Google extends UltraHDR support to 3rd-party apps: What is it, how it works

Ultra HDR is an image format developed by Google that allows non-HDR displays to view HDR content in SDR, and with full dynamic range on supported displays

Google is reportedly bringing support for Ultra HDR images to third-party applications. According to a report by the Android Authority, Google has started offering initial support for Ultra HDR capture to the Camera X application processing interface (API). It is this API that offers third-party apps access to the smartphones’ camera. But what is Ultra HDR capture and why was it not available for third-party apps despite Google integrating the functionality in Android 14? Let us find out:

HDR and SDR

HDR and SDR stands for High Dynamic Range and Standard Dynamic range, respectively. These are different imaging techniques for capturing, processing and reproducing media that includes images and videos. 

In images, there are brighter and darker sections, both of which contain displayable details. Dynamic range is the range of information between the lightest and the darkest section in an image or video, sometimes even referred to as luminosity. This means that HDR content has more overall detail and a wider range of colours compared to SDR content.

What is Ultra HDR

Ultra HDR is an image format that has been developed by Google based on the commonly used JPEG image format. However, the difference is that Ultra HDR images contain HDR gainmap in metadata. Gainmaps are essentially a secondary image stored in the file. It is not a real image but rather contains data to convert each pixel of the base image into that of the other. Apps and software use these gainmaps to convert an SDR image into HDR.

As Ultra HDR images are based on JPEG file format, which is commonly used on devices, almost all devices can view the image in SDR. However, devices with HDR display have the capability to overlay the gainmap on top of the base image creating a more vibrant image.

Ultra HDR support for third-party apps

HDR gainmaps are required to be created and stored into images metadata, thus Google updated its Camera API in Android 14, making HDR enabled smartphone cameras capable of creating and storing these gainmaps. However, the update was part of the Camera 2 API, which is built for apps that want to offer advanced camera functionality on Android smartphones. 

CameraX, which is Google’s secondary API intended for social media apps, only requires access to the smartphone camera but adds no other functionality. This limited apps and developers who used CameraX API from getting access to displaying Ultra HDR images.

What’s changing

Google at its annual developers conference, Google I/O, announced that they would update the CameraX library to support Ultra HDR. Now with media reports are stating that the American technology giant has started offering initial support for UltraHDR to CameraX API. It is likely that soon more third-party apps that are not dedicated camera apps will get the ability to capture and display Ultra HDR images.