Here is what he had to say:

STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES

Q: Why is there growing urgency around the HDR conversation in the broadcast and content community?

Mitchell: The promise of HDR has always been to deliver a more dynamic, immersive, and visually rich experience. But right now, the industry is falling short of that promise. Many broadcasters are leaning into predictable workflows built around static lookup tables—which means they’re limiting the HDR signal to ensure compatibility with SDR. That compromise is leading to HDR and SDR versions that look almost identical. If HDR doesn’t visually differentiate itself, it’s hard to justify it as a premium product.

Q: Why are producers playing it safe when HDR can offer more impact?

Mitchell: It comes down to brand consistency. Sponsors want their colors and brand assets—like Coca-Cola red, sports team logos or national flags—to appear exactly as intended. The safest way to ensure that is to compress the HDR range so it maps predictably to SDR. Unfortunately, that “safe” approach minimizes the unique benefits HDR was designed to provide. As a result, we’re seeing situations where even broadcast engineers can’t tell the difference between HDR and SDR versions.

Q: What’s at stake if the industry doesn’t rethink its approach?

Mitchell: If we continue down this path, HDR could become a missed opportunity. Viewers are paying premiums for “HDR-enhanced” streams, and in many cases, they’re not seeing the value. This undermines consumer trust, limits innovation, and prevents advertisers from fully leveraging the format’s potential. There’s a real strategic need to shift toward dynamic HDR workflows that protect SDR integrity without compromising HDR quality.

OPERATIONAL IMPLICATIONS

Q: What are the operational realities driving this static approach?

Mitchell: Live content—especially sports—is unpredictable. Broadcasters value stability and control, and static LUTs offer exactly that. But this predictability comes at the expense of creativity. Many production teams are even shading HDR cameras based on how the SDR version looks, instead of optimizing for HDR first. That’s the wrong incentive structure if we want to unlock the full potential of the format.

Q: How does this affect production teams in real-world scenarios?

Mitchell: A great example came from a sports broadcast service provider we spoke with. They received HDR and SDR feeds from a major live sporting event and couldn’t tell the difference. They actually called the broadcaster to ask if something was wrong. When trained professionals can’t see a difference, we can’t expect the average viewer to perceive value either. That’s a sign that something has to change.

Q: So what needs to happen operationally to shift the paradigm?

Mitchell: First, we need to encourage experimentation in controlled environments—labs, testbeds, and production pilots—where broadcasters can evaluate dynamic workflows without risk. Second, production crews need better tools that give them confidence in the output of HDR-to-SDR conversions. That’s where Advanced HDR by Technicolor comes in. It enables dynamic, frame-by-frame optimization, reducing the need for human intervention and making HDR workflows more predictable and scalable.

FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC ISSUES

Q: Why should broadcasters and content providers rethink the business case for HDR?

Mitchell: Because viewers are being asked to pay more for HDR content—but many are getting a product that looks nearly identical to SDR. That’s not sustainable. We’re entering a period where visual differentiation is essential to justify premium tiers, and dynamic HDR is how you get there. If HDR continues to under-deliver, platforms risk churn and revenue erosion.

Q: What about advertisers and sponsors—do they benefit from better HDR implementations?

Mitchell: Absolutely. Advertisers want their product to stand out. Properly implemented HDR makes colors pop and highlights more vibrant, giving brands more visual impact. But today’s static workflows often fail to preserve that impact. Once brands see how dynamic HDR can make their messaging more compelling, they’ll become advocates. We just need to bring them into the conversation earlier in the process.

Q: Is there an economic benefit to simplifying HDR/SDR delivery architectures?

Mitchell: Yes. Advanced HDR by Technicolor allows for single-stream delivery using SL-HDR formatting, which eliminates the need for dual-stream simulcasts. That’s a significant bandwidth and operational cost savings—especially in ATSC 3.0 environments where spectrum is tight. One stream, one format, full compatibility with legacy SDR devices—that’s economically and technically efficient.

TECHNOLOGICAL OPTIMIZATION

Q: What sets Advanced HDR by Technicolor apart from other HDR solutions?

Mitchell: Our system is truly dynamic. It uses machine learning algorithms to evaluate each frame and determine the optimal conversion to SDR. This allows content creators to focus on making a great HDR version without constantly worrying about how it will downconvert. The result is more creative freedom, less manual tweaking, and better outcomes on both ends.

Q: How does this affect real-world production workflows?

Mitchell: In traditional workflows, producers are often watching the SDR output and then adjusting the HDR input to fix issues downstream. With dynamic HDR, we flip that model—you optimize the HDR feed first and trust the algorithm to produce an excellent SDR version. That’s a major leap in workflow efficiency and quality assurance.

Q: Does this require a total overhaul of existing infrastructure?

Mitchell: No. One of our goals was to make the technology easy to integrate. We work with standard distribution equipment and support common file formats. Our delivery format is backward compatible, which means no changes are needed on the consumer end. For broadcasters, it’s about software-driven optimization, not hardware replacement.

Q: Is the approach gaining industry validation?

Mitchell: Yes. We’re part of the ATSC 3.0 standard, which speaks to the credibility and scalability of our solution. Broadcasters already using Advanced HDR by Technicolor are seeing real benefits—both in terms of performance and economics. The technology is ready. Now it’s about driving awareness, engagement, and testing so others can see the same results. 

Strategic Imperatives

At its core, HDR is about elevating storytelling through richer contrast, deeper colors, and more immersive visual cues. But many broadcasters—especially those managing live content—default to a cautious approach that limits HDR’s full potential. Why? Brand integrity.

Advertisers demand consistency. Coca-Cola red must look like Coca-Cola red. And static LUTs offer predictability, forcing producers to clamp the HDR signal so it maps sufficiently into SDR. That makes sense from a brand safety perspective—but it narrows the dynamic range of HDR so much that its benefits are lost. In some cases, even experienced professionals reviewing simultaneous HDR and SDR feeds cannot distinguish between the two.

We’re reaching a crossroads. If content providers fail to deliver truly differentiated HDR experiences, audiences will start to question the higher price tag, and brands will miss out on the visual impact HDR can deliver. A format designed to expand creative possibilities risks becoming just another checkbox in a spec sheet—unless we pivot toward more adaptive, dynamic solutions.

Operational Implications

The conservative approach to HDR is especially common in live sports and events, where conditions change rapidly and consistency is critical. Producers shade HDR cameras with SDR in mind, and workflows are tuned to ensure the SDR feed is visually acceptable—even if it means sacrificing HDR performance.

The outcome? A premium-tier HDR feed that feels anything but premium.

We recently spoke with a sports broadcast service provider receiving HDR and SDR streams from a major live event. The feeds looked so similar, they thought something was wrong with the signal. That kind of feedback, coming from trained professionals, reveals a fundamental issue in today’s broadcast chains.

To reverse this trend, content production teams shooting in HDR need the tools and confidence to optimize for HDR first—not SDR. This requires moving away from static, one-size-fits-all conversions and embracing frame-by-frame adaptive HDR workflows. That’s what we offer with Advanced HDR by Technicolor: dynamic tools that allow creatives to focus on producing rich, high-impact HDR, trusting that SDR conversions will follow seamlessly.

Financial and Economic Considerations

From a business standpoint, the case for dynamic HDR is threefold: consumer value, content and advertising visual impact, and delivery efficiency.

Consumers are already being asked to pay more for HDR-enabled subscriptions or streaming tiers. But if HDR fails to deliver noticeable quality improvements, the perceived value declines—and so does the willingness to pay. In a competitive media landscape, where churn is a constant threat, that’s not a risk providers can afford to take.

Advertisers have skin in the game as well. Brands want their messaging to shine—literally and figuratively. HDR, when properly implemented, can make colors more vivid and lighting more lifelike. But the compromises imposed by static workflows often blunt these advantages. The key is to get advertisers into the conversation early—show them what dynamic HDR can do for brand storytelling, and they’ll become powerful advocates for change.

Then there’s the issue of delivery costs. Most broadcasters today send separate streams for HDR and SDR—a costly and complex arrangement. With Advanced HDR by Technicolor, we support SL-HDR, a single-stream format that includes metadata for both HDR and SDR rendering. This streamlining reduces bandwidth, simplifies infrastructure, and aligns well with standards like ATSC 3.0, where spectrum constraints are real.

Technological Optimization

So how does dynamic HDR actually work?

Unlike static LUTs that apply a fixed transformation to every frame, dynamic HDR intelligently analyzes each frame, determines the optimal SDR conversion in real time, and records the conversion characteristics in metadata. This allows producers to focus entirely on making the best possible HDR content, without constantly worrying about downstream compatibility.

In traditional workflows, SDR is the priority. Producers tweak HDR inputs until the SDR output looks “good enough.” With dynamic HDR, that model flips. HDR becomes the hero format, and SDR follows—without compromise.

And the best part? It’s all backward compatible. Our technology works with standard distribution tools and consumer devices such as TVs and set-top boxes. 

The Advanced HDR by Technicolor solution passes a single stream in SDR along with metadata to achieve a dynamic conversion process, allowing the lossless reconstruction of HDR on the receiving HDR-enabled devices of viewers. Consumers viewing content on SDR devices will continue to enjoy uncompromised video quality in SDR.

By taking this approach, it’s not about replacing infrastructure; it’s about augmenting it with smarter, more responsive software.

We’ve already seen validation in the market. Advanced HDR by Technicolor is included in the ATSC 3.0 specification, and broadcasters using it today report better visual results, fewer operational headaches, and lower delivery costs. The technology is proven. The question now is: Will the industry adopt it fast enough to meet growing expectations?

To unlock the full value of HDR, we need to rethink the production chain—not just from a technical standpoint, but from a creative, operational, and economic one. HDR was never meant to be a checkbox; it was meant to transform how stories are told and experienced.

Dynamic HDR gives us the tools to finally deliver on that promise. The industry’s next step is clear: test, evaluate, and embrace the workflows that put HDR’s strengths front and center. The result will be not only better images—but a stronger, more future-ready content ecosystem.  

This bylined article appeared in Streaming Media here.  

HDR specifically enables a broader range of colors and brightness offering new ways to control the viewing experience much more succinctly on screen. This means the contrast between the darkest darks and the brightest whites delivers a more lifelike, vibrant image. The greater nuance in bright and dark shades helps preserve detail, so the experience is far more immersive, engaging and life-like for consumers.
 

“For consumers, HDR absolutely provides a point of differentiation. When it comes to HDR, seeing really is believing. Once consumers experience HDR, it is very difficult for them to go back to standard dynamic range. Today, more and more consumers are hungry for premium in-home entertainment experiences, and HDR is increasingly seen by consumers as integral to meeting their growing expectations,” said Mitchell.

A Technically Elegant and Cost-Effective Path to HDR

The key question on the minds of the entertainment technology ecosystem — across the spectrum of content production, distribution and consumption — is how to manage the transition from today’s complex environment to an all-HDR future in a creatively faithful, technically viable and economically rational manner.

“It is important to understand the available content and the devices content providers and developers want to target. For studios with large libraries of material, ensuring that an HDR grade is available on all of the content in their portfolios can be incredibly costly and time-consuming if it is not approached in a strategic manner,” explained Mitchell. 

Another critical factor to consider while conducting these conversions is the ability to preserve the creative intent of the content. This is always important when dealing with content libraries. But it is also critical as the business models for digital entertainment distribution evolve. 

“For instance, if the conversions from SDR to HDR are being performed in the context of advertising supported delivery environments, it is critical to take into account the intent of brands or advertisers who may play a role in the financing or the budgeting of that content,” he cautioned. 

Putting Advanced HDR by Technicolor into Context

Advanced HDR by Technicolor, which features a unique intelligent tone management (ITM) toolset, enables high quality, dynamic, and real-time expansion of standard dynamic range to high dynamic range that preserves that creative and brand intent. 

“Known as the SL-HDR format in the technical and standards-setting communities, Advanced HDR by Technicolor provides broadcasters and distributors with a single inventory distribution format to serve both SDR and HDR devices without any creative compromises. It saves infrastructure and delivery costs along the way,” said Mitchell. 

The single stream production and distribution features of Advanced HDR by Technicolor make it a cost-effective solution for ensuring that the highest quality productions maintain their integrity across today’s heterogeneous SDR/HDR environment. 

“During HPA we are planning to have conversations with streamers, advertisers — really anybody that is using streaming technology — to help people understand where Advanced HDR by Technicolor can be put into place to enhance the services they offer and the value they deliver to consumers around the world. It’s really important for leaders in the creative community to understand that HDR is an entertainment technology that will elevate value delivered to consumers in a cost-effective manner,” concluded Mitchell. 

Here is what he had to say:

Q:  What role are emerging technologies like HDR playing in delivering enhanced experiences in the image and picture quality in live broadcasts, theatrical releases, episodic content…and even video games? 

Nick Mitchell: High dynamic range — and many of the immersive formats we’re seeing emerge in the industry — amplify the creative palette. This ultimately results in a more immersive and impactful experience. 

HDR specifically enables a broader range of colors and brightness offering new ways to control the viewing experience much more succinctly on screen. This means the contrast between the darkest darks and the brightest whites delivers a more lifelike, vibrant image. The greater nuance in bright and dark shades helps preserve detail, so the experience is far more immersive, engaging and life-like for consumers. 

Q: Does the introduction of high dynamic range provide any points of differentiation for content owners and consumers? 

Mitchell: For consumers, it absolutely provides a point of differentiation. When it comes to HDR, seeing really is believing. Once consumers have experienced HDR, it is very difficult for them to go back to standard dynamic range. Today, more and more consumers are hungry for premium in-home entertainment experiences, and HDR is increasingly seen by consumers as integral to meeting their growing expectations.

This is now recognized by most content owners, which is why it is imperative that we give consumers as many opportunities to see high dynamic range and really understand its value within the premium entertainment space.

Q: What do streaming service providers and other content distributors need to consider as they explore their options in deploying HDR in either the streaming or even the broadcast entertainment environment? 

Mitchell: It is important to understand the available content and the devices content providers and developers want to target. For studios with large libraries of material, ensuring that an HDR grade is available on all of the content in their portfolios can be incredibly costly and time-consuming if it is not approached in a strategic manner. 

Another critical factor to consider while conducting these conversions is the ability to preserve the creative intent of the content. If the conversions from SDR to HDR are being performed in the context of advertising supported delivery environments, it is also critical to take into account the intent of any brands or advertisers who may play a role in the financing or the budgeting of that content. 

In other words, an advertiser may not be thrilled with the unintentional impression a standard dynamic range ad makes when placed within an HDR offering because the contrast is pretty dramatic. Not many brands and advertisers are making HDR ads, so this is a valid concern. 

Q:  Nick, you’re associated with Advanced HDR by Technicolor – a solution that has received quite a bit of interest of late. How can Advanced HDR by Technicolor provide content owners and production teams, including playback distributors, with an efficient path to success when delivering high dynamic range to the viewing public?

Mitchell: Advanced HDR by Technicolor, which features a unique intelligent tone management (ITM) toolset, enables incredibly high quality, dynamic, and real-time expansion of standard dynamic range to high dynamic range that preserves that creative and brand intent. 

Known as the SL-HDR format in the technical and standards-setting communities, Advanced HDR by Technicolor provides broadcasters and distributors with a single inventory distribution format to serve both SDR and HDR devices without compromises, saving infrastructure and delivery costs along the way. By using the dynamic meta-data capabilities that are included in the solution, a single stream can deliver both SDR and HDR without compromising the artistic intent of the content creators or producers.

This makes Advanced HDR by Technicolor a key part of a strategic approach to ensuring that the highest quality productions maintain their integrity across today’s heterogeneous environment — which consists of SDR and HDR TVs and other devices in the market.

I think it’s really important for leaders in the creative community to understand that HDR is one of those elements of entertainment technology that will help the industry drive an increase in higher-value impression customers. 

Q: As the creative and technology community gathers at the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) conference in Palm Springs, What is your message to them? 

Mitchell: Over the past few years we have seen the broadcast segment of the entertainment industry make tremendous progress in enhancing the content that is experienced by consumers. A lot of work has been done globally by groups such as the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) to integrate SL-HDR formats into next-generation protocols that will enhance the viewing experience of broadcast content. 

Now we’re focusing on the streaming and app delivery side of things. During HPA we are planning to have conversations with streamers, advertisers — really anybody that is using streaming technology — to help people understand where Advanced HDR by Technicolor can be put into place to enhance the services they offer and the value they deliver to consumers around the world. 

In the white paper, he asserts that artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) and tone mapping technologies have reached a state of maturity that allows complex ecosystems to support the most stringent “live-production” requirements for simultaneously managing HDR and SDR content while meeting the business and performance needs of all stakeholders in the community. This includes advertisers and brand managers who are extremely sensitive to the fidelity of their commercial messages and marks.

The Case for Single-Workflow Round-trip SDR-HDR-SDR

Continued progress toward the deployment and consumer adoption of HDR devices — including large-screen TVs, tablets and mobile phones — is putting mounting market pressure on the industry to produce, convert and deliver content that provides enhanced visual experiences to capable devices.

As often happens when new technologies — and elevated standards of performance — are introduced, the industry is caught between two worlds. Consequently, complex ecosystems made up of content creators, distributors and consumer electronics distributors are struggling with how to support the large, established presence of SDR during the transition to HDR.

One option to support the transition is to launch separate content development, distribution and consumption workflows. This, however, is not an attractive path forward, given the costs and technical complexities associated with maintaining multiple operations. It is a challenge that grows exponentially as different links in the value chain participate in the process.

Touzé argues that a better alternative is to develop a single production process that dynamically integrates and automates HDR and SDR workflows by applying machine learning and tone mapping technologies.

While single-stream strategies for HDR-SDR management have been discussed in the industry for years, concerns have been expressed about the ability to ensure the fidelity and integrity of SDR streams that are converted to HDR and then brought back to SDR.

“One of the things really needed in production environments that support SDR and HDR is a high-quality and high-performance round-trip feature,” says Touzé.

For various reasons, he explains, live production teams increasingly need the flexibility to work with HDR and SDR source content. This is because there can be a mix of HDR and SDR cameras capturing live feeds.

“The same is true for commercial advertisements, which must be integrated into live feeds. Given the sensitivity of these communities to the appearance of their content, it is critical that the SDR feed at distribution looks exactly the same as the source SDR content. You want to preserve the artistic intent of the original content. This white paper demonstrates how currently available dynamic solutions can effectively convert SDR to HDR and back to SDR — also known as round-trip — without compromising the integrity of the original SDR content.”

These capabilities, he concludes, are all currently available in the Advanced HDR by Technicolor suite of solutions for the single-stream management of HDR and SDR workflows in live-and post-production environments.

Advanced HDR by Technicolor incorporates tone mapping tools that are dynamic, AI/ML-driven and tunable to provide perfect round-trip performance that can be objectively proven.

“It is a ‘no compromise’ outcome that should remove any concerns or objections to adopting workflows that integrate and optimize all HDR-SDR content creation and conversion activities,” concludes Touzé.

“Even during trial stages, service providers are looking for ways to integrate HDR into emerging deployments of set-top boxes and other customer premises equipment (CPE),” said Arthuis.

As a result, while interest in HDR has not yet taken European markets by storm, momentum is rapidly building. This is being driven by better coordination among key players in different parts of the industry, according to InterDigital’s Allie.

“What HDR has needed most is better alignment across the full ecosystem – which includes device manufacturers, distributors and content owners. Each of these groups are now seeing the new market opportunities — and requirements — for acquiring and implementing the proper tools to deliver HDR viewing experiences to viewers in Europe,” observed Allie.

Challenges of Delivering SDR and HDR Content

HDR is creating new opportunities to deliver tangible improvements to the viewing experience. However, bringing these experiences to market has called for the industry to go through a learning curve. As service providers and broadcasters consider the benefits of HDR, there are technical considerations that require attention to effectively leverage HDR solutions, according to Ateme’s Raulet.

“As it pertains to broadcast, things can become complicated when ensuring HDR technology is compatible with the wide range of equipment that broadcasters or service providers use in workflows. The initial version of the HEVC codecs — especially those that have already been deployed to market — have required some updates to be interoperable with HDR. This technical challenge varies from region to region in Europe. That said, network service providers and broadcasters can overcome this challenge through relatively minor adjustments. The most recent HEVC codecs — those that are entering the market now — need no adjustments to work with HDR content, said Raulet.

Roundtable attendee, Buland Iqbal with Pakistan’s Metro1 News shared how his news station attempted to utilize both SDR and HDR content in their transmission operations. What he discovered is that the archiving and storage of content in both formats has proved complicated and expensive.

“That,” explained Allie, “is why with Advanced HDR by Technicolor solutions, we have invested in not only creating a single-stream solution that supports both SDR and HDR formats, but also in ensuring that an effective ’round-trip’ capability is available to ensure that SDR conversions to HDR can be returned to their original state with complete fidelity to the original format. The ability to seamlessly convert SDR to HDR — and back again — is critical in supporting broadcasters and operators in today’s hybrid market. Until the entire market shifts to HDR, simultaneously supporting SDR in a seamless, technically effective and cost-efficient manner is critical.”

The complexities and cost realities of upgrading content archives or storage of HDR content requires automated tools that have the ability to tune streams according to specific broadcasters’ specifications. This is especially important when it comes to live production — such as news and sports coverage, noted Cobalt Digital’s Noronha.

“The amount of SDR content — prior to conversion to HDR — that live broadcasters must deal with at the ingest point is tremendous. The application of Advanced HDR by Technicolor solutions solves this issue by enabling broadcasters to handle SDR content during live production by adding metadata to upconvert the SDR into HDR. This necessary step introduces critical information to enable – in a single stream – a broadcaster to deliver HDR content while retaining the quality of the SDR content,” explained Noronha.

FAST Channels Offer Mix of Old and New Content

Paul Erickson, of Erickson Strategy Insights, asked about the role of HDR in the over-the-top (OTT) streaming environment, where the market is seeing a significant rise in free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels rolling out a mixture of legacy content – often in SDR – and new HDR content.

“The technology is all there to take SDR content — including advertisements — and upconvert them to HDR in real-time through a single stream,” said Noronha. “Advanced HDR by Technicolor technology manages the complexity and allows the signal to deliver content to consumers based on what their devices are capable of displaying. If the end user has a device that is capable of displaying HDR, it will understand the metadata for the enhanced viewing experience. Otherwise, the viewer will receive a perfectly good SDR image.”

Arthuis, from BBright, concurred.

“Often a broadcaster has high-quality HDR content, but the advertisements are in various SDR formats. This is a typical use case for broadcasters to upconvert specific SDR advertisements to HDR on the fly so that viewers can enjoy a consistent, high-quality experience,” he said.

Live Sports Requires Intelligent Solutions for HDR

Live out-door sporting events represent one of the major points of interest driving network service providers and broadcasters to explore deployment of HDR technologies in European markets. Changing lighting conditions during these events represents a major challenge for broadcast producers

“This is why you need systems to be automated in an intelligent manner. It is not feasible to rely on production staff and manual processes,” states Noronha. “Artificial intelligence and machine learning technology make it possible to automate these critical operational tasks. That is exactly what Advanced HDR by Technicolor solutions and Cobalt Digital bring to the table for European broadcasters of live sports.”

Advanced HDR by Technicolor solutions, he explained leverage ML algorithms to conduct frame by frame analysis to add dynamic metadata. This provides the production, distribution and consumption equipment with the information necessary for upconversion to HDR.

“This is the intelligence that allows broadcasters to adapt the content into high-quality HDR,” says Allie. “Meanwhile, the production team still has the ability to tune the HDR images and expand on the automated stream. But the automated capabilities of Advanced HDR by Technicolor solutions allow this to take place with the speed and flexibility that is needed to support today’s live production environments.”

This, explained Sinclair Broadcast Group’s Aitken, is why HDR in general, and Advanced HDR by Technicolor in particular, makes economic — and competitive — sense for broadcasters.

“For broadcasters who put the customer experience at the top of the list, delivering the best visual image is an essential priority. It is what is driving Sinclair Broadcasting Group to ensure that stations implementing ATSC 3.0 do so with Advanced HDR by Technicolor, which is part of the standard,” said Aitken.