Colorist: “I’ve Never Been Asked For An HDR10 Deliverable” 

A Dolby Vision certified colorist whose work has been honored at major festivals, who’s graded movies and TV series for most of the major streaming networks, in order to prove the worthlessness of HDR10, insists he’s never been asked by a studio to deliver in the format. Let’s consider together whether this claim is factual or not.

All Netflix Originals delivering in HDR must be mastered in Dolby Vision and delivered according to Netflix’s  IMF delivery specifications for Dolby Vision packages. From the Dolby Vision IMF package, Netflix derives Dolby Vision, HDR10, and SDR streams. The same holds true for other major streamers. Included in the IMF package is SMPTE ST-2086 metadata for compatibility with non-DV devices, which is used to derive the HDR10 deliverable. So, without even being aware of it, our colorist has been delivering HDR10 all along, just as he’s been delivering metadata for the Dolby Vision derived SDR version. Incidentally, Dolby Vision UHD Blu-rays must also include an HDR10 base layer. However, unlike streamed Dolby Vision, which is always 10-bit, Dolby Vision UHD Blu-rays may contain a 12-bit enhancement layer. FWIW, what the colorist sees on the reference display while grading is neither Dolby Vision nor HDR10, but PQ10 – essentially HDR absent any static or dynamic metadata. It strikes us as incredible how a Dolby Vision certified colorist can be ignorant of the most basic fundamentals!

As far as its utility is concerned, HDR10 is more ubiquitous than Dolby Vision, meaning it is more widely supported by TVs and devices due to its open standard and lack of licensing fees, making it the most commonly used HDR format today. If it weren’t for the fact that streamers derive HDR10 from the IMF package, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy HDR shows on my Samsung QD-OLED.