Evaluation of HDR video tone mapping for mobile devices

Abstract

Tone mapping operators (TMOs) allow the visual appearance of High Dynamic Range (HDR) video to be reproduced on Low Dynamic Range (LDR) displays. While several studies have been made to compare the performance of different TMOs on standard displays, there is only one preliminary study that takes into account the characteristics of Small Screen Devices (SSDs) which are common on mobile platforms that are growing rapidly in popularity. Due to the unique characteristics of mobile devices, the variety of viewing conditions where they are used, and the fact that they are becoming so widespread, it is important to identify what is the best method to deliver HDR video content to these devices. This paper presents an evaluation of HDR video on mobile devices using an HDR display as reference. Six state-of-the-art HDR video tone mappers are evaluated by conducting a psychophysical experiment where participants were asked to rank the tone mappers applied to different HDR video footage. A comparison was made between tone mapped HDR video footage shown on a tablet and an LCD display compared with the same HDR video footage shown simultaneously on an HDR display. This study shows there is a subtle but statistically significant difference in the preference of TMOs between SSD and LDR even though the overall ordering of TMOs is the same across both displays.