Not All HDR TVs Are Equal: Here's What Budget-Constrained Buyers Need to Know!

High Dynamic Range (HDR) isn't a single, unified standard, and when you're shopping on a budget, labels can make a lot of difference. So before you take that sticker at face value, it's important to understand what "HDR Ready" or " HDR10+ " actually means.

The term "HDR" may mean less than you think!

When you see 'HDR' plastered on the side of a cheap TV or monitor's packaging, don't get too excited. It's often more of a marketing gimmick than a meaningful feature. Technically, the device might support HDR10 or even Dolby Vision in theory, but in practice the experience can be incredibly poor and sometimes downright misleading.

The problem is, proper HDR isn't just about compatibility with a format; it's also about how the content actually looks when displayed on your screen. That requires good processing power, proper tone mapping, and a display that can display the brightness and expanded color gamut that HDR promises. Most budget TV boxes simply don't have the power or the software smarts to handle it properly.

What's most frustrating is that there's no standardized rating system that forces manufacturers to disclose their actual HDR performance capabilities. If you've watched HDR content on your budget TV and thought, 'I wonder why all the fuss is over it,' chances are you're not seeing real HDR. You're seeing a shadow of what's possible, and that's exactly what TV manufacturers are counting on you not to see.

HDR performance really depends on peak brightness and contrast

In an ideal HDR scene—say, a spaceship hurtling toward a bright star—you'll see a clear distinction between the blackness of space and the intense light of the star. But if your TV maxes out at, say, 300 or 400 nits (a measure of brightness), that 'bright light' might just look like a slightly brighter white blob. For proper HDR, you need at least 600 to 1,000 nits of brightness. Any lower, and highlights will lose their appeal, colors will dull, and the entire image can look flat.

Then there's contrast, which is all about how well your TV can display deep blacks alongside those bright highlights. Cheap LCD panels with edge-lit backlights can't produce the precise light control needed for true HDR. If your TV can't get completely dark in certain areas while staying bright in others (a measurement known as 'local dimming'), you're missing half the HDR equation. The best budget options typically use at least some form of multi-zone local dimming, though they won't match the pixel-level precision of OLED, QLED, or QNED.

A practical way to understand whether your 'HDR' TV can deliver this is to watch a night scene with streetlights or a starry sky. If bright spots bloom significantly into dark areas or the entire scene looks uniformly gray, the TV's contrast capabilities are affected.

Wide color gamut is also important for vivid HDR

Another piece of the HDR puzzle that's often overlooked—especially in budget TVs—is wide color gamut (WCG) support. Standard dynamic range (SDR) TVs are limited to the Rec.709 or sRGB color space, which covers a relatively narrow range of colors. HDR content, by contrast, is typically mastered in the much wider DCI-P3 color space and sometimes targets the even wider Rec.2020 standard, though few consumer displays can fully reproduce that standard.

That's why those tropical fish or flower garden demo videos you find in TV showrooms look so much more vibrant in proper HDR mode. You're actually seeing colors that weren't possible on older displays, like vibrant reds, lush greens, and deep blues. These colors feel richer and more vibrant than SDR can deliver.

If you're curious about whether your monitor is actually doing its job of HDR and displaying a wide color gamut, try connecting it to your PC via HDMI and looking at the Wide-Gamut website . It's a simple test that will tell you whether your monitor is actually up to par or just fake.

How to Get the Best HDR Experience on a Budget

It's entirely possible to get a solid HDR experience on a budget. You just have to know which specs really matter and which are just marketing gimmicks. As mentioned earlier, you'll want a TV that can hit at least 600 to 1,000 nits of peak brightness, support local dimming, and cover a wide color gamut, ideally close to DCI-P3.

You'll also need to calibrate your TV for HDR. Many budget TVs ship with HDR modes that boost saturation and brightness to unnatural levels right out of the box. A quick calibration, using built-in presets like "Cinema" or "Movie" mode or adjusting the settings yourself, can make a big difference. Reduce brightness, sharpness, and color saturation slightly for a more natural look.

You should also use quality HDR content and suitable sources, as HDR is only as good as the content you feed it. Streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+ offer HDR content, but make sure your internet speed and streaming device support HDR playback properly. If you're gaming, new consoles like the PS5 or Xbox Series X support HDR, but you'll want to check your TV's input settings to enable HDR mode. Keep in mind that HDR on cheap TVs won't automatically fix poorly processed content, so stick to highly rated HDR media.

Also pay attention to the lighting in the room. Ambient light can reduce the impact of HDR. If you're watching in a bright room, even a good HDR TV will have a hard time making an impression. Try to control your environment: Dim the lights or watch in a darker room to bring out those bright spots.

The best budget HDR tip is probably patience. TV prices drop dramatically during the holiday sales, and last year's midrange models often outperform this year's budget options. A little research and waiting for the right discount can get you significantly better HDR performance without spending more money.

David Pac

Update 26 May 2025