What does Tone mapping mean?
Tone mapping adapts a source’s tonal range to a display’s available capabilities. In HDR viewing it helps determine how highlights, midtones and shadows are fitted when the screen cannot reproduce the source range directly.
Why it matters
Different displays and picture modes can make different compromises, so the same HDR scene may look brighter, darker or more detailed on two televisions. Brighter is not automatically more faithful if highlight texture disappears. Source metadata, scene analysis and device processing can influence the result. A viewer should compare faces, bright windows and dark clothing together rather than judging only a white logo.
A practical example
If one mode makes a face easier to see but turns a sunlit curtain into a featureless patch, it has changed the balance. Choose a comfortable result in the actual room and avoid calling a single dramatic screenshot proof of superior HDR.
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Related terminology: Timed-text cue, Transfer function.
For practical setup and troubleshooting, browse the journal or support guides.