HDR (High Dynamic Range) refers to higher contrast ratio or dynamic range which means the range from the darkest to brightest is more than the SDR ( Standard Dynamic Range). UHD (Ultra High Definiton) refers to aspect ratio (1.77 or 16:9) and picture size 3840x2160 for consumer products and broadcasting contents.
When it comes down to it, UHD refers to the number of pixels in a screen, which results in a specific resolution. In contrast, HDR refers to the screen's ability to maintain a crisp image by automatically adjusting that image by changing the color, contrast, and brightness as needed.
HDR is simply a camera feature that enhances the visual quality of UHD even more. The main difference between UHD and HDR is that UHD is used for resolution while HDR is a hardware feature that enhances the colors and contrasts of a UHD screen.
Netflix and Prime Video both offer a growing library of 4K HDR content, but neither service makes it easy to keep track of what's in HDR if you've got a new 4K TV.
Netflix 4K Premium will be worth it for those in a household where many people want to use Netflix, who have multiple devices that they want to download and watch movies or TV shows on, and/or value the high-quality of 4K, perhaps on a big-screen TV.
To watch Netflix in Ultra HD, you need:
A Netflix plan that supports streaming in Ultra HD. A 60Hz TV or computer monitor compatible with Ultra HD streaming from Netflix. A steady internet connection speed of 15 megabits per second or higher. Streaming quality set to Auto or High.
Ultra HD 4K on Netflix means the content is available in a higher-density pixel ratio making the video sharper. The video resolution associated with the term is 3840 x 2160 pixels, which is exactly four times the resolution of HD.
A 4K TV comes equipped with this same resolution—roughly four times the resolution of the previous 1080 standard—whereas UHD offers a display resolution of 3,840 x 2,160. While this is slightly short of "true" 4K, UHD resolution is often rounded-up and referred to as 4K for the sake of simplicity.
If your HDR content happens to be on a disc, e.g. an Ultra HD Blu-ray, you need an Ultra HD Blu-ray player. You can check out our list of the best 4K Blu-ray players you can currently buy. The Sony PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X games consoles will also do the job here. They both play 4K Blu-rays and support HDR10.
Comparison of 4K, UHD and HDR
It's important to note that the terms 4K and UHD both refer to display resolution and are essentially the same thing. Conversely, HDR refers to how a device creates the image in colours and brightness. When choosing a display, these are two separate decisions.
UHD resolution (also referred to as 4K) is a measurement of pixel quantity (more pixels create higher resolutions). HDR is a technology that allows your TV to express a wider range of dark and light color tones. Together, UHD (4K) and HDR create a more accurate and realistic picture.
Objectively speaking, HD takes precedence over HDR. This is because HD has to do with the number of pixels and HDR has to do with the color of said pixels. At the end of the day, it's more essential to have a greater number of pixels than to have more colorful-looking pixels.
Netflix also supports two HDR formats: Dolby Vision and HDR10. If you have either a Dolby Vision or HDR10-compatible TV, supported TV shows and movies on Netflix will either have a “Dolby Vision” or “HDR” badge as well.
HDR and 4K are not directly related. 4K refers to the resolution. HDR refers to High Dynamic Range that emphasis brightness. This means you can have 4K with or without HDR or HDR with or without 4K.
- After posting this I had a chat with Netflix, and no, there are no options to disable HDR in the player. The most one can do, from the settings in the web browser, is to reduce the available bandwidth, so that it will stream at 1080p.
By default, Netflix won't always stream in 4K. The default streaming quality setting is set to Auto, meaning the best possible mix of quality and data usage. However, to make sure you're streaming in 4K, you should change the setting to the highest possible option.
For the display market, UHD means 3840x2160 (exactly four times HD), and 4K is often used interchangeably to refer to that same resolution. For the digital cinema market, however, 4K means 4096x2160, or 256 pixels wider than UHD.
But as long as you have the right internet speed to use 4K technology, there's no reason to avoid 4K TVs. That said, it's not worth paying extra until more 4K content is available. The good news is that 4K TVs are becoming more reasonably priced.
The short version: 4K almost always means the TV has 3,840x2,160 pixels. UHD stands for "Ultra High Definition," also known as UltraHD, but basically means 4K.
A Netflix spokesperson told Variety that the price change comes in response to the increased costs of producing, acquiring, and distributing 4K content. Currently, 4K service only functions with a limited number of 4K TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, and Vizio, and requires a minimum of 25 Mbps download speed.
One of the biggest advances in TV technology in recent years is the development of High Dynamic Range (HDR) video formats. It enhances the picture quality in movies and shows by displaying a wider range of colors with brighter highlights compared to Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) content.
HDR videos show higher contrast with more colors than standard digital video. Viewers can watch HDR videos on compatible mobile devices and HDR TVs. They can also stream HDR videos using Chromecast Ultra to an HDR TV. Viewers will see "HDR" after each quality option in the video player (for example, 1080p HDR).