VIDEO BASICS · UPDATED 2026-10-23

HDR vs SDR,
explained visually.

HDR has room for brighter highlights. SDR is often easier to share. Here is when to keep each.

01. Same scene. Different brightness range.

A sunlit room and brightness bands: HDR extends above the reference white level used in SDR.
Conceptual illustration. This SDR webpage is not a true HDR display comparison.
SDR

Standard dynamic range

A conventional delivery format for everyday playback. Rec.709 is a common SDR color standard.

HDR

High dynamic range

More room for bright reflections and light sources. The display and playback app must handle it correctly.

Definitions: Apple’s video format guide and HDR display explanation.

02. Do you actually need to convert?

Start with the problem you can see.

Looks right where you need it?

Keep HDR. There is no demonstrated problem to fix.

Keep it

Looks pale or too bright after sharing?

Compare the original with the received file. Test an SDR copy in that destination.

Try SDR

Will not open, or upload rejected?

Check codec, container, duration and size limits. The error alone does not prove HDR is the cause.

Check format

A before/after example

BeforeSimulated color mismatch
AfterSDR-style preview
AI-generated side-by-side illustration of the same Paris rooftops: pale, flat color on the left and natural-looking color on the right.
AI-generated illustration, not a VideoFix export. HDR itself is not washed out; the left side simulates a playback color mismatch.

Three labels. Three different jobs.

What HDR, HEVC and MP4 describe
LabelDescribesExamples
Dynamic rangeBrightness representationHDR, SDR
CodecHow video is encodedHEVC, H.264
ContainerThe file wrapperMOV, MP4

An MP4 can contain HDR. Renaming a MOV file does not convert its color or codec.

03. Export a copy. Keep the original.

Tone mapping remaps the HDR brightness range into a separate SDR sharing copy.
Tone mapping fits brightness into the output range. It cannot preserve every HDR highlight unchanged.

  1. Already editing in iMovie?

    When sharing your movie, open Options and turn HDR off for an SDR export. Apple’s instructions.

  2. Want a dedicated conversion?

    Our app VideoFix: HDR Video Converter offers Convert HDR to SDR, with H.264 MP4 and Rec.709 SDR output. Follow the app steps →

Keep going