Samsung partners with Watcha to expand HDR content

Videos offered by Watcha Play are displayed on the screen of Samsung's QLED TV. Samsung Electronics said it will expand next-generation HDR content in cooperation with Watcha. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

By Jun Ji-hye

Samsung Electronics has formed a partnership with domestic video streaming service provider Watcha, in a bid to expand the next-generation high dynamic range (HDR) content, the Korean tech giant said Wednesday.

HDR10+ technology optimizes brightness and maximizes the contrast ratio, making bright areas brighter and dark areas darker. The feature is available on all UHD TV and 2019 8K TV models, including Samsung's lineup of QLED TVs.

Watcha operates a movie and video streaming service, Watcha Play.

“As HDR has been emerging as one of the most important technologies for ultra-high picture quality, it has become crucial to cooperate with video streaming service providers such as Watcha,” said Lee Hyo-gun, an executive vice president of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “We will continue to enhance our influence in the global television market by enhancing our leadership in the HDR specification industry.”

Watcha CTO Lee Tae-hyun said the cooperation with Samsung Electronics will make it possible to offer clearer and more realistic images, noting that Watcha Play users will be able to enjoy content featuring HDR10+ technology in the first half of next year.

In a bid to contribute to the expansion of HDR content and development of technologies, Samsung formed the HDR10+ alliance with Panasonic and 20th Century Fox in 2017, and began the HDR10+ logo certification program in 2018.

More than 90 companies have joined the program as of October, boosting the program's influence in the industry.

Participating companies were mostly TV manufacturers at the beginning, but companies from other areas such as mobile carriers, video streaming service providers and film companies have recently joined the program.

Samsung has also strengthened its effort with the new opening of an HDR10+ center in China last December, following Korea, Japan and the U.S.

At the major tech show IFA held in Berlin in September, Samsung said it will also collaborate with three European over-the-top (OTT) service providers ― CHILI, The Explorers and MEGOGO ― to support the world's first 8K HDR content.