WILMINGTON, DE — High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology is moving toward becoming a standard feature across televisions, streaming services, gaming platforms, and mobile devices, according to a new report from InterDigital Inc. (Nasdaq: IDCC) and Parks Associates, signaling a shift in how video providers compete on picture quality and manage production costs.
The report, “High Dynamic Range and the Future of Video,” examines how improvements in video compression, artificial intelligence and cloud-based production are making HDR more practical across consumer devices and entertainment formats.
HDR enhances brightness, contrast and color reproduction, allowing compatible displays to produce images with a broader range of visual detail. Once marketed primarily as a premium television feature, the technology is becoming more widely supported across the video industry.
The research identifies live sports as an important area of expansion. HDR production has extended beyond on-demand streaming into major events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2026 Winter Olympics.
That transition carries operational implications for broadcasters and streaming providers, which must deliver consistent picture quality across devices with different technical capabilities while controlling production and distribution costs.
AI-assisted video enhancement, cloud production systems and newer video codecs are helping reduce those barriers, according to the report.
“As HDR expands across streaming, live sports, gaming and mobile, the opportunity is to make that premium experience consistent and efficient on every screen,” said Lionel Oisel, head of Video Labs at InterDigital.
The report suggests HDR could follow the adoption patterns of high-definition and 4K video, eventually becoming an expected capability rather than a feature used to distinguish higher-priced products and services.
However, the research also identifies a gap between the technology’s growing availability and consumers’ understanding of its benefits.
“HDR technology support has advanced faster than consumer understanding,” said Michael Goodman, director of entertainment research at Parks Associates and author of the report.
Goodman identified interoperability, production complexity and consumer communication as areas requiring continued industry attention.
For television manufacturers, streaming platforms and content producers, broader HDR adoption increases the importance of compatible production and delivery systems as higher picture quality becomes a baseline consumer expectation.
The full report, “High Dynamic Range and the Future of Video,” is available at https://www.interdigital.com/white_papers/high-dynamic-range-and-the-future-of-video.
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