Tag: HDR

It's a struggle to get a great HDR image out of your PC, but it doesn't have to be. Here are the simple reasons why.

An updated DisplayHDR specification significantly raises the minimum requirements for displays looking to earn the badge.

Samsung revealed pricing details for its 2023 Odyssey Neo G7, which is the company's first flat monitor to use a mini-LED backlight.

Many Apple MacBooks can play HDR video content, rendering brighter whites and darker blacks with more subtle variations in between. Here's how to use it.

HDR isn't the "first-class citizen" it should be in the gaming industry, and a developer at Ubisoft broke down for us why that's the case.

HDR in PC games has been the source of problems for four years now, and we've made shockingly little progress. But there may finally be a way out.

Support for HDR in PC games is sporadic at best. To help you through the long list of games available, we rounded up the best PC games for HDR.

Windows 11 may soon be better for gaming in windowed mode, says Microsoft. The OS will receive a new feature that optimizes windowed games.

At CES 2022, BenQ announced a 4K HDR projector for gamers, one of the first of its kind on the market today.

For those that can live with its flaws (and afford it), it’s an absolutely brilliant piece of equipment.

HDR: next to high refresh rates, the latest trend in the monitor world. But many elements go into it, so we've boiled it down to the most important basics.

Camera phones have changed rapidly over the years since the first camera phone was introduced in 2000 with a 0.35 megapixel sensors. Fast-forward 19 years to the Nokia 9 PureView, a phone with five 12 megapixel sensors.A year later we see the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, a quad-camera phone with an 108MP main camera and 100 times “Space Zoom”. At the moment, the triple-camera iPhone 12 Pro Max and its three 12MP sensors is the top in smartphone camera performance, with number four being the aforementioned Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G. In the old days it was easier to differentiate between phones and their respective results. But, since everyone moves to their own beat, it’s harder to qualify which is best. With so much jargon to contend with it can even become overwhelming to begin talking about the camera experience. Why does more megapixels or more sensors not mean better camera performance? What even is a megapixel or an aperture? What else matters when considering a phone? Let’s explore.Camera HardwareWhat is a megapixel?A megapixel is the amount of information per inch of the photo, which also means that higher megapixel images also mean higher file sizes.A megapixel literally means one million pixels. For example, a 12-megapixel camera can produce images with 12 million total pixels. That’s a lot of dots, right?Photos with more megapixels will certainly have more detail, but they also come with a larger file size. This can take longer to process or share, and it could eat up your phone’s storage rather quickly.What is aperture?Aperture is an opening in your camera lens that allows light to pass through, affecting the brightness of the photo as well as the depth of field. Aperture is measured in fractions known as f-stops, with a value of f/4 representing a larger aperture than f/16. For reference, the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s cameras ranging between f/2.4 and f/1.6 apertures.Types of lensesIf you’re looking to buy a modern smartphone with multiple lenses, you’ll probably encounter three types of lenses:a telephoto lens with a very large focal length(the distance at which a clear photo can still be formed)an ultra-wide lens with a small focal lengtha wide lens that falls in between these two focal rangesA telephoto lens stacks elements vertically to increase magnification, a step further being the use of periscope cameras, which use angled mirrors to increase magnification while helping to keep the camera system flat in the phone body.Somewhere in the middle: Acronym AvenueOIS, EIS, HDR, PDAF, Laser AF. These are all acronyms you might see when you’re buying a phone and reading about their cameras, and it’s very likely that just like me, these acronyms mean absolutely nothing to you. So let’s learn together.Image Stabilization: OIS vs EISIf you’re like me and can’t hold your phone still when taking a picture and are then surprised when your picture isn’t a blurry mess, you have image stabilization to thank for this. Image stabilization can be accomplished one of two ways, optically or electronically.Optical Image StabilizationOptical Image Stabilization (OIS) is a solution baked into the hardware of the camera and works rather simply: a gyroscope in the camera detects movements and shifts the camera in the opposite direction of the movement.Electronic Image StabilizationElectronic Image Stabilization (EIS) is a software solution that makes use of your phone’s accelerometer to detect movements and in modern times, tries to keep the camera’s focus on a specific point while processing the image. One notable example is the “Super Steady” mode on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.These two methods can be and are often combined to produce the most stable image possible, with this being called Hybrid Image Stabilization.Autofocus: Lasers and Phase(rs)Autofocusing on your camera is a method of adjusting the lens in your camera to produce a sharp image, and there’s two different methods that are used fairly commonly today, and both can make your photos focused AF.Laser AutofocusYou might think of lasers as the exclusive property of evil villains, but in Laser Autofocus (Laser AF), this is actually something helpful. Essentially, an infrared light is built into your camera system. When taking a picture, infrared light will be emitted and the time it takes for the beam to return from your subject will be used to calculate your distance from the subject, and the lens is adjusted accordingly. This is beneficial because it works in any lighting conditions and very quickly.Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF)Phase Detection? While you may think this has something to do with a parent analyzing your Hot Topic receipts, this article is still about cameras. Phase Detection Autofocus is a method that analyzes light at two different apertures at different sides of the lens and adjusts the lens until those two beams of light align onto the sensor.High Dynamic Range (HDR)Vivo XL5 (Standard, HDR)High Dynamic Range on smartphones is accomplished through combining multiple photos (either through multiple sensors taking a picture of the same thing or through a rapid burst of photos at once). The combination of these photos produces the most balanced lighting in a photo.ZoomNo, no, come back, it’s not time for a video conference. Remember, cameras. When you zoom in a photo, you’re essentially trying to reduce the focal length of a photo. However, where traditional cameras have lenses that can retract or extend to accomplish optical zoom (decreasing the focal length by getting physically closer to the subject), smartphones would be slightly less portable if they did the same.One trick smartphones use to increase magnification optically is the periscope lens mentioned above, which aligns mirrors vertically.Other than that, smartphones resort to digital zoom, which is the same method that you use when you zoom in on a picture in your gallery. It just decreases the visible area of the photo so the subject appears closer.Camera SoftwareWhile all of this is important, there’s probably one question you have in mind. How does a phone with four 12MP cameras become the best smartphone camera in a world of 108MP cameras. The answer: software.Once your sensors give your phone the image, it has to be processed by your camera software, and this processing is done by your ISP. No, no, not those people who overcharge you for absolutely terrible internet speeds. Your Image Signal Processor. The ISP uses AI to fix up the image with color correction, reduction of light pollution, etc. as well as compressing the photo so it’s easier to store or share. The final image is then spit out into your galleryPortrait ModeShot of my collie using Portrait mode.Portrait mode is a camera feature that has become very popular recently that produces beautiful portraits. This is accomplished by your smartphone detecting the foreground and the background and blurring out the background so the subject appears sharper and more in focus.Third-party AppsYour final question might be why no matter how great your smartphone camera is, your pictures or videos look like hot garbage in apps such as Snapchat or TikTok. This mostly results from the fact that developing a camera app that works across phones, camera types, and operating system versions. To solve this problem, developers have resorted to a fairly simple and universal method: they access your camera and take a screenshot of the camera output. Google and Samsung are making steps towards giving third-party developers access to camera software through the Android CameraX library, and that’s why the Samsung Galaxy S21 camera looks a lot better in Snapchat than Galaxy phones of the past. Hopefully more manufacturers will enable this support and people who use iPhones will stop making fun of us Android users for sending them bad photos.

Apple's new iPhones boast impressive specs, but do they have better picture quality than the TV in your living room?

If you’ve been using Chrome or Firefox to stream Netflix on your Windows PC, then you might be surprised to learn that you’ve been limited to 720p this entire time. That’s because Netflix doesn’t support 4K or even 1080p in either of these popular browsers for Windows users.I’m sure that can feel like a real kick in the teeth, but there is a solution if you want the highest quality playback on a Windows computer.In shortUse the Windows 10 Netflix app, it is the only solution that supports 4K UHD playback with HDR and 5.1 surround sound. For a more detailed explanation, keep reading.How to stream videos in 4K UHD and HDR with a Windows PCAccording to the help section on Netflix’s website, 4K resolutions are supported in the Microsoft Edge browser and Windows 10 app.However, once you download the Netflix app or open Microsoft Edge, there are some conditions that need to be met before you can stream 4K. For starters, you’ll need a 60Hz 4K-capable display connected with an HDCP 2.2 compliant connector. A 7th generation Intel CPU is also required, as well as ensuring your Windows computer is fully updated.What about HDR? I’m glad you asked. In order to playback content in HDR, Netflix stipulates that you must meet the requirements below. This includes, but is not limited to, a PC running Windows 10 Creators Update version 1709 using a 7th generation Intel CPU with a supported GPU, along with using the Netflix app for Windows 10.Of course, you’ll also need to be subscribed to a plan that includes Ultra HD HDR playback and an internet connection with a speed of 25 megabits per second or higher. Once you have all of this, you’re all set to enjoy Netflix in all of its UHD high dynamic range goodness.How to stream videos in 1080pAs I mentioned above, using Chrome or Firefox with Windows will only stream up to 720p with Netflix. What if you only pay for 1080p or your monitor only supports 1080p? In that case, you can use Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, or the Windows Netflix app for either Windows 8 or Windows 10. All of these options will stream videos up to 1080p.What about 5.1 surround soundIf you’re like me, you love your surround sound, but if you want 5.1 audio while streaming Netflix on a PC, there is only one way. That is to use the Windows Netflix app for Windows 8 or Windows 10. Unfortunately, 5.1 surround sound is not supported by Microsoft Silverlight or HTML5, so you’re left with very little options besides using the Netflix app for Windows.

Over the weekend, MacRumors forum users noted that the most recent YouTube App update added HDR support for the iPhone

Learn how to turn on HDR in Windows 10 with this guide. We will cover how to enable HDR for better video playback for both external and built-in displays. Get the right information on the settings you need.

BT Sport has announced its first ever live mobile HDR stream will be the Champions League final in Madrid between

When the Apple TV 4K arrived, there was one glaring omission in its movie catalog: Disney. No matter how

Nearly a year after it was first revealed, retro gaming enthusiasts will finally be able to order the Atari VCS

Envision Peripherals revealed a new desktop monitor under the Philips Momentum brand that's the first to sport the VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification. Its the top-of-the-line HDR-capable display, with a 1,000-nit maximum brightness.The post Philips claims a ‘world’s first’ with a 4K HDR display for PC arriving this summer appeared first on Digital Trends.

Sony's regular Xperia XZ2 is, to put it mildly, underwhelming -- as capable as it is, there's little to recommend

You might only know JPEG as the default image compression standard, but the group behind it has now branched out

Many conspicuously gaming-oriented PCs are aimed at high-end buyers, the sort who won't flinch at splurging on top-end parts and

Vimeo hopes its desktop Mac app will further win over pro users. Specifically, those who rely on Final Cut Pro

The concept of 4K TV broadcasting is only just getting off the ground, but its overseers are already planning for

TV broadcasters are still wrapping their heads around 8K, but that isn't stopping NHK from pushing the technology forward.

To call Sony's original OLED TV expensive would be an understatement -- when they started at $5,000 brand new, you

Nvidia confirmed that it's "confident" desktop displays based on its G-Sync HDR reference design will arrive by the end of April. The panels were originally slated for 2017 but faced a delay into 2018 for unknown reasons.The post Nvidia ‘confident’ monitors using its G-Sync HDR tech will arrive in April appeared first on Digital Trends.

Most TV makers (and buyers' guides, for that matter) assume you're buying a set for the sake of enjoying movies

Vivo is the latest smartphone maker to add artificial intelligence to its camera app with Super HDR, an enhanced HDR mode that exploits AI's ability in scene recognition to create beautiful photos in any lighting.The post Vivo injects A.I. into its new Super HDR photo tech for more beautiful pictures appeared first on Digital Trends.

It's March, and that means it's time for Google to release its first look at the next version of Android.

LaLiga, Spain's professional football (soccer) league, is home to two of the biggest clubs in the world: Barcelona and Real