Best 2026 TVs for HDR tone mapping accuracy

#1

Midtones track the HDR brightness target remarkably well, with only modest limitations at the very brightest levels.

#2

HDR luminance tracking closely follows the intended image, preserving subtle differences in bright details.

#3

Accurate modes track creative brightness intent closely and preserve fine detail. Some processing options increase impact at the expense of accuracy.

#4

HDR luminance tracking is impressively faithful, retaining detail through most mastered brightness ranges.

#5

Calibrated tone mapping is generally strong, though blacks can be slightly lifted and some shadows crushed. Game HDR and brighter presets can overemphasize the image.

#6

Despite limited panel output, its HDR brightness tracking is impressively smooth and carefully controlled.

#7

HDR midtones follow the intended brightness curve remarkably well, even though the panel cannot reach spectacular peaks.

#8

HDR tracks its intended brightness curve fairly well, though near-black detail can be crushed and some bright mastering levels clip.

#9

HDR midtone brightness tracks the intended level closely, while the brightest material rolls off more sharply.

#10

HDR tracking is largely accurate, with only small midtone errors and a gentle rolloff near peak brightness.

#11

Most midtones are tracked well with a gentle rolloff near peak brightness, although blacks remain raised.

#12

HDR luminance tracking is impressively accurate through shadows and midtones, even though peak brightness and black depth remain limited.

#13

HDR luminance tracking generally follows the intended curve well, retaining a sensible balance between light output and fine highlight detail.

#14

PQ tracking is generally strong through the midtones, with orderly highlight roll-off, though limited contrast affects near-black presentation.

#15

HDR tracking is often close to its target, though the best balance depends on the chosen mode and some content appears too bright or dark.

#16

Reference tracking is generally strong, although very small bright objects can be shown brighter than intended and dynamic modes exaggerate the effect.

#17

Midtones track well, though particular picture-processing settings materially affect HDR accuracy.

#18

Overall tonal tracking can be impressive, though some scenes expose exaggerated highlights and loss of shadow detail. A brighter setting can further trade accuracy for punch.

#19

Core brightness tracking can be close to the intended curve, while optional dynamic tone mapping sometimes produces a strange, overprocessed image.

#20

Tone mapping can preserve some gradation, but clipping and luminance errors cause lost highlights; adjustments provide limited improvement.

#21

HDR tracking is less consistent than the screen’s peak brightness might suggest; aggressive tone mapping can overbrighten the image.

#22

The TV tracks much of the intended HDR brightness curve closely. However, it cuts off highlights abruptly rather than preserving the brightest gradations.

#23

Some HDR material renders too bright or too dark, so the otherwise appealing image is not perfectly balanced in every scene.

#24

Tone mapping can preserve good detail in mainstream streaming, but HGIG overbrightens and very demanding 4,000-nit material can lose highlight information.

#25

HDR midtones and bright scenes can be pushed far above the intended brightness. Calibration and more restrained picture settings matter for accurate reproduction.

#26

Midtones track reasonably well, but the TV struggles to distinguish near-black details and clips very bright information.

#27

Dark tones are lifted, midtones run slightly dim, and the brightest areas can clip. HDR brightness tracking falls short of intended levels.

#28

HDR luminance does not always follow the intended curve; some images appear too bright while others lose detail.

#29

Near-black details appear raised and bright scenes can clip sharply at the panel’s peak output, reducing the intended HDR gradation.

#30

HDR mapping lifts dark midtones too much and cuts off bright details abruptly, making the picture depart from intended luminance.