High Dynamic Range (HDR) video enhances the transfer of artistic intent, but its integration into existing workflows introduces significant complexity. This can lead to inconsistent content reproduction and a suboptimal end-user experience. While the industry has adapted tools for HDR, wider adoption has revealed the limitations of current monitoring, measurement, and QC techniques, highlighting a need for new methodologies specifically designed for HDR.

This paper first examines the common HDR metadata metrics, MaxFALL and MaxCLL, analyzing their origins, applications, and significant limitations. We present use cases where these measurements prove inadequate or add counterproductive complexity. As a solution, we introduce a new set of HDR-native metrics, termed HDR Screen Area Measurements (HSAM), which are designed to map content creator intent to end-user display capabilities. We will demonstrate the application of HSAM in live production, editing, and QC.

Beyond new metrics, HDR also necessitates new visualization tools. The traditional linear waveform, a staple for decades, becomes compressed and difficult to interpret with HDR signals, obscuring critical detail in both shadows and highlights. This paper, therefore, also introduces a novel logarithmic display, the ‘Stop Waveform.’ This technique allows operators to analyze the signal in a way that aligns more naturally with human perception of linear light, providing a clear, comprehensive view of the entire dynamic range in a single display. Together, these new metrics and visualization techniques provide a more robust framework for creating, monitoring, and delivering high-quality HDR content.