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Chrome for Android to gain HDR support soon

High Dynamic Range is the next big thing in video and Chrome will soon gain support for it. Chrome joins apps like Netflix who are also supporting the standard.

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Published onDecember 5, 2017

Many apps like Google Play Movies & TV, YouTube, and Netflix have been offering up High Dynamic Range (HDR) content for a while. But, one app noticeably absent from that list is Chrome. Chrome is the default browser on almost every Android device out of the box and is one of the most used apps on Android. And soon it’s gaining support for HDR content.

Should you buy a phone for HDR?

Features

High Dynamic Range is the next step forward in video quality. HDR videos show a wider color profile that allows viewers to see more details in darker areas of the frame. It also improves luminosity and makes color feel more vibrant. While the difference between HDR and non-HDR video isn’t the same as 1080p and 4K, it does make a pretty big difference when viewed side-by-side.

HDR is gaining popularity, but we’re in a bit of a “chicken or the egg” situation right now. There isn’t a ton of HDR content, nor are there a ton of HDR-ready displays to show it on. Although technically Android has supported HDR since Android 7.0 Nougat, it’s been up to individual apps and devices to make it happen. The apps must support grabbing the HDR metadata and the devices must have a HDR-compliant screen to display it on.

This move from Google should give HDR a boost, though. Many of the televisions that were bought over the holiday shopping season are HDR-complaint. Add in the most popular web browser in the world adding support, and suddenly you have a lot more eyes on the content. Hopefully, this will convince content creators to push HDR even harder now.

There’s no timeline on when HDR support will hit, but we’ll let you know when it does.

What do you think? Will Chrome supporting HDR content really help bring the standard to the forefront? Let us know down in the comments.