NVIDIA RTX Video HDR powered by Tensor cores
The technology can work on top of the upscaling feature, adding both higher resolution and more clarity to standard definition videos.
The High Dynamic Range can now be added in real-time through an NVIDIA feature called RTX Video HDR. This is an update to NVIDIA RTX Video Upscaling, a technology that works on a driver level to enhance video by increasing its resolution. Now, NVIDIA is focusing on SDR videos, which may often look not as impressive on HDR monitors.
NVIDIA claims this is achieved thanks to the power of Tensor cores, which are part of all GeForce RTX 20 and newer GPUs. This also means that the technology will not work on the GTX series. NVIDIA is claiming that their RTX Video HDR tech will provide more “vivid, dynamic colors and preserve intricate details” that would otherwise be lost due to video compression.
The SDR to HDR technology appears to be nothing more than sophisticated (AI-powered) inverse tone mapping for SDR content. For now, it seems to only work in Internet browsers based on Chromium: Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
RTX Video HDR feature (simulated), Source: NVIDIA
This means that videos can be automatically converted to HDR content as long as they are played in the browsers. But the RTX Video Upscaling technology is also supported through VLC and MPC-BE video players. Unfortunately, both seem to lack support for the HDR feature, at least for now.
[NVIDIA Studio] Introducing RTX Video HDR: AI-Upscale Video to HDR Quality (9,865 views)
To enable RTX Video HDR and Video Super Resolution on any HDR10-compatible display:
- Download and install the newest available Game Ready or Studio Ready driver
- Ensure Windows’ HDR features are enabled in System > Display > HDR
- Open the NVIDIA Control Panel by right clicking your desktop
- Navigate to Adjust Video Image Settings on the left nav of the app
- Tick “Super Resolution” and “High Dynamic Range”
The HDR content is not for everyone. Many of the HDR-compatible monitors will not offer the same experience. NVIDIA confirms that its technology works with all HDR-10 compatible displays, but there is no recommendation or requirement for the VESA DisplayHDR specs. Typically, monitors with 600 nits of peak brightness are considered the entry point for HDR content, so any of the DisplayHDR 400 monitors will not benefit from this technology.
Source: NVIDIA
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73082579/1815672205.0.jpg){kind=small}