What’s the Difference Between HDR and HDRi?

BenQ

2023/05/08

HDR HDRi Gaming Monitor

This article explains the difference between HDR and proprietary BenQ technology HDRi. Every time you turn around there are new features in technology, represented by some combination of letters and numbers, that you’re assured will improve your life. If you’re like most people, you have three questions: is this actually a big deal? Why? And do I need it? Let’s answer these questions and others about BenQ HDRi technology for monitors.

BenQ MOBIUZ Gaming Monitor: Newly Optimized HDRi

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Table of Contents

What Is HDRi and Does It Make a Difference?

The Eyes Have It

Why HDRi?

Newly Optimized HDRi - Color Vibrance Makes Viewing Better

The Smart Advantage

What Is HDRi and Does It Make a Difference?

HDRi stands for HDR intelligence and improves viewing experiences in several ways. While regular HDR or high dynamic range is fine on its own, intelligent HDR help provide a more refined viewing experience. The newly optimized HDRi even offers additional optimization for more precise color, gamma, and saturation, resulting in superior detail levels and more consistent brightness control.

We all enjoy movies and games that keep us engaged, and don't want to spend our leisure time trying to figure out what we're looking at due to poor image quality. That's where HDRi comes in. Through a sensor mounted on the monitor and custom processing algorithms, rather than unresponsive HDR that remains the same no matter where you may be or what content you're enjoying, HDRi optimizes the HDR effect based on lighting conditions in your location. That leads to better viewing, helped by dedicated HDRi modes for gaming and cinematic content. There's also a neutral HDR mode, which basically turns HDRi off. Importantly, HDRi has the smarts to add high dynamic range to non-HDR content without exaggerating brightness or dark areas. Everything looks just right. HDRi elevates your screen time from ordinary to extraordinary.

HDR (high dynamic range) is an established family of standards that enables monitors to show brighter, more vivid images with increased color impact. This results in more realistic-looking content. Details are more refined and images appear more accurate than with standard dynamic range (SDR). Shadows appear with defined details instead of coming across as murky blotches of blackness that "crush" image content.

BenQ HDRi custom modes on Gaming and Entertainment computer monitors deliver the best images.

HDRi tunes HDR effect parameters based on ambient conditions and content type

BenQ HDRi is an intelligent, adaptive technology that supercharges your monitor’s HDR processing through reactive peak brightness and contrast adjustments that take place automatically.

If you turn on lights or open a window or just sit there as day turns into night, HDRi adjusts your HDR content to maintain optimal clarity and fidelity. This proprietary feature gets its edge from a barely noticeable sensor along the bottom of the display. That nearly invisible workhorse is paying close attention to your surroundings while you’re paying close attention to your screen. This is where the “intelligent” part comes in. The sensor detects changes in ambient lighting in your surroundings and what’s on your screen and adjusts image brightness, contrast, and color temperature. Images are clearer and with better color, and your eyes don’t have to strain to see them.

See? That’s a big deal.

The Eyes Have It

This is where we get to that other important aspect of HDRi. Let’s look at your eyes while you're using a poorly-optimized monitor. You're straining to accommodate changes in lighting as details get washed out and overall image quality appears "off" and unnatural. This can lead to a variety of eye problems and impede productivity, not to mention make you feel quite awful.

Learn More About eye-care™️

Ailments that stem from computer use fall under the category of Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). These problems run the gamut: headaches, blurred vision, eye strain, dry eyes, neck pain, and more. It’s no surprise that these problems lead to unpleasant, shortened sessions on your monitor that result in fatigue and frustration. Whether that worse experience is in homework, streaming, or gaming isn’t the point. The point is to eliminate the problem—even if the problem on your screen is caused, in part, by your environment.

You’ve probably noticed that changes in lighting around you impact the way your display looks. Maybe there’s a break in the clouds and suddenly your room is much brighter. Perhaps you’ve been playing or streaming for a bit and didn’t notice the sun going down. Either way, your monitor’s display is no longer suited to your environment. It’s possible you’ll observe this with your eyes. It’s more likely your eyes have noticed without you registering it. If only that could be fixed.

You guessed it. HDRi can and does remedy this problem.

Why HDRi?

Think of HDR like any other workflow. You can either just take it as-is without any refinement and try to make the best of things, or you can apply intelligent adjustments. The difference between HDR and HDRi boils down to a basic workflow versus an intelligent workflow. An HDRi-equipped monitor customizes content to your space, your display, and your experience.

HDRi brightens dark regions on your display without overexposing bright areas, resulting in a more balanced image that is easier on the eyes in two ways

First, the eye-care benefits we’ve discussed.

Second, you can see more details, whether working or spotting opponents in competitive gaming.

You also don't miss cinematic plot points that unravel in shadows, a boon for movie and TV fans.

Newly Optimized HDRi - Color Vibrance Makes Viewing Better

YouTube: TECH HD - Gaming Tech Channel

The latest and most optimized version of BenQ HDRi includes an associated feature known as Color Vibrance. While Color Vibrance has been on BenQ monitor before, its most recent edition is also optimized to work hand in hand with HDRi. Color Vibrance has 20 levels of color saturation that you can manually control for each of the HDRi modes, meaning Game HDRi and Cinema HDRi. So, if you like games to be extra vivid, you can set Color Vibrance to level 18, for example. And if at the same time you prefer movies to be milder in presentation, then level 10 it is. These are just examples of the control newly optimized HDRi and Color Vibrance give you.

If you already have a BenQ MOBIUZ monitor, check out how to update its firmware to get the latest and optimized version of HDRi with Color Vibrance, as we have a quick guide for that:

Newly Optimized HDRi: How to Update MOBIUZ Monitor Firmware?

Gaming Monitor EX480UZ reviewed by TECH HD

The Smart Advantage

Video games are by their name visual, and of course color and detail are everything. Without accurate colors and detail retention, games lose their effect and are not as enjoyable. Even the prettiest game can become washed out or over-saturated, resulting in jarring visuals that pull you out of the experience. With technologies like HDRi, you not only get the most accurate depiction of each game, but also greater detail visibility, which is a tremendous advantage in competitive multiplayer. For really delving into game worlds and experiences, the finest displays are a must, and we believe at BenQ we do everything to provide you with immersive visuals.

What’s the Difference Between HDR and HDRi?

What Is HDRi and Does It Make a Difference?

The Eyes Have It

Why HDRi?

Newly Optimized HDRi - Color Vibrance Makes Viewing Better

Gaming Monitor EX480UZ reviewed by TECH HD

The Smart Advantage

Recommended Articles

Newly Optimized HDRi and How to Update MOBIUZ Monitor Firmware

How Does BenQ HDRi Increase Your Immersion?

What is HDR? The Best Image Close to Reality

Can I Change HDR/HDRi Brightness?

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What’s the Difference Between HDR and HDRi?

What Is HDRi and Does It Make a Difference?

The Eyes Have It

Why HDRi?

Newly Optimized HDRi - Color Vibrance Makes Viewing Better

Gaming Monitor EX480UZ reviewed by TECH HD

The Smart Advantage

Recommended Articles

Newly Optimized HDRi and How to Update MOBIUZ Monitor Firmware

How Does BenQ HDRi Increase Your Immersion?

What is HDR? The Best Image Close to Reality

Can I Change HDR/HDRi Brightness?