Samsung unveils Next-Gen HDR10+ Advanced standard

Samsung has announced HDR10+ Advanced, the next evolution of the open high dynamic range (HDR) standard. Designed to meet the demands of high-spec TVs capable of extreme brightness and expanded colour volume, the new standard heralds AI-powered tone mapping, genre-based optimisation, and intelligent frame rate conversion, marking a significant step forward for HDR technology in premium home displays.

The new specification arrives as the HDR standards race intensifies, following the recent unveiling of Dolby Vision 2 at IFA 2025. HDR10+ Advanced aims to broaden the reach of the HDR10+ ecosystem, which already includes 174 manufacturers.

Samsung previewed the technology to Inside CI at an exclusive media briefing at its Suwon, South Korea headquarters, showcasing comparative demos on twin 115-inch Micro RGB screens - one using standard HDR10+, the other a preview of HDR10+ Advanced.
The HDR10+ Advanced preview clearly showed greater image depth, alongside more refined contrast and colour control. The goal, said Samsung, is to provide viewers with more dynamic visual realism.

Prime Video will likely be the first major streaming platform to support HDR10+ Advanced.

Technology overview

HDR10+ has been a mainstay in the HDR landscape since its introduction in 2017, serving as the open, royalty-free alternative to Dolby Vision. Originally spearheaded by Samsung, in collaboration with Panasonic and 20th Century Fox, it uses dynamic metadata to adjust brightness and colour scene by scene, enabling compatible displays to optimise image performance within their hardware limits.
HDR10+ Advanced builds on this foundation, targeting the next generation of ultra-bright displays, specifically those capable of 4,000 to 5,000 nits peak brightness and supporting the full BT.2020 colour gamut.

Samsung says the extended metadata structure now allows displays to interpret more nuanced image data, helping tone mapping algorithms deliver highlights and midtones with greater precision.

With global demand for larger, brighter televisions continuing to climb, driven by UHD streaming, next-gen gaming, and immersive home entertainment, HDR10+ Advanced positions itself as the natural progression of HDR for the 2026 display market.

HDR10+ Advanced features and benefits

HDR10+ Bright mode is a flagship feature, leveraging AI-driven tone mapping to dynamically enhance brightness and colour reproduction in real time. It ensures visual consistency across a broader range of lighting conditions, from bright showroom environments to dimly lit home cinemas.

Genre-based optimisation (HDR10+ Advanced Genre) allows content creators to tag content by genre during encoding, whether drama, sports, or animation—so certified devices can automatically apply optimised tone mapping curves and picture processing suited to that style.
Intelligent Frame Rate Conversion (HDR10+ Intelligent FRC) provides more granular control over motion smoothing. It can dynamically signal the need for judder reduction and its intensity, depending on both content type and ambient light, allowing smoother transitions without artefacts.

HDR10+ Intelligent Gaming expands support for cloud gaming, enabling real-time tone mapping adjustments based on ambient lighting. This feature aims to improve visual consistency for streaming-based gameplay, a growing segment of the home entertainment market.
Additional refinements include local tone mapping, providing more precise control of brightness and shadow detail across specific screen zones, and advanced colour control, which gives content creators greater authority over how colour data is interpreted on HDR10+ Advanced displays.

Industry context

The arrival of HDR10+ Advanced reflects the ongoing demand for open, scalable HDR standards that can keep pace with hardware advances in the professional and consumer display sectors. With more streaming platforms supporting HDR delivery and average TV screen sizes increasing, maintaining image fidelity across a diverse hardware landscape is becoming increasingly important for content providers and system integrators alike.

Samsung’s HDR10+ ecosystem already spans over 16,000 device models, 500 supported movie titles, and more than 28,000 streaming videos. The rollout of HDR10+ Advanced will likely accelerate adoption among display makers, broadcasters, and OTT providers looking for a cost-efficient, forward-compatible HDR format.

The technology is expected to debut on high-end Samsung TVs in 2026, following its formal unveiling at CES 2026 in Las Vegas.