DisplayHDR 600 vs 1000: brightness, black level and dimming
By TechCompare · Updated · How we check
DisplayHDR 1000 needs 1,000 nits on a small patch, 600 nits on a full screen held for a long time, a black level of 0.05 nits and a static contrast of 30,000:1, which VESA's note says takes 2D local dimming. DisplayHDR 600 asks for 600, 350, 0.1 nits and 8,000:1.
Calculator
| Test | DisplayHDR 600 | DisplayHDR 1000 |
|---|---|---|
| Peak brightness (8% patch)The brightness a small highlight has to reach. It's the number in the tier's name. | 600 nits | 1,000 nits (differs) |
| Full screen, flashHow bright the whole screen has to get for a moment, like an explosion in a game. | 600 nits | 1,000 nits (differs) |
| Full screen, longHow bright the whole screen has to stay for a long time, like a bright sky or a white page. | 350 nits | 600 nits (differs) |
| Black level, highest allowedHow dark the middle of the screen has to stay while two corners show full white. Lower is better. | 0.1 nits | 0.05 nits (differs) |
| BT.709 coverageHow much of the normal SDR color range the screen has to cover. | 99% | 99% |
| DCI-P3 coverageHow much of the wider DCI-P3 color range, the one HDR movies and games use, the screen has to cover. | 95% | 95% |
| 10-bit input signalThe screen has to accept a 10-bit signal, which HDR10 needs. | Required | Required |
| Rise time, black to peakHow many frames the screen can take to go from black to full brightness. Fewer is faster. | 8 frames | 8 frames |
| Static contrast, one imageThe contrast within one image, black and white on screen at the same time. True Black tiers don't have this test, and their black level limit is far lower. | 8,000:1 | 30,000:1 (differs) |
| What it takes for contrastVESA's own summary of what the contrast test asks of an LCD. | 1D local dimming or better | 2D local dimming or better (differs) |
Values in white differ between the two tiers. Minimums from VESA DisplayHDR performance criteria, CTS 1.2.
DisplayHDR 600 and 1000 are where HDR on an LCD starts to look like HDR. Both need local dimming under CTS 1.2, but the 1000 tier asks for a finer kind, a lower black level and a lot more brightness on a full screen. The table puts their key CTS 1.2 minimums side by side.
How this is calculated
Brightness is the obvious change. DisplayHDR 1000 asks for 1,000 nits on a small patch and on a full screen flash, and 600 nits on a full screen held for a long time. DisplayHDR 600 asks for 600 on the patch and the flash, and 350 held. The held number matters in bright scenes like snow or a sky, where most of the screen is lit.
The contrast rules change more. DisplayHDR 1000 has to keep black at 0.05 nits or less with white in two corners, where 600 allows 0.1. Its static contrast minimum is 30,000:1, and VESA's note says that takes 2D local dimming or better. 2D dimming puts a grid of zones behind the panel, the way full array and mini LED backlights work, so a highlight only lights the zones around it.
The rest moves less. Both need 95% of DCI-P3 and reach peak within 8 frames. DisplayHDR 1000 allows a lower average color error, 6 where 600 allows 8, and less subtitle flicker, 10% where 600 allows 13%.
Subtitle flicker is a good test of local dimming. When a subtitle pops up on a dark scene, the zones behind it light up, and a weak algorithm can make the area around it pump. VESA caps how much a nearby patch may change.
Verdict
DisplayHDR 1000 is the tier where an LCD's HDR gets close to what the format was made for: bright highlights, bright full screens and a grid of dimming zones. The zone count and how the dimming behaves still vary a lot between models, so read a review before you buy.
More HDR Label Decoder scenarios
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does DisplayHDR 1000 mean 1,000 nits all the time?
Is a mini LED monitor always DisplayHDR 1000?
Is DisplayHDR 1000 better than True Black 600?
Related tools
HDR Test
Check your HDR setup in the browser: SDR white next to HDR patches up to 10,000 nits, a window size test for dimming and near black steps.
Use toolColor Gamut Visualizer
Draw sRGB, DCI-P3, Adobe RGB and Rec. 2020 on the CIE chart, enter a monitor's primaries, and see its coverage and area of each one.
Use toolMonitor Test
Guided full screen patterns for dead pixels, backlight bleed, uniformity, banding, sharpness and motion trails, with tips for each one.
Use tool