Export HDR or SDR?
A video looks bright and clean on your iPhone, then washed out, too bright or even off-color on a platform or someone else's phone. That is usually not the grade. HDR is displayed differently in different places.
How HDR and SDR differ
SDR (standard dynamic range, Rec.709) has been the video standard for decades: the brightest thing in the picture is “white”. HDR (high dynamic range; iPhone uses HLG) lets highlights go several times brighter than normal white, so skies, lights and reflections keep their detail.
HDR screens (iPhone 12 and later, some iPads) temporarily raise screen brightness to make room for those highlights, which is why the screen brightens when an HDR video opens. Screen brightness, Low Power Mode and “Settings › Photos › View Full HDR” all affect how much.
Why it looks washed out or too bright when shared
- The platform or app does not support HDR and converts it to SDR, sometimes badly: gray, dark, or blown highlights.
- The viewer's screen is not HDR, so they see a converted version, not what you saw.
- The HDR tag was lost while editing or compressing, and HLG data is shown as regular video, which looks gray.
HDR support varies widely between platforms and app versions, and it changes often. Looking good on your phone does not mean it looks the same for everyone.
Which one to export
| Situation | Suggestion |
|---|---|
| Posting to social media or messaging, or unsure what devices viewers use | SDR: looks the same everywhere |
| Watching on your own iPhone or iPad, or sharing with people who have HDR screens | HDR: brighter, more detailed highlights |
| Editing further in another app | Match the edit project; most LUTs and grading workflows are designed for SDR |
Choosing in Develop Log
- Switch between SDR and HDR at the top of the editor; each project remembers its choice.
- Log footage defaults to SDR: looks are designed for SDR, and it shares most reliably. To default to HDR, turn on “HDR by default for Log footage” in Settings.
- Video that is already HDR (such as the iPhone's default recordings) defaults to HDR to keep its original look.
- HDR follows the SDR grade: the same grade, with highlights expanded according to the brightness recorded in the Log, exported as HEVC 10-bit HLG, the same format as iPhone and DJI HDR video. No second grade.
- Regular SDR video has no extra highlight information, so there is no HDR option for it.
Quick answers
Why does my screen suddenly get brighter when an HDR video opens?
The system is making room for highlights. That is normal. Screens without HDR show a normal-brightness version.
Can HDR video be converted back to SDR?
Yes, but results depend on the software. If you know it is going somewhere without HDR support, exporting SDR from the start is more predictable.
Can Live Photos be HDR?
Yes. HDR Live Photos from Develop Log have a still with a gain map, which HDR screens use to brighten highlights, and an HLG video. See Save a video frame as a Live Photo.