Full-HD TVs With HDR Unlikely to Become ‘Prevalent Trend,’ IHS Analyst Says

Though Panasonic and Sony days apart introduced 1080p TVs with HDR10 and hybrid log-gamma support (see 1802150001), don’t look for high dynamic range to become a ubiquitous feature in full-HD sets anytime soon, said Paul Gagnon, IHS Markit executive director-research and analysis. “I would hesitate to call it a prevalent trend,” because 1080p sets “are still very much a commodity now and not even available anymore” in screen sizes larger than 50 inches “for the most part,” Gagnon told us. “It’s a shrinking market so adding features will not result in much incremental premium for the added cost, even if it is minimal. Nevertheless we are indeed seeing some brands putting HDR into 1080p sets, and broadcasters are interested.” Gagnon sees the “biggest application” for HDR in 1080p TVs in “global live sporting events which are almost never broadcast in 4K, but can greatly benefit from HDR,” he said. “So in some regions where mid-range sizes are important," such as in Europe and Japan, 1080p TVs with HDR “could be an option,” he said.