VESA introduces new DisplayHDR True Black 1400 certification standard

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) has announced DisplayHDR True Black 1400, a new performance tier in its display specification certifying the latest generation of OLED displays. This new spec targets both professional HDR content creation and premium consumer displays.

To achieve certification under the new tier, displays must reach a peak luminance of at least 1400cd/m² while maintaining black levels down to 0.0005cd/m². The specification also increases the required full-screen luminance to a minimum of 700cd/m². VESA states that these thresholds are made possible by recent technological innovations such as tandem OLED architectures, which boost sustained brightness without compromising the deep blacks characteristic of emissive panels.

The new standard builds directly on the testing framework established in the DisplayHDR CTS 1.2 specification. This framework requires more rigorous validation for colour accuracy, contrast, and black-level performance. Lenovo will showcase the very first certified displays at Bilibili World 2026 in Shanghai from July 10-12th. Samsung also plans to demonstrate qualified OLED and QD-OLED panels featuring this tier at various trade shows during the second half of the year.

KitGuru says: The introduction of the DisplayHDR True Black 1400 tier establishes a clearer performance standard for the latest high-brightness tandem OLED panels entering the market. Still, don't expect every new OLED to meet the criteria for this new certification, at least for the foreseeable future.

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