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. 

Why Conversion Boxes and Why Now

Consumers want picture quality, immersive audio and simple access to free content, Jensen said. “ATSC 3.0 enables many of the features that viewers are asking for, such as enhanced picture quality and cinematic sound,” he explained. “It is becoming very important in bringing the type of video experience that people expect.”

ATSC 3.0 enables all three by offering a range of new capabilities, including full HDR in HD and 4K workflows, enhanced audio and interactive services. Those benefits only reach households that can receive and render the new signals. Although new televisions are beginning to ship with NextGen tuners, the long replacement cycle of five to seven years means widespread adoption is moving slowly,” Jensen said. HDMI-connected conversion boxes, by contrast, can be added quickly and at relatively low cost. These devices are becoming the critical link that allows consumers to access NextGen features immediately, without waiting for the slower turnover of television sets.

Day said the demands on middleware providers are significant, as efforts accelerate to make new capabilities available to conversion box providers. “ATSC 3.0 is an entirely new data delivery protocol,” he noted. “It brings in requirements for 4K, interactivity, advanced emergency alerting and HDR. That means using more powerful chipsets and integrating browsers that can run interactive features for consumers. It’s quite a lot to put together,” Day said. Those layers of complexity underscore why conversion boxes must be designed not only to handle new features, but also to support legacy systems. That balance — bridging the old and the new — is central to the NextGen rollout.

Backward Compatibility Without Backsliding

To that end, the panelists addressed another key industry challenge. The shift from standard dynamic range to high dynamic range cannot happen right away. Production trucks, distribution networks and home displays vary in capability. Dumont explained that Advanced HDR by Technicolor, referred to in the standards community as SL-HDR, was designed to meet this challenge. “You cannot just switch from SDR to HDR overnight,” he said. “At every step — from capture to distribution to the home — you need solutions that allow broadcasters to deliver HDR content without leaving legacy viewers behind.”

By transmitting SDR with dynamic HDR metadata, SL-HDR enables broadcasters to send one signal that can serve both SDR and HDR displays. “That means you don’t need separate channels, which would be costly,” Dumont said. “And the overhead is very small, maybe one percent, which makes it efficient for both streaming and broadcast.”

Jensen added that the goal for device makers is to keep the complexity invisible to consumers. “We support all of the HDR standards that are in use today,” he said. “The consumer shouldn’t have to worry about HDR formats — they simply expect the best possible picture quality on their screen every time.”

Live Sports as the Proving Ground

Live sports are the ultimate test for HDR, the experts agreed. Dumont emphasized that Advanced HDR by Technicolor’s dynamic processing is essential. “If you are watching outdoor sports like soccer, where a player can run from shadow into bright light, static conversion simply cannot keep up,” he explained. “You need to automate the adjustment frame by frame so the viewer always sees the true image. Otherwise, the quality will collapse in real time.”

Jensen said that this is particularly important for MyVelo TV’s customers. “Resolution is one thing, but HDR delivers the contrast and color accuracy that people actually notice,” he said. “Sports look extremely good with HDR because you feel like you are right there at the event.”

Economics of Choice and Discovery

The panel also pointed to economic factors driving interest in conversion boxes. Jensen said viewers want a simpler way to find programs without managing multiple subscriptions. “If you want your local game or the latest news, it’s become very hard to figure out which service you need,” he said. “By combining broadcast TV with free streaming services, our platform can show consumers where they can watch for free or through subscriptions they already have.”

Day noted that flexibility across device tiers is also crucial. “You need both high-end devices with every feature and very low-cost devices for people who just want a basic signal,” he said. “Backward compatibility and simplicity are what make the standard usable for everyone.”

From U.S. Pilot to Global Template

The lessons from the U.S. transition to ATSC 3.0 are being closely watched in global markets, where broadcasters and policymakers see an opportunity to skip legacy infrastructure and move directly to next-generation digital capabilities.

Day highlighted developments in India, where ATSC 3.0 is being considered for “direct-to-everything” applications beyond television. “They are looking at delivering data to cars, phones, tablets and even digital signage,” he said. “That’s a very exciting expansion of what the standard can do.”

Brazil recently adopted its own variant of ATSC 3.0. “The president of Brazil signed it into law, and although it includes features that no current chipset supports, manufacturers are already working to deliver hardware by next year,” Day said.

Dumont stressed that the international market is especially promising for Advanced HDR by Technicolor. “In Brazil, over-the-air viewing is even more widespread than in the United States,” he said. “That makes spectrum-efficient HDR a powerful way to deliver better quality without adding cost. It is a great opportunity ahead of events like the 2026 World Cup.”

What to Watch Next

The executives pointed to three developments that will determine the pace of adoption.

• Broadcasters in the United States are waiting for approval to turn off ATSC 1.0, Day said. “Once that happens, we’ll see faster rollout of ATSC 3.0 services.”
  
  
• Another factor is the availability of reference platforms. “It’s about making it easier for manufacturers to get into the market,” Day added. “Turnkey middleware and certified platforms will accelerate adoption.”
  
  
• Finally, consumer demand may be the deciding force. Dumont noted that major sports events could be pivotal. “Nothing convinces viewers faster than seeing HDR live and in action,” he said.

In the final analysis, the panelists concluded, a hybrid model — with IP delivered from both broadcast towers and the cloud, and decoded by affordable, upgradable conversion boxes — will extend the life of existing screens and investments in media while also delivering the richer color, contrast, and audio that consumers already expect from mobile devices and theaters. 

View the Full Vidcast Interview Here.

HDR technology’s expansion is pushing the bounds of conservative approaches to the conversion processes based on legacy static look-up tables. Today, production teams are manually compressing the HDR signal to be compatible with the static LUT conversion to obtain a color-accurate SDR signal. This presents a challenge for broadcasting and streaming service providers that see live sports and other major outdoor events as a critical area in their strategic plans but are unable to provide best-quality HDR due to those conversion constraints.

“Constrained HDR is insufficient for advertisers, brands and consumers who are expecting a premium viewing experience in HDR, especially when paying a premium for such HDR subscriptions,” said Rick Dumont, head of business development for HDR at Philips. “This requires that the industry adapt and implement an intelligent and dynamic HDR/SDR conversion process that delivers a viewing experience with the rich contrast and vibrant color of HDR. In addition, dynamic conversion also facilitates manual shading during fast action live outdoor sports events, which is costly and mostly not as accurate as an automated dynamic conversion process, allowing shaders to focus on making the best possible HDR video rather than attempting to optimize SDR video.”

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

• Advanced HDR by Technicolor Meeting Room (Invitation Only) – IABM Lounge, Meeting Room #6

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 demonstrate how dynamic conversion with Intelligent Tone Management outperforms legacy systems based on static LUTs conversion. Visitors will also see a showcase of the latest Nextgen TV conversion devices integrated with Advanced HDR by Technicolor which include: Tolka, MyVelo TV, Geniatech and Zinwell.

Contact us to book a time and learn how to unlock the true value of HDR!

Ends

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.