HDR stands for "High Dynamic Range". In a
nutshell, the technology allows bright things to be really bright and dark things to be really dark—without
compromising detail. Valve recently revealed that it was working on a new level for Half-Life 2, called
Lost Coast, which will implement HDR (via Shader Model 2.0, so it works on ATI's current generation
cards).
Bit-Tech has the skinny on what to expect out of Lost Coast. Remember, this is not an expansion pack, but rather an HDR showcase. Lost Coast even comes packed with a developer commentary feature, taking you through each stage of the level from a perspective that most gamers don't get a chance to appreciate. And don't worry, if you are running HL2 or Counter-Strike: Source at a decent clip, you shouldn't have a problem with Lost Coast.
[Thanks, Wil]
