Projector HDR Test — PQ EOTF, clipping and gamut

No projector reaches the thousands of nits an HDR master is graded for, so every HDR projector tone-maps — it squeezes bright highlights into the light it can actually produce, and how gracefully it does that decides whether explosions and skies look detailed or blown to flat white. This suite probes that behaviour with PQ-encoded patterns built on the SMPTE ST 2084 curve: a nit-step ramp from 0.05 to 10,000 nits, a highlight-clipping sweep to find the exact level where bright steps stop separating, a near-black series for shadow detail, a 1000-nit peak-white reference and a Rec.709 versus Rec.2020 gamut comparison. Because browsers output an SDR signal, treat the results as a target for your projector's code-value response rather than an absolute-brightness calibration.

How to use

1
Force the HDR preset

Browsers do not send true HDR signalling, so manually select the projector's HDR or wide-gamut picture mode if it has one.

2
Walk the PQ ramp

All twelve nit steps should be visibly separate. Where the top steps blend into one shade is where your projector clips.

3
Pin the clipping point

On the 800–1500 nit sweep, note the level where brighter blocks stop getting brighter, then trim output or contrast if highlights look blown.

4
Check the shadows

In a dark room the near-black steps should separate down low. If only the brightest step shows, lift black level or gamma slightly.

See where your projector's tone-mapping runs out of headroom

For HDR projector calibration. The PQ ramp shows whether all 12 nit levels render distinctly. The clipping test finds where your projector caps out — identical greys above 1000 nits means the projector clips there. Near-black tests shadow detail. Note: a true HDR signal requires HDMI HDR signalling (your browser sends SDR), so this is a target-aiming aid, not a 1:1 calibration source.

Features

PQ nit-step ramp
Twelve levels from 0.05 to 10,000 nits, encoded with the real ST 2084 PQ curve, reveal whether bright steps stay distinct or merge.
Clipping point finder
An 800–1500 nit sweep pinpoints where your projector stops resolving brighter detail — the ceiling its tone-mapper has to work below.
Near-black shadow series
Steps from 0.0005 to 2 nits show how much dark detail survives, the half of HDR that cheap units quietly crush.
Rec.709 vs Rec.2020 gamut
Side-by-side primaries gauge how much of the wide HDR colour space your projector can approach versus plain SDR.

Why this HDR test

HDR on a projector lives or dies by tone-mapping, yet most test material never shows you where the highlights give out or how much shadow detail is being crushed. This suite makes both visible: a true PQ ramp and a dedicated clipping sweep expose the highlight ceiling, a near-black series checks the shadows, and a Rec.709 versus Rec.2020 comparison hints at colour reach. The patterns use the real ST 2084 curve, not an approximation, so the targets are honest even though a browser can only send SDR. It runs full-screen with no install — a quick way to understand your projector's HDR limits before tuning contrast, output level and picture mode.

FAQ

Why is this not "real" HDR?

Web browsers cannot emit HDMI HDR metadata, so they output SDR even to an HDR display. The patterns still map PQ code values correctly, giving the right target shape for your projector's response, but the absolute brightness is SDR-scaled. For full signal calibration, play a 4K Blu-ray test disc instead.

What is the PQ EOTF?

Perceptual Quantizer, defined in SMPTE ST 2084 and BT.2100, is the curve that maps coded signal values to absolute brightness in nits. It is the transfer function HDR10 and Dolby Vision are built on, which is why these patterns use it rather than a power-law gamma.

My projector clips around 1000 nits — is that bad?

Not really. Most HDR is mastered between 100 and 4000 nits with 1000 the most common target, and no home projector hits those peaks. What matters is that the tone-mapper rolls highlights off smoothly instead of clipping abruptly — that is exactly what the clipping sweep lets you judge.

Can I judge wide colour from these gamut patterns?

Only roughly. Your browser and display cannot show true Rec.2020, so the comparison indicates relative saturation and whether wide-gamut mode is doing anything, not exact coverage. A colorimeter is needed to measure real gamut volume.

You May Also Like

🎬 AV Sync (Lip Sync) Test 🌟 Bias Light Calculator 🎨 DIY Screen Paint Calculator ⏱️ Presentation Countdown 🥽 Projector 3D Test 📸 Projector Camera Analyzer 🌡️ Projector Color Temperature Test 🧩 Projector Edge Blending

How do you rate this tool?

Thank you for your rating!
Want to share more? Leave a comment!
Thank you! Your comment will appear after moderation.
Who is this tool for?
📽️ Projector Owners
Published Updated Authors: