High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Dolby Vision

Mobile		Tablet		Web	TV

Compatibility note: From DIVA 5.12 Android and Android TV, Web and WebTV, Apple and AppleTV, and DIVA 5.10 on Roku Dolby and HDR badges are supported.

This article introduces High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Dolby Vision support on DIVA 5.

What is High Dynamic Range (HDR)?

High Dynamic Range (HDR) presents a higher contrast, wider color gamut, and brightness range than Standard Dynamic Range (SDR). Benefits include greater contrast between light and dark areas without overexposing, greatly improving the viewing experience even on small screen devices.

When DIVA Player detects a HDR format, the HDR badge displays as a text badge on the video.

Note: DIVA TV supports HEVC (h265) HDR10 format for video sources, allowing users to turn on/off the use of HDR depending on preferences or device capabilities.

What is Dolby Vision?

Dolby Vision is Dolby’s premium HDR video format. It improves how brightness, contrast, colour, and detail are displayed on supported TVs, phones, tablets, and streaming devices. Dolby Vision is one of the most advanced HDR formats because it uses dynamic metadata.

That means the video can include display instructions that change throughout the content, instead of applying one fixed setting to the whole movie or episode. For example, a dark night scene and a bright outdoor scene can each have different brightness and contrast guidance.

When DIVA detects a Dolby option, the Dolby logo is used instead of a text badge. Depending on the technology, this may be the Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos logo.

Dolby Vision example on Responsive web — *Dolby Vision badge example on Responsive web*

How does HDR and Dolby Vision compare?

HDR is a general video technology that expands brightness, contrast, and colour range so images look more realistic than standard dynamic range. Dolby Vision is a specific, premium HDR format that uses dynamic metadata to optimize picture settings scene by scene or frame by frame. HDR is the broader category, while Dolby Vision is an advanced implementation of HDR designed to deliver more precise and consistent image quality on compatible devices.

How does DIVA handle image quality?

DIVA Player supports the device's base video player. This means that if the device in use supports HDR and, or 4K, DIVA Player presents content in this format. It's important to note that content must be produced in HDR/4K format and the HDR device settings must be enabled.

What is 4K?

The term 4K is often interchanged with Ultra HD (UHD). Both refer to the horizontal video resolution of a piece of content. Content in 4K tends to present a sharper and better defined picture.

See our Video quality selector article for information on changing the video quality during playback.

Select an option below to see an example of this feature:

Native mobile/tablet

Responsive web

WebTV

Android TV

tvOS

Roku

To manage HDR playback on DIVA:

Tap anywhere on the screen
Select the Settings icon to open the Settings panel
Use the toggle to enable/disable HDR playback

To manage HDR playback on DIVA:

Hover anywhere on the screen to display player controls
Select the Settings icon
Use the toggle to enable/disable HDR playback

Manage HDR playback on DIVA via the Settings panel. Using the remote:

Select up/down arrows to display the options row.
Select the left arrow to navigate to the Settings icon
Select OK with the Settings icon in focus.
Select OK to toggle on/off HDR.
Select the back button to exit the Settings panel.

Manage HDR playback on DIVA via the Settings panel. Using the circular control on an Android remote:

Select up/down to display the options row.
Select left to navigate to the Settings icon
Select the middle button with the Settings icon in focus to display the Settings panel.
Select the middle button again to toggle on/off HDR. The selection is applied automatically.
Select the left/back button to exit the HDR panel.

Compatibility note: DIVA supports tvOS 15+

Refer to the Apple TV User Guide for details about 4K, HDR, and Dolby Vision on your Apple TV.

Manage HDR playback on DIVA using the Siri Remote (2nd generation):

Select up on the clickpad ring or rest your finger on the clickpad to show playback controls.
Select left/right on the clickpad ring to navigate to the HDR icon
Select the clickpad center with the HDR icon in focus to display HDR settings.
Select up/down on the clickpad ring to turn on/off HDR. The selection applies automatically, and the HDR menu closes.

Manage HDR playback on DIVA via the Settings panel. Using the Roku remote control:

Select the up arrow to display player controls.
Select the left arrow to navigate to the Settings icon
Select OK with the Settings icon in focus to display the Settings panel.
Select OK again to toggle on/off HDR. The selection is applied automatically.
Select the left arrow/back button to exit the Settings panel.