost somewhere between the camera capturing the action and the transmission reaching audiences.”

That perspective reinforces the need for HDR integration across the entire ecosystem—from camera lens to end-user screen.

Bandwidth considerations add another layer of complexity. “Consumers may be in resource-constrained environments and still want to enjoy their video. When connectivity is limited, metadata enables low-bitrate transmission while maintaining quality,” Dumont explained.

Looking Ahead: A Dynamic HDR Future

Across the ecosystem—and on any device—delivering high-quality video in today’s marketplace requires flexibility. Metadata-driven workflows allow content to be captured at the highest quality and then downscaled or adapted for various displays and distributions. The bandwidth savings associated with these techniques will be increasingly critical as mobile video traffic continues to accelerate.

“Advanced HDR by Technicolor is rolling out across the U.S. for both ATSC 3.0 broadcast and streaming, and adoption is growing,” Dumont said. “We are also implementing the solution for live sports. The next step is to ensure that this technology is available for user-generated content on mobile phones. That requires laying the foundation for mobile’s transition to HDR on all fronts.”

As capture devices, networks, streaming platforms, and displays continue to improve, HDR is poised to become the unifying quality layer across the entire video value chain—a true glass-to-glass evolution from production to consumption.

Watch the Full Vidcast Interview Here

Editor’s Note — Research consulted for the production of this article includes:

• DemandSage — https://www.demandsage.com/creator-economy-statistics/

• The Leap — https://www.theleap.co/blog/creator-economy-statistics/

• IZEA — https://izea.com/resources/creator-economy-statistics-for-brands-and-influencers-to-know/

• WPBeginner — https://www.wpbeginner.com/research/creator-economy-statistics-that-will-blow-you-away/

• Futuresource – Video Content Creator Market Report — https://www.futuresource-consulting.com/market-reports/futuresource-video-content-creator-market-report-global-trends-2025/

• Deloitte – Creator Economy in 3D — https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/programs/chief-marketing-officer/articles/content-creator-economy.html

Because of this, mobile devices actually offer some advantages in HDR: their compact displays require less power to achieve high brightness, and manufacturers optimize them for outdoor viewing. As a result, many of the recording and playback capabilities that would be considered high-end in professional environments are already built into the modern smartphone. For many prosumers and vloggers, the mobile phone has become the default camera.

Q: With UGC now dominating internet consumption, how is this shaping expectations for video quality and the role of HDR?

Dumont: The change is dramatic. A few years ago, vloggers typically recorded on their phones, transferred files to a laptop, and spent hours editing before posting. Today, much of that workflow happens directly on the phone—sometimes in real time.

The immediacy of social media has raised expectations for both speed and quality. Amateur creators now face many of the same pressures professionals do: their content must look good everywhere—on phones, laptops, tablets, and TVs. That makes downward compatibility essential. You want to record in the highest quality your device supports, but ensure the video remains viewable on any display, even one limited to SDR.

HDR is a major advantage here. It provides richer source material, allowing creators to produce more compelling video even when the platform or display requires conversion.

Q: Influencers often say that UGC outperforms high-production-value advertising. Does HDR expand monetization potential for creators?

Dumont: Absolutely. Once audiences grow accustomed to high-quality video, they expect it consistently—whether the content comes from a major studio or an individual influencer.

Creators should always aim to record at the highest possible quality, and HDR enhances the viewing experience significantly. But creators must also navigate a wide range of display capabilities. Some phones may support 1,000 nits or more; others may support only a few hundred. Metadata becomes crucial here. It ensures that content recorded in HDR can be displayed correctly on any device, including legacy hardware that only understands SDR.

This “best possible quality for every viewer” equation is becoming mandatory for creators who depend on sustained engagement.

Q: Even when content is created in HDR, it may need to be delivered in SDR. How does that work in practice?

Dumont: SDR remains the universal baseline, even though it’s quite limited compared to HDR. To maintain compatibility, creators still need a valid SDR layer. HDR metadata allows devices to interpret the content and display it at the highest quality the device can handle.

If a phone has lower brightness capabilities, the HDR information is dynamically adapted. If it is HDR-capable, the full range can be displayed. Advanced HDR by Technicolor ensures that, regardless of the viewing environment, the content retains the best possible quality without losing the original HDR intent.

Q: With live sports in full swing, how important is HDR consistency across capture, transmission, and mobile playback?

Dumont: It’s essential. Advertisers and broadcasters invest heavily in producing brilliant images for high-profile events. Losing that quality somewhere in the chain—from the stadium to the viewer’s mobile phone—diminishes the entire experience.

For mobile viewers, HDR image quality is increasingly expected. Ensuring that both the live sports content and the commercials maintain consistent, faithful reproduction requires end-to-end HDR capability—from glass to glass.

Metadata again plays a key role. Advanced HDR by Technicolor enables efficient, low-bitrate transmission while still allowing mobile phones to display the content at the best quality their screens support.

Q: You’ve mentioned dynamic conversion. Why is static LUT-based conversion no longer sufficient for mobile HDR?

Dumont: Static LUTs work in controlled professional environments with shading engineers and studio cameras, but they can’t adapt to constantly changing lighting—which is exactly what mobile creators face.

When you record real HDR content and need to map it to lower or higher brightness levels, the conversion must be dynamic. Lighting shifts when a vlogger moves from indoors to outdoors. Shadows and highlights change moment to moment. A mobile phone must handle all of that automatically.

Dynamic HDR conversion ensures the phone can adapt in real time, allowing amateur creators to produce professional-quality content without managing complex settings.

Q: What is the state of the broader HDR ecosystem for mobile phones?

Dumont: We have worked for years to make Advanced HDR by Technicolor part of the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard, which is now rolling out across the U.S. That’s a major step because broadcasters must serve every type of display—from legacy SDR to the latest HDR screens.

The same applies to streaming. Whether it’s a major OTT platform or content shared from one phone to another, metadata enables efficient transport and optimal display.

This also lowers the barrier for amateur creators. They don’t need to worry about measuring light or adjusting equipment. The system handles it automatically. Today’s phones already integrate capabilities that rival high-end professional equipment—but in a pocket-sized device.

Q: Do you see momentum building across the ecosystem for Advanced HDR by Technicolor?

Dumont: Yes. Adoption continues to grow across ATSC 3.0 broadcasters, streaming services, and live sports workflows. The next phase is expanding support for mobile-initiated UGC. That means ensuring HDR is supported across capture, distribution, and playback.

It’s a logical evolution. The displays are ready. The cameras are ready. Now the ecosystem is aligning to make HDR the standard experience for recording and viewing on mobile devices.

NOTE: What follows is an edited conversation that explores the strategic, operational, financial, and technological issues shaping the rollout of ATSC 3.0. 

Here is what they had to say:  

STRATEGIC ASSESSMENTS

BTR: Mark, let’s start with the big picture. ATSC 3.0 is no longer brand new, but it’s still early in its mainstream rollout. From your perspective, why are conversion boxes suddenly so important to this transition?

Jensen: Consumers are asking for better picture quality, immersive audio, and easy access to free content. Conversion boxes powered by ATSC 3.0 enable those features — HDR, cinematic sound, and enhanced interactivity. But most people are not replacing their televisions every year. The typical replacement cycle is five to seven years, so even though some models are shipping with NextGen tuners, adoption is slow. HDMI-connected conversion boxes give consumers immediate access to those features at a relatively low cost. They’re the critical link that allows the rollout to move forward without waiting for the hardware cycle.

BTR: Alex, from your vantage point, what does this mean strategically for middleware providers like Tolka?

Day: ATSC 3.0 is not just an upgrade — it’s a completely new data delivery protocol. It brings requirements for 4K resolution, interactivity, advanced emergency alerting, and HDR. To support that, we need more powerful chipsets and the ability to run interactive browsers. That is a lot of complexity to put into a consumer device. Our job is to make sure the middleware abstracts that complexity so conversion boxes can deliver a seamless experience. Strategically, it’s about bridging legacy and next-generation systems without creating barriers for manufacturers or consumers.

BTR: Rick, how does HDR fit into the strategic equation?

Dumont: HDR is central to consumer perception. When people see it, they immediately notice the difference — especially in sports and live events. But you cannot just flip a switch from SDR to HDR. Broadcasters, distributors, and consumers are all at different points in the upgrade cycle. Advanced HDR by Technicolor, referred to in the standards community as SL-HDR, solves that by embedding HDR metadata into the SDR signal. Broadcasters can send one stream, and devices interpret it as either SDR or HDR depending on their capabilities. Strategically, that creates a migration path that doesn’t leave anyone behind.

OPERATIONAL IMPERATIVES

BTR: Mark, what operational challenges do you face when integrating ATSC 3.0 into an all-in-one entertainment platform?

Jensen: The challenge is making the experience effortless. Consumers don’t want to worry about formats or standards. They just want the best picture quality automatically. That means our boxes have to support every HDR standard currently in use and deliver the right output to whatever TV is connected. It also means integrating both broadcast and broadband reception paths. ATSC 3.0 is essentially an IP signal, just like streaming over the internet. We merge those paths so consumers can access free over-the-air programming, free over-the-top programming, and subscription services — all in one place.

BTR: Alex, what does that mean for middleware?

Day: It’s about flexibility and backward compatibility. Many televisions already have HDMI ports, so conversion boxes can serve content in a format the TV understands. But middleware has to manage more than just video. ATSC 3.0 enables interactive applications, targeted advertising, and advanced emergency alerts. Those features require browsers, databases, and protocols that can run inside the device. Middleware ensures all of that works together, regardless of whether the consumer is using a high-end device with all the bells and whistles or a low-cost box that just delivers the basics.

BTR: Rick, operationally, how do you make HDR work across live content, especially in sports?

Dumont: Live sports are the proving ground. If you’re watching a soccer match and a player runs from shadow into bright sunlight, static HDR conversion simply cannot keep up. Advanced HDR by Technicolor’s dynamic processing adjusts frame by frame. That allows broadcasters to automate the process and deliver consistent quality without relying on manual adjustments in a production truck. Operationally, it means the HDR experience is scalable to live events, which is where adoption will really take off.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

BTR: Mark, let’s talk economics. How does ATSC 3.0 change the financial equation for consumers and broadcasters?

Jensen: Consumers are frustrated with the complexity of multiple subscriptions and apps. They just want to know where to find the local game or the latest news. By combining broadcast TV with streaming options, our platform simplifies the process by showing them where to watch, if it is available for free, or if it’s available through a subscription they already have. That reduces costs and creates transparency. For broadcasters, ATSC 3.0 enables new revenue models through targeted advertising and interactive features. For device makers, conversion boxes represent a new market that accelerates adoption without waiting for the TV replacement cycle.

BTR: Alex, do you see cost as a differentiator in the middleware space?

Day: Absolutely. ATSC 3.0 is complex, but complexity cannot mean higher costs for consumers. That’s why we focus on turnkey solutions that allow manufacturers to deploy quickly. You need high-end devices with every feature, but you also need low-cost devices that just deliver the signal. Middleware has to support both. Backward compatibility ensures consumers can access services regardless of device tier, which is what makes the standard usable for everyone.

BTR: Rick, HDR is often perceived as bandwidth intensive. How do you address cost and efficiency in that area?

Dumont: The perception is that HDR requires more bandwidth because it delivers more information. But Advanced HDR by Technicolor separates the HDR metadata from the core video signal. That allows broadcasters to send both SDR and HDR in the same stream with less than one percent bitrate overhead. For over-the-air broadcasters, who don’t control what devices consumers have, that’s critical. For streamers, it means they can deliver HDR quality without significantly increasing costs. Lower bandwidth for the same service means a more reliable and stable connection as well as less impact on monthly data packages for mobile users. Financially, it’s about providing better quality without adding expensive infrastructure or consuming more spectrum.

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

BTR: Mark, how do you handle the wide range of HDR formats that exist today?

Jensen: We recognized early that no single HDR format would fit every use case. Some HDR standards are better for cinema, others for live sports. That is why we are unique in the marketplace and support them all, so the consumer doesn’t have to worry about whether they are getting the best possible picture quality. By building the “cookbook” for each standard into the device, we can always deliver the best possible picture. That way, when a consumer plugs our box into their HDMI port, they get the optimal output for their screen, whether it’s SDR, HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, or Advanced HDR by Technicolor.

BTR: Alex, what does technology development look like from Tolka’s perspective?

Day: It’s about integrating new capabilities into middleware while keeping the footprint manageable. We work closely with chipset vendors to ensure devices can handle ATSC 3.0 features without becoming too expensive or power-hungry. That includes supporting advanced emergency alerts, interactive advertising, and hybrid broadcast-broadband applications. The technology roadmap is about scalability — supporting advanced use cases in premium devices while ensuring entry-level devices can still deliver core services.

BTR: Rick, how does Advanced HDR by Technicolor evolve to meet new demands?

Dumont: We focus on automation and compatibility. HDR works beautifully in post-production, but live sports require real-time processing. That’s where our dynamic metadata approach shines. It adjusts automatically, frame by frame, without manual intervention. We also prioritize backward compatibility. A broadcaster cannot know what kind of device a consumer has, so the same stream must work for SDR and HDR displays. That’s what makes SL-HDR unique. Technologically, it’s about enabling uncompromised HDR in live, real-world environments.

BTR: Let’s talk global markets. How are other countries approaching ATSC 3.0?

Day: The lessons from the U.S. rollout are being closely watched. In India, ATSC 3.0 is being considered for “direct-to-everything” applications — not just TV, but cars, phones, tablets, and digital signage. That leapfrog opportunity is very real. In Brazil, the government just adopted ATSC 3.0 as a national standard. The president signed it into law, and manufacturers are already working to deliver compliant chipsets. That could move even faster than the U.S.

Dumont: International adoption is especially promising for HDR. In Brazil, over-the-air viewing is even more common than in the U.S. That makes spectrum-efficient HDR a powerful value proposition. It allows broadcasters to deliver premium quality without adding cost. With major events like the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, these markets could demonstrate how quickly adoption can happen when the right mix of regulation, technology, and consumer demand is in place.

BizTechReports Conclusion:

The executives agreed that the television ecosystem does not need to collapse in order for NextGen TV to scale. Instead, a hybrid model — with IP delivered from both broadcast towers and the cloud, decoded by affordable and upgradeable conversion boxes — can extend the life of existing screens while enabling the richer color, contrast, and audio that consumers already expect from mobile devices and theaters.