There is a misconception that HDR and UHD are mutually exclusive, but that isn’t the case. You can find TVs with both of these features, but which one really improves your viewing experience? Our visual team wants to make sure your money isn’t going to waste and you aren’t going to have to go through a long return process by comparing the two.
HDR or UHD TVs?
- Voice control
- 4K Ultra HD
- High dynamic range
- Chromecast built in
Defining HDR and UHD
For starters, our media team wants to state that HDR VS UHD do not refer to the same thing, nor are they competing standards. HDR, short for high dynamic range, and is a standard for the contrast and color of a TV, regardless of resolution.
As for UHD, ultra-high definition, or used synonymously with 4K, is about the resolution and picture quality. An HD TV has a screen resolution pixel count of 4000p. Pixels are the colored dots that combine together to create the pictures we see on TV. The more pixels a unit has, the better. Pixel count has been equated to the resolution, with 720 pixels as HD and 1080 pixels as full HD, and then we have 4K and 8K.
Features of HDR and UHD TVs
In order to really understand the visual impact of HDR VS UHD, our media engineers will compare them in depth below:
Visual Quality
In a way, you can view it as HDR enhances image definition, while UHD is the one with superior image quality. However, if we really want to compare the visual quality of both, our team feels that HDR televisions offer much more in terms of viewing experience. There is an improved level of contrast and color, which is very visually attractive.
If you’re looking at the details on the screen in terms of sharpness and clarity, then a UHD 4K TV is the winner as it produces images in much finer detail.
If you’re looking at an overall winner, our experts say it’s pretty close but we would have to pick HDR over UHD. Why? Because the technology creates more colors that are bright and vivid along with more contrast. This will help to produce a more detailed picture or at least the impression of it.
UHD is the technology that actually produces sharper and more focused pictures, but without HDR or some kind of enhanced color reproduction technology, the result is much less impactful.
(Need to find your television cam? Well, you can check this guide about locating your smart TV camera properly)
Winner: HDR
Brightness and Contrast
As mentioned above, the brightness and contrast are exactly what the HDR standard refers to, which is why it is clearly the winner here. A UHD TV can possess HDR features, we mentioned the two are not mutually exclusive, so it can have high pixels capable of impeccable detail plus more color depth.
Both the HDR and UHD televisions we used as examples have HDR and UHD technologies.
Refresh Rate
The refresh rate is how many times your device will display a new image per second. The faster the refresh rate, the better the performance of your brand new TV. A refresh rate of 60Hz is good enough for most UHD content, but more advanced TVs offer 120Hz.
The refresh rate depends on the TV itself, rather than UHD or HDR technology.
Power Consumption and Efficiency
In order to really enjoy higher image resolution on the screen in more vivid colors, our media team says you will definitely need HDMI [1] compatibility on your devices. It is the standard connection for speed and efficiency.
Also, to really make the most out of both UHD and HDR TV options, you will need everything from the devices to the content to be produced in HDR and UHD format to experience it.
The power consumption will be determined by your TV as well, but with our examples above, the Hisense takes a bit more power due to the LED backlighting.
Gaming and Entertainment Use
4K images are the standard, and there are a ton of 4K HDR TV options out there. For sports fans, gamers, and avid cinephiles, our team doesn’t recommend opting for one over the other. For gaming, it’s mostly the frame rate that affects how smooth the gameplay is.
HDR makes the colors stand out when playing games and watching content, which really makes a difference in your viewing experience. UHD helps to create images on your TV screen that are indistinguishable from real life. For the best results, our media experts suggest getting a 4K HDR model for your next TV.
After all, you don’t need to pick between the two. We will say that UHD is a winner in this section if we had to pick because there are plenty of other color-enhancing technologies out there, but the resolution standard for all TV units is the same, and ultra HD is among the best.
(Are you having troubles with your Hisense television? Well, we have a specific guide for common Hisense TV errors here)
Winner: UHD
Affordability
Most top-rated new TVs from any brand will feature both HDR and UHD. Home entertainment technology has really improved over the years and you are also likely to get other bonus features.
TV options at affordable prices may not have both, so you could be forced to pick just an ultra HD TV, but our experts suggest looking for a TV that has both. A UHD TV can have HDR, but you will rarely find just an HDR TV without ultra high definition.
4K UHD is the standard and easier to find, so if it comes down to it, it is the more desirable one in terms of what you get for the price.
(TV concerns? Well, you can check our guide when your Roku TV exhibits sound problems here)
Winner: UHD
Other Top-Rated HDR and UHD TVs
- Cognitive processor XR
- XR OLED contrast
- Dolby Vision HDR
- 4K Ultra HD
- Quantum Color
- ProGaming Engine
- UltraBright 700
- Vizio SmartCast
Overall Winner: UHD
In the battle of UHD VS HDR, it’s tough to name a definitive winner since the difference between the two is more than just the capabilities – it’s the standard itself. Our experts agreed that UHD is the overall winner because you can almost never find an HDR TV on its own, it’s usually a supplement for UHD models.
Televisions come in several variations nowadays, to know more about their differences, we have curated this list for you:
