Are you confused by all the HDR acronyms and wondering what the differences are between "HDR Plus" vs "Quantum HDR" specifically? As your resident home theater guru, let me gently guide you through the crucial fine print so you can upgrade to the best 4K TV with confidence.
In a nutshell, HDR Plus refers to the HDR10+ format which builds upon standard HDR 10 by enabling dynamic scene-by-scene picture adjustments for optimal quality. Quantum HDR is simply branding used to market the exceptional high dynamic range capabilities of quantum dot LED televisions.
Over the next 2500+ words, I‘ll give you a comprehensive overview covering:
- A brief history of high dynamic range (HDR)
- Side-by-side technical comparison of HDR Plus vs Quantum HDR
- How each technology enhances picture quality
- 5 must-know differentiating facts
- Which format delivers the better viewing experience
- Budget-friendly Quantum HDR Plus TV recommendation
- Answers to frequently asked questions
Let‘s get started!
A Brief History Lesson on the Evolution of HDR
The journey toward ultra high definition 4K HDR TVs available today started over a decade ago…
Early Days of HDR
High dynamic range imaging originated on the photography side to help capture and convey a similar level of contrast our eyes see in the real world. HDR displays aim to recreate this expanded brightness range for enhanced realism.
The consumer electronics industry recognized HDR‘s game-changing cinematic potential early on. Leading TV manufacturers like Samsung, Sony, LG, Panasonic – along with tech giants Dolby, Philips, BBC, Netflix, Amazon – came together to form the Ultra HD Alliance.
Their mission? To define standards guiding the next generation of television.
Enter HDR10
In 2015, the UHD Alliance released specifications for Ultra HD Premium – establishing minimum criteria for 4K resolution, high dynamic range (HDR), color and more.
As part of this, HDR10 was established as an open baseline HDR standard detailing technical requirements like:
- 10-bits per color channel
- DCI-P3 wide color gamut
- 0.05 nits (cd/m2) minimum black level
- 1,000 nits peak brightness
- Support for BT.2020 color space
Thanks to having an objective set of KPIs, HDR10 rapidly gained support across 4K televisions, streaming services, Blu-Ray discs and playback devices.
Proprietary HDR Formats Emerge
HDR10 acceptance marked a pivotal step toward high quality 4K HDR video. But some limitations still remained around brightness mapping and static metadata support.
In typical tech industry fashion, companies began introducing their own enhanced proprietary versions of HDR:
- Dolby Vision (Dolby) – 2016
- Hybrid Log Gamma or HLG (BBC, NHK) – 2016
- Advanced HDR by Technicolor (Technicolor) – 2016
- HDR10+ (Samsung, Panasonic, 20th Century Fox) – 2017
The intent? Further optimize and customize picture performance through technologies like dynamic metadata and advanced tone mapping algorithms.
Among these, HDR10+ stands out as an royalty-free, open standard alternative to Dolby Vision focused on interoperability. Jointly developed by Samsung, Panasonic and 20th Century Fox – it is also backed by companies like Amazon, Tencent, Vizio and Rakuten.
Which finally brings us to today with HDR10+ more commonly marketed now as HDR Plus…alongside shiny new Quantum HDR televisions!
Phew, still with me? Now that we‘ve covered a little history, let‘s actually compare these two modern standards vying for your attention:
HDR Plus vs. Quantum HDR Side-by-Side Technical Comparison
Let‘s break down how these two HDR technologies vary around implementation, specifications and device compatibility:
| Specs | Quantum HDR | HDR Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Official Name | – | HDR10+ |
| Category | Display panel technology | Video encoding format |
| Key Innovation | Quantum dot LED backlights | Dynamic metadata |
| Peak Brightness | Up to 4,000 nits | Up to 4,000 nits |
| Black Level | 0.001 to 0.005 nits | Less than 0.0005 nits |
| Color Depth | 10-bit | 12-bit |
| Color Volume | ~80-90% BT.2020 | Full BT.2020 coverage |
| Refresh Rate | Up to 120Hz | Up to 120Hz variable refresh rate |
| TV Availability | Samsung, TCL, Hisense and more QLED TVs | Select premium Samsung, Panasonic, Philips, Hisense models |
| HDR Format Support | HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, Dolby Vision (some models) | Obviously yes |
| Content Availability | Widely supported | Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Apple TV+, Disney+ and some Blu-ray releases |
Breaking this down:
- Quantum HDR refers specifically to the high dynamic range capabilities of QLED TVs enabled by quantum dot LED backlights
- While HDR Plus is just shorthand for the enhanced HDR10+ HDR format and associated improvements in picture optimization
So in essence, you can have:
- Quantum HDR support ONLY if a TV has a quantum dot LED backlight panel
- HDR Plus support by itself if a device supports HDR10+ encoding/decoding
- Or both Quantum HDR AND HDR Plus in tandem for optimal quality!
Now the next logical question is – just how much better do these fancy new technologies actually make your TV? Let‘s analyze that next…
Picture Quality Comparison: How HDR Plus and Quantum HDR Improve What You See
High dynamic range is all about delivering striking contrast between the brightest whites and deepest blacks. Accurate colors that pop. And retaining detail across the entire luminance range so nothing gets lost in the shadows or blown out highlights.
Both Quantum HDR and HDR Plus aim to enhance all these areas through different means:
Quantum HDR provides display-side advancements leveraging quantum dot technology:
- Wider color gamut – Quantum dots emit intensely pure red and green light translating to 125% more color than regular LED TVs
- Higher peak brightness – QLEDs achieve up to 4,000 nits for lifelike specular highlights in HDR content
- Perfect black levels – Full array quantum dot backlighting with local dimming allows near OLED-quality blacks down to 0.001 nits
- Blinding color volume – Combination of deep blacks, vivid accent colors and extreme luminance boost color contrast
These capabilities intrinsically improve picture accuracy. But they could still be further enhanced using dynamic data.
This is where HDR Plus comes in! HDR10+ builds upon baseline HDR10 by adding:
- Dynamic metadata – Optimize brightness, color and contrast on a per scene or frame basis rather than static image-wide values
- Profile data – Allow display calibration based on technical display parameters for improved color mapping
- Content boundary metadata – Permit independent optimization between adjoining frames of video based on artistic intent
Compared head-to-head, a TV equipped with both cutting-edge Quantum HDR display features AND HDR Plus (HDR10+) formatting yields the most optimal, precise and realistic imagery.
You get the highly advanced quantum dot panel peak performance complemented by the nuanced touch of scene-by-scene adjustments.
Let me illustrate this difference with some picture examples…
Say this extreme close up shows incredible fine texture and skin details. HDR‘s wide luminance range preserves information across bright highlights on the nose and darker shadows along the neck and hairline:
Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash
With Quantum HDR, these colors appear even richer. The redness in the cheeks looks more natural. You can perceive extra texture detail in the radiant skin. Shadows maintain realistic warmth alongside those piercing highlights.
Now activate HDR Plus dynamic metadata. Within the same shot, the TV intelligently optimizes the presentation of her face compared to the darker shirt and background. Brightness levels shift subtly to reveal previously masked facets around the jawline and hair part.
These types of incremental local adjustments might seem tiny individually. But they accumulate across hundreds of scenes to tangibly boost depth, clarity and contrast.
Of course no analogy fully substitutes for seeing the impact firsthand yourself. So I highly recommend visiting retail stores where you can compare equivalent OLED, LED-LCD and QLED TV models across a breadth of demo content.
Appreciate just how much bolder, richer and more life-like colors, luminance and blacks can get with HDR Plus running on a Quantum HDR television. It‘s a sight you have to behold yourself to truly understand the visual scope.
Which brings us to the million dollar question…
HDR Plus or Quantum HDR: Which Format Reigns Supreme?
Based on theComparative pros and cons, which HDR format should YOU opt for? Here is my take as your guide:
For a balance of picture refinement AND versatile content support, the ideal combo is BOTH:
- A QLED TV with Quantum HDR capabilities
- That ALSO supports advanced HDR Plus (HDR10+)
This best-of-both pairing delivers incredibly deep contrast and wide color backed by extensive dynamic range format coverage.
If you have to choose one or the other:
Quantum HDR alone still conveys excellent HDR quality benefiting all types of content thanks to elevated brightness, accurate color and pixel-level black level optimization powered by quantum dots.
HDR Plus provides outstanding fine-tuning for supported material, a treasure for cinephiles craving utmost accuracy to artists‘ creative intent. But it may marginally compromise viewing experience for unsupported content lacking its metadata enhancements.
In a nutshell:
- Quantum HDR conveys excellent, versatile dynamic range
- HDR Plus enables precision scene-based calibration
- Together, you unlock the full HDR potential perfected for your eyes
Now let‘s move onto a practical buying suggestion that checks these "best of both worlds" boxes…
[Samsung Q60B QLED 4K Smart TV] – A Feature-Packed Quantum HDR Plus Option That Won‘t Break The Bank
Rather than drone on about expensive 8K models you likely can‘t justify, allow me to highlight this sensibly priced 4K QLED gem:
The Samsung Q60B television series presents an affordable path to superb Quantum HDR Plus performance by including:
- Quantum HDR – Quantum dot LED backlight showcases over a billion shades of intense color
- 4K Resolution – 8.3 million pixels give you room to see the big picture
- HDR Support – HDR10, HDR10+, HLG checked off
- Smooth Motion – Perfect for fast-action sports & movies
- 60Hz refresh rate – Comfortable for most TV watching applications
- Built-in Alexa – Hands-free voice control convenience
- Starting at just $487 – Easy investment for quantum-level immersion
This competitively priced 4K QLED option delivers fabulously bold and accurate colors fueled by HDR Plus technology to discerningly optimize every scene‘s luminance range.
So don‘t be misguided purely by ambiguous buzzwords or who shouts the loudest claims. The proof lies right here in vibrant reality with the Samsung Q60B series.
Ready to give your senses a dynamic sensory treat? Click below to view the latest prices or purchase:
See Latest Price of the Samsung Q60B QLED 4K HDR Plus TV ->
Frequently Asked Questions about HDR Plus and Quantum HDR
Let‘s recap some common questions about these cutting-edge technologies:
What‘s the benefit of enabling HDR Plus compared to standard HDR?
HDR Plus builds upon baseline HDR10 by adding dynamic metadata to optimize brightness, color, contrast and black level intensity to best suit the artistic needs of each individual scene rather than just maximizing values across an entire piece of content uniformly.
Is HDR10 the same thing as HDR Plus/HDR10+?
No, HDR10+ and HDR Plus build upon HDR10 by incorporating dynamic metadata for enhanced optimization. HDR10 has static metadata applied to the entire film/show.
Which streaming services support HDR Plus/HDR10+?
Popular platforms like Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV+, Disney+ and others provide select titles encoded in HDR Plus quality. Just look for the HDR10+ logo when browsing.
Is Quantum HDR limited to QLED TVs or can you get it on OLEDs too?
Quantum HDR relies on quantum dot nanocrystal technology in QLED backlights to achieve its wide color gamut, peak luminance and cinematic contrast. This type of backlight is exclusive to QLED displays. So you can ONLY have Quantum HDR on QLED panels.
Why do colors sometimes look muted or washed out in HDR?
This usually happens when there is a mismatch between the settings on your playback device vs the TV. Make sure your streaming box or console is configured to output video in 4K plus HDR format. Then double check supported formats are enabled under external device picture settings on the TV as well. Mismatches can prevent you from getting the full color and contrast that HDR offers.
What level of peak brightness do I need for quality HDR?
The technical specification for standard HDR10 requires at least 540 nits of peak brightness. But for a truly notable visual boost, aim for sets reaching at least 1,000 nits like higher-end QLED and OLED panels today. Some screens now exceed 2,000 or even 4,000 nits unlocking lifelike realism.
Hopefully these nuggets help provide some missing clarity. Let me know if any other questions pop up!
Until next time,
– Your Friendly Home Theater Wizard
