HDR & Nits Calculator

Display Calculator

Understand display brightness levels, HDR tiers, and how nits affect your viewing experience

Display Brightness

Peak Brightness (nits)

Display Type

HDR Format Support

Usage Environment

Brightness Scale

1000 nits

100 nits (SDR) 400 600 1000 1500 2000+ nits (True HDR)

HDR Certification Level

HDR1000

Excellent HDR performance

DisplayHDR 400 400+ nits

Entry-level HDR, minimal impact

DisplayHDR 600 600+ nits

Noticeable HDR highlights

DisplayHDR 1000 1000+ nits

Excellent HDR experience

DisplayHDR 1400+ 1400+ nits

Professional-grade HDR

Contrast Ratio

10000:1

estimated

vs SDR (300 nits)

3.3×

brighter

Environment Rating

Excellent

for selected use

Color Volume

High

HDR color range

HDR Standards Comparison

Standard	Peak Brightness	Black Level	Color Gamut
SDR	100-300 nits	Standard	sRGB
HDR10	1000+ nits	0.05 nits	Rec. 2020
HDR10+	1000-4000 nits	0.05 nits	Rec. 2020
Dolby Vision	Up to 10000 nits	0.0001 nits	Rec. 2020
HLG	1000+ nits	Varies	Rec. 2020

How to Use This Calculator

Enter Peak Brightness (Nits)

Input your display’s peak brightness specification. You can find this in your monitor’s spec sheet or product page. Typical ranges: SDR monitors are 250-400 nits, while HDR monitors range from 400 to 2000+ nits.

Select Display Type

Choose your panel technology. OLED offers perfect blacks but moderate peak brightness. Mini-LED provides high brightness with good contrast. LCD/LED is the standard technology, while Micro-LED is emerging premium tech.

Choose HDR Format

Select which HDR format your display supports. HDR10 is the base standard. HDR10+ adds dynamic metadata. Dolby Vision is the premium format with scene-by-scene optimization. HLG is designed for broadcast content.

Select Your Environment

Choose where you’ll primarily use the display. Dark rooms need less brightness for good HDR impact. Bright rooms require higher nits. Outdoor use may need 2000+ nits for visibility in sunlight.

Review Your Results

Check your HDR certification level and see how your display compares. The brightness visualizer shows where your display falls on the scale. Review the environment rating to see if your brightness is adequate for your intended use.

Pro Tip: For the best HDR experience, consider both peak brightness AND black levels. A display with 1000 nits but poor blacks may look worse than an OLED with 700 nits and perfect blacks. The contrast ratio matters as much as raw brightness.

Understanding HDR & Brightness

What are Nits?

Nits measure display brightness (candelas per square meter). 1 nit = 1 cd/m². Typical SDR monitors are 250-350 nits, while HDR displays range from 400 to 2000+ nits.

HDR Requirements

True HDR requires both high peak brightness AND deep blacks. OLED achieves perfect blacks but lower peak brightness. Mini-LED combines high brightness with good contrast.

Viewing Environment

Bright rooms need higher nits for HDR impact. 1000 nits is excellent for dim rooms. Outdoor displays may need 2000+ nits for visibility.

Display Technology

OLED: Perfect blacks, moderate brightness. Mini-LED: High brightness, good contrast. Micro-LED: Best of both worlds (emerging tech).