Google Is Bringing More Consistent HDR Video Playback to Chrome

Google is preparing to improve the way HDR video is displayed in Chrome, with an upcoming browser update set to support a new adaptive metadata standard developed in partnership with Apple and NBCUniversal.

The new standard is officially known as SMPTE ST 2094-50 and is being released through the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. It is designed to make HDR video appear more consistent across devices with widely varying display capabilities, while also helping content creators retain greater control over how their videos are presented.

Google has not provided a specific release date for Chrome support, but confirmed that compatibility with the finalised version of SMPTE ST 2094-50 will arrive in an upcoming release of the browser.

Chrome’s HDR Upgrade Is Designed to Fix Washed-Out Highlights

HDR video can provide brighter highlights, greater contrast and more detail than SDR content, but the viewing experience can vary significantly depending on the device being used.

A high-end TV, laptop display and smartphone screen may all have very different peak brightness capabilities. The problem becomes particularly noticeable when HDR video is displayed alongside regular SDR content on the same webpage or social media feed.

Google says HDR highlights can appear washed out or lose detail when a video demands more brightness than a display can provide. Changes in ambient lighting can create further inconsistencies, especially on devices that dynamically adjust screen brightness using an ambient light sensor.

SMPTE ST 2094-50 Uses Adaptive Metadata to Manage Display Brightness

The new standard aims to solve this problem by giving displays more precise instructions on how HDR content should be presented.

SMPTE ST 2094-50 introduces a Reference White Anchor, which establishes a consistent baseline for standard content displayed on the screen. Any additional brightness available beyond that baseline can then be reserved for HDR highlights.

The standard also introduces Headroom-Adaptive Gain Curves. These allow content creators to include instructions within the video file that tell a display how to adjust the image when its brightness headroom is limited. Shadows and mid-tones can be compressed intelligently to preserve bright highlights without losing important visual detail.

The public SMPTE documentation describes the standard as a framework for rendering a mixture of HDR and SDR sources, including video, text, images and graphics, within a shared colour-volume architecture. Its goal is to provide more predictable HDR presentation across browsers, televisions and desktop displays.

The New HDR Standard Aims to Preserve Creative Intent

One of the key goals of SMPTE ST 2094-50 is to help videos retain their intended visual presentation across different screens and viewing conditions.

Rather than relying entirely on each device to decide how HDR content should be adjusted, the standard gives creators a way to define how the image should adapt when a display has less brightness headroom available. This should reduce the likelihood of overly bright highlights, washed-out images or inconsistent SDR and HDR content when browsing the web.

SMPTE ST 2094-50 Support Is Coming to Chrome

Google has confirmed that support for the finalised SMPTE ST 2094-50 standard will be added to Chrome in a future update, although the company has not announced which browser version will introduce it.

The company also said that it plans to share additional information about adopting the standard in Android, suggesting that the technology could eventually improve HDR video playback beyond the Chrome browser.

FAQ

What is SMPTE ST 2094-50?

SMPTE ST 2094-50 is a new HDR video standard developed by Google, Apple and NBCUniversal. It uses adaptive metadata to help displays present HDR video more consistently across different brightness levels and viewing conditions.

How will the new HDR standard improve video playback in Chrome?

The standard allows HDR video to adapt more intelligently to a display’s available brightness headroom. This can help preserve highlight detail, reduce washed-out images and improve the way SDR and HDR content appear together on the same webpage.

When will Chrome support SMPTE ST 2094-50?

Google has confirmed that support for the finalised SMPTE ST 2094-50 standard is coming in an upcoming Chrome release, but it has not announced a specific browser version or launch date.

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