At the 2024 HPA Tech Retreat at the end of last month, Colorfront demo’d the Colorfront Engine’s new Dolby Vision conversion capability. The conversion process not only transitions SDR to Dolby Vision HDR but also produces unique Dolby Vision metadata, guaranteeing that the Dolby-derived SDR output visually matches the original SDR content. This round-tripping method presents a unified, streamlined, single-source workflow for mastering and distribution.
The Colorfront Engine now allows users to seamlessly upgrade extensive SDR content libraries to the Dolby Vision HDR format, addressing the surge in HDR-ready displays and devices with a straightforward, time-efficient and cost-effective solution.
“This Dolby-specific version of the Colorfront Engine has been developed to facilitate a seamless conversion from SDR to Dolby Vision HDR with perfect round-tripping,” says Colorfront’s Mark Jaszberenyi. “It’s already shipping and has received feedback from content owners, studios, OTTs and streamers for its ability to maintain fidelity to the original SDR content while offering a premium HDR viewing experience.”
Mark Jaszberenyi
Why is this important for our industry? Jaszberenyi says, “The transition from SDR to HDR aims to enhance visual experiences with improved brightness, contrast and colors. Despite this shift, a significant volume of content and many viewing environments remain SDR-based. The Dolby Vision SDR round-trip solution is vital, as it enables the conversion of original SDR libraries to HDR, incorporating Dolby Vision metadata that aligns with the original content.” He says this process ensures that content is remastered for Dolby Vision HDR viewing while preserving the integrity of the SDR original, all within a single Dolby Vision master file. Importantly, this solution helps content owners and distributors maximize the value of their existing SDR libraries by making them accessible to a wider audience with HDR-capable devices.”
Content owners and distributors can use this solution to produce and deliver content across various devices and viewing conditions. “It facilitates the display of stunning HDR content on HDR-capable devices, ensuring an optimal viewing experience,” according to Jaszberenyi, adding that it also guarantees that the SDR version, derived from HDR content through the Dolby Vision round-tripping process, closely matches the original SDR master.
How does it work from a user perspective? The conversion process balances automation with the option for manual intervention, starting with the transformation of original SDR content into HDR. “This is followed by generating unique Dolby Vision metadata for a seamless SDR conversion,” says Jaszberenyi. “Mastering professionals have the flexibility to fine-tune the Dolby Vision conversion tool based on the specific attributes of the content, ensuring a workflow that not only respects but enhances the creative vision. Importantly, this process is designed to be scalable; it can automatically convert vast amounts of content with ease, whether on-premises or in the cloud, making it a versatile solution for content libraries of any size.”
