Overview
IEC 62977-3-4:2023 - Electronic displays Part 3-4: Evaluation of optical performances – High dynamic range displays - defines standard methods to measure and report the optical performance of HDR electronic display modules and systems. It applies to emissive and transmissive direct‑view displays that present real 2D images on flat panels or curved panels with a local radius > 1 500 mm. Measurements are specified under darkroom conditions for HDR digital inputs that are absolute‑luminance encoded (for example: ITU‑R BT.2020 colourimetry with SMPTE ST 2084 PQ and SMPTE ST 2086 metadata).
Key topics and requirements
This standard specifies measurement procedures, equipment and reporting requirements for HDR displays, including:
- Standard measuring equipment and layouts - video signal generators, photometric/colorimetric instruments and recommended non‑contact or close‑up setups.
- Standard measuring conditions - environmental conditions, power supply, warm‑up time and darkroom setup.
- HDR peak luminance - methods to measure peak luminance as a function of window area and average picture level (APL).
- Black luminance and contrast - test patterns and methods for black level, contrast ratio and local contrast ratio; procedures for contrast in ambient illumination.
- Luminance loading - assessing how displayed content APL affects luminance output.
- Temporal behaviour - transition (rise/fall) times, duration of peak luminance and interval measurements for dynamic HDR content.
- Tone reproduction & HDR tone mapping - evaluation of transfer functions (OETF/EOTF) and how the display maps PQ‑encoded inputs across its luminance range.
- Chromaticity and colour reproduction - gamut area evaluation (e.g., BT.2020, DCI‑P3) and colour reproduction accuracy.
- Reporting - structured reporting requirements and annexed examples for tone reproduction, tone mapping and colour measurement.
(Informative annexes provide concrete test patterns, example inputs and evaluation methods.)
Applications and who uses it
IEC 62977-3-4:2023 is intended for:
- Display manufacturers validating HDR performance during R&D and production.
- Test and calibration laboratories performing standardized optical measurements.
- Quality assurance and compliance teams producing datasheets and certifications.
- Content and system integrators ensuring playback fidelity for PQ/HDR content.
- Standards bodies and certification organizations comparing devices against a common measurement basis.
Practical uses include product specification, QA sampling, performance benchmarking, and verifying correct implementation of HDR tone mapping and colour reproduction.
Related standards
Important referenced documents include ITU‑R BT.2020 (colourimetry), SMPTE ST 2084 (PQ) and SMPTE ST 2086 metadata. IEC 62977‑3‑4 is part of the broader IEC 62977 series for electronic display evaluation.