THE BEST OF THE BEST HDR CONTENT

The tech is one thing, but seeing it in action is something else

So you’ve got your shiny new HDR-enabled TV – what should you start watching?

Thankfully, there’s enough HDR content out there in 2018 that you don’t have to watch something just because it supports HDR. Plenty of the bigger TV shows and movies that have been released over the past couple of years support it, so the challenge is more about finding content that makes the most of HDR rather than simply including it as part of the package.

In terms of TV shows, both Amazon Prime Instant Video and Netflix have committed to producing their original shows in HDR, so you have plenty of options. TheGrandTour on Amazon Prime is a great showcase. It turns out that its expensive cars look even better on expensive tellies.

Our pick from Netflix’s catalogue at the moment is Star Trek: Discovery. The combination of the darkness of space with the scorching brightness of a nice pair of photon torpedoes were just made to be watched on an HDR TV.

Our final choice of TV show is the BBC-produced PlanetEarth2. You’ll have to purchase it on Ultra HD Blu-ray to watch it in HDR (though the Beeb is using it for HLG trials on some TVs), but the natural beauty of its nature footage is frequently awe-inspiring.

Your choice when it comes to films is even more wide-ranging. If you want something modern, we have only good things to say about PacificRim. Corny the mech fights may be, but its presentation can’t be beat.

Sicario might not have similarly bombastic visuals, but when the whole movie is literally about the interplay of light and dark you’re guaranteed something stunning.

MadMax:FuryRoad is a movie so packed full of light and colour that it would be a crime to watch it on anything less than the most expensive TV you can, and HDR really brings it out. It’s the same for Blade Runner

2049 – it’s a dynamic range showcase.