On metrics for objective and subjective evaluation of high dynamic range video

Abstract

In high dynamic range (HDR) video, it is possible to represent a wider range of intensities and contrasts compared to the current standard dynamic range (SDR) video. HDR video can simultaneously preserve details in very bright and very dark areas of a scene whereas these details become lost or washed out in SDR video. Because the perceived quality due to this increased fidelity may not fit the same model of perceived quality in the SDR video, it is not clear whether the objective metrics that have been widely used and studied for SDR visual experience are reasonably accurate for HDR cases, in terms of correlation with subjective measurement for HDR video quality. This paper investigates several objective metrics and their correlation to subjective quality for a variety of HDR video content. Results are given for the case of HDR content compressed at different bit rates. In addition to rating the relevance of each objective metric in terms of its correlation to the subjective measurements, comparisons are also presented to show how closely different objective metrics can predict the results obtained by subjective quality assessment in terms of coding efficiency provided by different coding processes.