A DaVinci Resolve certified trainer messaged me, remarking that DaVinci Resolve uses the same terminology as Steve Yedlin does in his anti-HDR presentation:
“Hi Jon! I think this kind of labels in Davinci Resolve, also referred as “display color space” as Yedlin use in the image you post from his presentation. Maybe I’m wrong, but just checking with you. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and knowledge.”
He included a screenshot of ACES Color Management in DaVinci Resolve:
I explained that the ACES Output Transform defines how the image data is transformed to a specific output color space and gamma for viewing or delivery. If you’re mastering for a Rec.709 broadcast monitor, you would choose the Rec.709 ACES Output Transform.
D65 = white point
Rec.709 = color space
BT.1886 = gamma
ACES bundles color space and gamma together (Rec.709 BT.1886) but they are technically distinct concepts.
Yedlin refers to:
BT.1886 (an EOTF) as a “colorspace”.
He also claims that Rec.2100 = SMPTE ST 2084 (EOTF). What Yedlin is doing is not bundling – he is conflating color-spec terminology. It’s little different from a mechanic confusing a transmission for a brake pad.
ACES/Resolve’s “Bundling” vs. Yedlin’s “Conflation”
The ACES Output Transform in Resolve groups Rec.709 (color primaries/gamut) + BT.1886 (EOTF) under a single menu label like “Rec.709 BT.1886” for practical workflow purposes. This is deliberate shorthand for: transform image data to Rec.709 color primaries, scaled via BT.1886 gamma for display.
Yedlin’s Terminology Chaos
Mislabeling BT.1886 (an EOTF) as a “color space” — while falsely claiming that Rec.2100 = ST 2084 — erases technical distinctions. Yedlin likely uses this tactic to force professionals to “question their grasp of reality.”
BT.1886 is not a color space — it’s a gamma curve defining SDR brightness relative to display black level.
Rec.2100 is not an EOTF — it’s the UHDTV (HDR/WCG) standard specifying—among other things—Rec.2020 primaries, white point and EOTF options (PQ/HLG).
The Ripple Effect
Industry figures like Stephen R. George Jr. have defended Yedlin’s errors, dismissing HDR as “niche” and arguing that terms like gamma vs. color space are “too confusing” for professionals. This normalizes technical illiteracy. When certified trainers repeat these conflations, they cement errors as “common knowledge.”
Creative Consequences
Bundling for workflow efficiency is standard; conflation of core concepts is sabotage. When color spaces, EOTFs, and standards (Rec.2100) are blurred, filmmakers lose the vocabulary to diagnose problems, innovate, or preserve creative intent.
The Daejeon Chronicles 