I saw the future of TVs in Samsung’s South Korean lab – and I’m excited about these three things

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The main conclusions of ZDNET

• Samsung just launched HDR10+ Advanced to optimize older content for newer TVs.
• New features include brightness enhancement, adaptive motion smoothing and better gaming performance.
• The simulated demo is a preview of what will happen in 2026.

There were two 115-in Samsung Micro RGB TVs for me, one broadcasts in the HDR10+ format that our eyes have become accustomed to since 2017, and the other simulates the upcoming HDR10+ Advanced standard. The difference, as the time difference would suggest, was noticeable almost immediately.

Ahead of CES 2026, Samsung unveiled HDR10+ Advanced, the next generation of the open-source HDR10+ standard, which optimizes digital content for both the latest super-bright TVs and those yet to come. The company invited me to its Suwon campus in South Korea to see the tech upgrades up close, and I left the demo feeling excited for next year’s TV crop.

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In particular, the upcoming Mini-LED and Micro RGB models – which typically produce more than 1,000 nits, brighter than most mastered films – should really be able to embrace the new HDR standard. And while it’s easy to compare HDR10+ Advanced to Dolby Vision 2, which was announced just a few months ago at IFA Berlin, there are several features that set the former apart. Here’s the breakdown.

1. It’s all about accuracy

The simulations showed how the new HDR standard leverages brighter, more color-accurate TVs by effectively reproducing the wider dynamic range and color volume that the content creator intended. Samsung calls this HDR10+ Bright.

This is achieved by giving the TVs scene-by-scene dynamic metadata that guides the screen’s processing to optimize brightness and color, resulting in a more impactful viewing experience.

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To further assist with local dimming, especially on more capable RGB Micro LED models (from Samsung) and RGB Mini-LED models (from Sony, TCL and Hisense) that can sometimes experience unwanted light bloom, a new Local Tone Mapping feature allows the TV to analyze the picture more accurately, providing much better control over the local dimming zones of a mini-LED backlight.

From the demo videos I saw, subjects that would otherwise lose detail in dark scenes (such as the buttons and switches in the center consoles of the cars above) instead appeared more vibrant with higher contrast. Textures and hair details were also more distinguishable on the HDR10+ Advanced sample.

Finally, creators can now pass their color correction data directly to TV manufacturers so that their mastering intent is accurately reflected on the consumer’s screen. If this system works reliably, it will be a major win for directors and colorists.

2. Gamer paradise

There are some notable benefits that HDR10+ Advanced brings to gamers and entertainment enthusiasts. First, HDR10+ Intelligent Gaming allows the TV to adjust the tone mapping of supported cloud gaming services based on your ambient lighting. It’s a big win if you’ve ever looked at details in titles like Dark souls And Batman: Arkham Knight, as overall visibility should see an improvement.

Similarly, HDR10+ Genre detects the genre of what you’re watching (whether that’s a moody drama or live sports) and adjusts the picture settings for an optimal viewing experience.

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Motion smoothing is a fairly controversial topic among the TV experts at ZDNET, but features like HDR10+ Intelligent FRC, which behaves similarly to Dolby Vision 2’s Authentic Motion, feel like a step in the right direction. Instead of forcing constant motion smoothing, creators can suggest adding frames per scene.

From what I’ve seen, the selective motion smoothing is best appreciated during panning shots, which typically have a juddering effect because TVs don’t adjust the recorded frame rate of the content. The switch wasn’t jarring to the eye, and I expect the technology to improve in adapting to scenes over time.

3. Who is participating (for now)

Although the HDR10+ Advanced demos I saw were simulated, they offered a compelling vision of how modern content consumption will change. Crucially, this cutting-edge technology gives consumers a practical way to maximize their investments in high-quality TVs, particularly by taking advantage of the display’s powerful processing power and detailed local dimming capabilities.

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The big question now is the coming format war: how will HDR10+ Advanced compare to Dolby Vision 2? This matchup will likely dominate discussions at future trade shows, especially at CES.

What’s certain is early momentum: Samsung has already secured the buy-in of streaming giant Amazon Prime Video, and widespread adoption by other major content studios will be the final measure of success.

Revelation: The cost of Kerry Wan’s trip to South Korea was covered by Samsung, a common practice in the long-haul travel industry. The judgments and opinions of ZDNET’s writers and editors are always independent of the companies we cover.