Convert HDR video for SDR viewing
Does your HDR clip look wrong on a standard display? Make an SDR copy, then compare its highlights and colors before sharing it. Tone mapping changes the available brightness and color range.
By JayMiOffice AIUpdated
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Use this when HDR playback is the reason a video looks wrong on a standard display. It is not a general repair for damaged footage or incorrect color metadata, and a video recognized as already SDR is rejected.
How It Works
Make an SDR copy
1. Add your HDR video
Choose one MP4, MOV, MKV or WebM file up to 500 MB. The video must contain HDR footage with recognizable metadata. A supported extension does not guarantee that its codec or color information can be read.
2. Keep a simple first conversion
Under Output, keep MP4 selected. Leave the additional color and effects controls unchanged for your first conversion so you can judge the tone mapping on its own. Click Process HDR to SDR.
3. Save and compare
Keep the page open while the video uploads. Once a background-processing message appears, follow it to Tasks if you leave the page. Use Download when the result is ready; the page also attempts an automatic download.
Check the saved MP4 on the SDR display where it will be watched. Look for lost detail in bright areas, unnatural faces or dark areas you can no longer see clearly, and listen to the audio. Keep the HDR original.
What to expect from the result
SDR cannot retain the full brightness and color range of HDR. The goal is a usable SDR copy, not an identical-looking replacement for the HDR original.
If the tool says the video is already SDR, use a format converter when you only need to change the container. Repeated tone mapping is not a fix for every washed-out or tinted clip.
Questions about HDR to SDR
MOV is accepted, but the codec and HDR metadata still need to be readable. The file must be within the 500 MB limit. Check the converted result on an SDR display.
No. HDR to SDR uses online processing and uploads the video. It is not covered by the on-device task allowance.
A smaller file is not guaranteed. Tone mapping and re-encoding can change the size; this workflow is for SDR viewing rather than a specific size target.
Yes. SDR is useful for destinations that do not display HDR as intended, but the original retains the source information for future editing. Compare the SDR copy on the screen or service where it will be viewed.
Learn More
Continue with a related tool
Choose another step for your project. Each tool shows its supported inputs and processing options before you start.
Improve and export video: Adjust video appearance, compare enhancement, and prepare a smaller export.