Removing HDR From A Video: 3 Workable Methods Solution

HDR, also known as High Dynamic Range, enhances the details of an image or video, particularly in terms of brightness, contrast, and color. In general, having High Dynamic Range images or videos is what everyone wants for their media files to be exported or saved as. Who doesn’t like to watch videos with higher contrast and vibrant colors, right? HDR can be compared to SDR (Standard Dynamic Range), as HDR is four times better in terms of hue and brightness of an image or video file, making SDR present details that are less superior.

While on a surface level, there is nothing wrong with having an HDR, but within this article guide, we will delve into why there is a significant need among users to turn their HDR video to SDR, in simpler terms, the removal of HDR from video. While it is possible, only a handful of media users are aware of it, leading to their video playback being compromised. But fret not, as not only will this article discuss the need to convert HDR videos to SDR, but it will also show you workable methods using three software tools for your desktop device. So continue reading below to find out the process so that you can start removing HDR from your video effectively.

Part 1. What is HDR?

HDR is a type of technology that automatically enhances the overall visual appearance quality of images and videos by pushing the media file’s color range to its maximum quality, making the media file appear better without exaggerating it.

What HDR does in your media files is that when your media file plays on the screen, it will display a brighter highlight and deeper shadows without having a permanent effect on the images or videos shown. This trick enables us to perceive media files as more lifelike on the screen, thanks to HDR.

Part 2. The Reasons to Remove HDR Off A Video

While some may argue that having a more lifelike viewing of the videos or images displayed on an HDR screen is much better, it can also be the exact reason why some wanted to remove the effect, as some may appreciate the rawness of a media file. While that can be one reason why some remove the HDR effect from their video, within this section, we list more so that you will be able to understand why such a thing happens.

• Not all devices have a screen that supports HDR.

• Limited support from social media platforms.

• HDR videos and images tend to consume storage spaces and data.

• HDR can appear overprocessed at times.

• It affects the editing of media files by not allowing users to see the raw visuals.

For users aiming to restore their video’s true color depth, using an AI video color correction guide can help maintain accurate tones before applying HDR again.

Part 3. 3 Methods to Take HDR Off A Video

HandBrake

HandBrake is an open-source video file transcoder that is ideal for users who require in-depth video optimization. What this tool does is allow users to transcode any video to any video file format that supports codecs like H.264, VP9, and more. It also supports reducing video file size without losing its quality, perfect for managing storage space, archiving, editing, and streaming. To remove HDR on video using HandBrake, simply follow the steps below.

Step 1. Open your HandBrake software on your desktop device.

Step 2. Once you open the software, simply drag your video file onto the upload files field.

Step 3. Once your video is on the tool, simply remove the HDR-like effect on your video by merely heading over to the Filters section of your video.

Step 4. From the Filters section, go to the Colourspace section and click on its drop-down menu to set your video and use BT.709 as your video Colourspace. This will remove the HDR-like effect from your video, giving it a more natural finish. To simply export and save the changes you just made to your video, click on the Star Encode button in the upper section menu field of your tool.

DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve is a powerhouse video post-production editing tool that can be side-by-side compared to Adobe Premiere Pro. DaVinci Resolve is developed by Blackmagic Design and has been widely used for professional media editing, such as video. Of course, among its many valuable features is allowing users to revert their video HDR quality to SDR to have a more standard and raw video effect, perfect for real color adjustments. If you are curious about how to take HDR off a video using DaVinci Resolve, you may simply refer to our steps below.

Step 1. Open DaVinci Resolve on your desktop device and load the video file you wish to convert from HDR to SD from there.

Step 2. Once your video is loaded into the software timeline, click on your video settings, located in the lower-right corner of your DaVinci software.

Step 3. From there, go to the Color Management section.

Step 4. From there, set your Color Science to DaVinci YRGB Color Managed and make sure to un-check the Automatic color management option right beneath it. After that, put your Color processing mode to HDR DaVinci Wide Gamut Intermediate and set your Output colorspace to Rec.709 Gamma 2.4. Once you have placed all the Color Management settings, click the Save button. Afterward, you can finish the whole process by exporting your video to your desktop device.

Topaz Video AI

Topaz Video AI is a cutting-edge video post-production tool that can also be used as a plug-in on popular professional video editing tools. Just like any other tool, this Topaz Video AI uses AI to help overall video files be upscaled, fixed, enhanced, and convert video from SDR to HDR and vice versa.

Step 1. Ensure that you download and install the Topaz Video AI software from its official website.

Step 2. fter the installation is complete, open the software and from its main interface, load the video file you want to remove HDR from iPhone video or any other videos.

Step 3. Once your video is loaded into the tool’s timeline, navigate to the right side of the Topaz Video Tool interface, where you will find all the various video editing settings. From there, relocate the SDR to the HDR setting.

Step 4. From there, choose the Hyperion - HDR AI model of the tool and feel free to make manual adjustments to personalize and match the output to your preferences fully. Once done, click on the Export button to save your video to your desktop device.

Part 4. Bonus: How to Enhance Your Video to HDR

When you wish to do the opposite and want to revert your media files to their HDR, then in this section, you are assured to do it entirely without compromising the visual aspect or quality of your videos or images. By using VidHex Video Enhancer, you can just sit still while the tool does all the work for you in converting your video into HDR.

What this tool does is that it will just require you to upload your SDR video from its main interface, and from there, you will have access to its multiple AI models, among which is the SDR to HDR model. Some features that might be of use to you are listed below.

Key Features

• Uses AI to enhance video files frame-by-frame.

• Capable of processing multiple videos at once.

• Produces the most natural and realistic enhancement.

• Has supported all kinds of video file formats.

• It improves videos up to 4 times better.

• Expect a lossless quality export.

• Equipped with fast hardware technology for smoother export.

Steps in Using VidHex Video Enhancer

Step 1. Go to VidHex Video Enhancer official website and from there have the software be downloaded and installed to your desktop device (Mac or Windows).

Step 2. Open the software tool, and from the tool’s main interface, scroll down to the AI Color section. From there, select the SDR to HDR model and simply upload the video you wish to convert to HDR.

Step 3. Once your video is loaded into the tool, proceed to select the SDR to HDR model, located on the right side of the tool. After that, change your Output Resolution to 4K to ensure that your video does not lose quality. Finally, convert your video to HDR by clicking on the Export All button.

Additionally, an AI-powered video enhancement tool can assist in refining contrast and brightness when converting videos back to HDR.

Part 5. FAQs about How to Remove HDR From Video

Can HDR be removed without converting?

No, as HDR concerns the video brightness and color, to fully remove the HDR effect on a video, one must use tools that allow the HDR video to be converted into a much lower dynamic range, such as SDR.

Does removing HDR lower video quality?

It depends on the tools you are using; some are just straightforward, converting your video while maintaining the video quality, while others can affect the video quality. To avoid such a happening to you, be sure to invest in researching the best tools to use for your video HDR converting.

Does the audio change when removing HDR?

No, as HDR only affects the video's visual aspect, when you convert your HDR video to a higher or lower dynamic range, you can expect lossless audio quality from the result.

Conclusion

This article has shown you three methods on how you can remove or convert your HDR video to a lower dynamic range, but also made you aware of the fact that there is a need and a reason for doing it. While it may appear helpful in your future video HDR removal on video to ensure that all things you need are in this article, we also included a section explaining and showing you how you can revert or make your video HDR again by using the VidHex Video Enhancer tool, which is totally easy and lightweight on your device.