The number one resource for information about HDR technology, workflows, tutorials, news and opinion.
Update: Why none of this matters. In a previous post, I wrote how I was unable to install Asus' proprietary calibration software; but having read somewhere that X-Rite's i1Profiler was supposed to give better results, I went ahead and used that instead. But the colors weren't nearly as accurate as they were supposed to be;... Continue Reading →
What we can say for sure is that the XDR is the display HDR content creators have been waiting for and that, while it may not be replacing Sony BVMX reference monitors in production studios, it will most certainly find a place right alongside them; and it is the answer to the prayers of every... Continue Reading →
Apart from uploading a handful of Sony HLG HDR videos to YouTube last year - mostly out of morbid curiosity - I'd pretty much all but given up on HDR, for the simple reason that there were no remotely affordable monitors. That all changed last month when I learned about the Asus ProArt 32UCX at... Continue Reading →
https://youtu.be/pmXA9IlTKDU As part of his what I presume is his ongoing review of the Pro Display XDR, tech guru Jonathan Morrison shared what I believe is his very first HDR video uploaded to YouTube, and it looks just gorgeous on my LG OLED display. Darn you Sony! When are you going to release a 10-bit... Continue Reading →
Update 23.01.2020: I have confirmed that the Asus PA32UCX, UltraStudio 4K Mini and Final Cut Pro do indeed work with HDR PQ. The reason to use a dedicated IO card (like the UltraStudio 4K) is that it gives you a properly managed colour pipeline that by-passes the operating system’s GPU and colour profile settings and gets... Continue Reading →
A popular online website that reviews and compares computer hardware says the Asus has virtually no flaws of consequence, but we'll get to that in just a moment. Not sure whether I wouldn't be better off getting the PA32UC instead, but I went ahead and preordered the PA32UCX-K anyhow. The PAUCX-K boasts 1,200 nits compared... Continue Reading →
Only a year and-a-half ago, I despaired of ever being able to color correct and grade HDR video because the least expensive grading monitors started at $35,000. I gave my Shogun Inferno a whirl, but it's absurd trying to grade footage on a 7" display - and I never could get it to display the... Continue Reading →
Having watched Gerald Undone's outstanding guide to exposing for low noise when shooting HLG for SDR delivery, I was curious whether the figures he arrived at were also applicable to HLG HDR video. Because even in graded HDR content, the bulk of the image should still fall within the standard 0-100 nit range, I wouldn't... Continue Reading →
It's mad just how clean HLG HDR videos uploaded to YouTube are when compared to standard dynamic range ones. And a by-product of the exceptional local contrast happens to be that your lenses will for the most part look much more detailed in 4K HDR than in ordinary 4K. So while the Voigtlander is crazy-good... Continue Reading →
More luscious HDR goodness, this time shot with the 16-35mm GM, 50mm f/1.4 Planar and 85mm f/1.8 lenses. Mostly architecture around Ho Chi Minh City from the French colonial era. Forget everything you heard about HLG being backward compatible: the clip must be viewed on an HDR display or it will look dreadful. https://youtu.be/3agRiX5kD5g "Ruby"... Continue Reading →
Experts recommend anywhere between 55-60 IRE for skin tones, but in flat lighting, it might be beneficial to go as high as 65-70 IRE to prevent the image from becoming dull and lifeless. Naturally, one must take care not to overexpose, or the image will appear washed out. https://youtu.be/BRiH_MHmoUU
Occasionally, YouTube doesn’t recognize the master files I create in Final Cut Pro as HLG HDR, so I’ve taken to uploading my HDR projects to YouTube through Compressor. 1) Send completed project to Compressor from Final Cut Pro. 2) Click on project. 3) Once project has finished loading, click on ‘add’ under settings in the... Continue Reading →
In December of 2017, I purchased the Ninja Inferno to get 4K 60p out of my GH5 and to be able to use the recorder as an HDR grading monitor but things didn’t quite go as planned... https://youtu.be/G5TjHzGbVnw
Sample footage, Sony a7 III HLG HDR. To be seen correctly, must be viewed on an HDR display. SDR (standard dynamic range) rec. 709 video contains at most around six or seven stops of dynamic range while HLG HDR video is capable of as many as 17.5 stops - though both the Sony and my... Continue Reading →
Note: Apparently, FCPX update 10.4.6 was supposed to finally address the stability issue that has plagued Final Cut for so long, whereby sharing to YouTube from within the app would inevitably fail; nevertheless, as of this writing, I still suggest making a master file. Update: Occasionally, my master files weren't recognized as HLG HDR videos by YouTube... Continue Reading →
At long last, I can confirm that the Shogun Inferno ($1,195) does indeed work with the Blackmagic Design UltraStudio Mini Monitor ($137) and 2016 MacBook Pro. This is currently one of the least expensive options for grading HDR in Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve on a Mac. A word of caution: the Ninja Inferno... Continue Reading →
In my quest to come up with the easiest workflow for HDR, without the hassle of purchasing a half-dozen LUTs; investing in expensive reference monitors; complex project, rendering and delivery settings; HDR to SDR conversions; complicated scripts; and i/o devices costing as much as a brand new a7R III, I've run up against just one... Continue Reading →
In spite of my messages to them, Mystery Box, without so much as verifying their claims, still insist that the Ninja Inferno, coupled with the BlackMagic Design Ultrastudio Mini Monitor, will work as a grading monitor with any computer: And since you’re working with a 1080 display and are managing the HDR interpretation yourself, you can... Continue Reading →
This video illustrates the problem I'm having getting the Ninja Inferno to work with the Blackmagic UltraStudio Mini Monitor and Desktop Video Utility. If and when I find the answer, we can begin using the Inferno as a portable HDR grading monitor. https://youtu.be/zUCzAk5OSlE
In one of Arri’s papers covering the basics of HDR, this stood out the most: Should I grade HDR or SDR first? There is no consensus in the industry yet, which color grading strategy is better. Both approaches are being used today by HDR productions. The advantage of first grading for SDR is that most... Continue Reading →
The Daejeon Chronicles 