KV SoftwareiPhone video and HDR
iPhone video looks washed out or gray?
Short answer: the video is almost certainly HDR. iPhone 12 and later record HDR video by default. Windows, Discord, many older TVs and some video editors do not handle HDR, so they show it flat, gray and washed out.
Check your video below, then turn HDR off for new clips and fix the ones you already shot.
Is my video HDR?
Pick a video below. It is read right here in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and only the small part of the file that describes the video is read, so even a long 4K clip takes a second.
Or drop it here on a computer.
On iPhone, picking from Photos can hand the page a converted copy instead of the original. If the result looks wrong, save the video to Files first and pick it from there.
Why HDR video looks washed out
HDR video stores a much wider range of brightness and color than normal video. iPhone records it in HLG or Dolby Vision, with the wide BT.2020 color range. Your iPhone screen knows how to show it, so it looks great there.
An app that does not understand HDR reads those numbers as if they were normal video. The bright range gets squashed into the middle, so contrast drops, blacks turn gray and colors go dull. Some apps go the other way and blow the highlights out. Either way the clip stops looking like what you shot.
How to turn off HDR video on iPhone
- Open Settings.
- Tap Camera, then Record Video.
- Turn off HDR Video.
This only changes videos you record from now on. Videos you already shot stay HDR. If you mostly watch on an iPhone, iPad, Mac or HDR TV, you can leave HDR on and convert only the clips you share.
Fix videos you already shot
Convert a copy to SDR, standard video. A good conversion maps the HDR brightness down so the copy looks like it did on your phone, and it then looks the same on every screen.
- On iPhone: SDR Ready, my app. Pick the clips, tap convert, and an SDR copy lands in Photos next to the original. Originals are never touched. Has sizes for Discord's 10 MB limit and email. Works offline. $9.99 once.
- On a computer: free tools like HandBrake and ffmpeg can tone map HDR to SDR, if you are fine learning their settings.
Questions
Why does the video look fine on my iPhone?
The iPhone screen shows HDR properly. The problem starts on screens and apps that do not.
Should I turn off HDR video?
If you mostly send clips to Windows PCs, Discord, older TVs or an editor without HDR settings, turning it off saves trouble. If you watch on Apple screens or an HDR TV, keep it on and convert only what you share.
Does converting to SDR lose quality?
The copy loses the extra brightness range, which is the point: it looks the same everywhere. SDR Ready makes the copy in standard Rec.709 color. Pick Match source to keep the resolution, or 1080p, or a size that fits Discord's 10 MB limit or a 25 MB email.
Which videos does SDR Ready convert?
Anything the iPhone records: Dolby Vision, HLG and HDR10, at any resolution. Clips that are already SDR are marked as fine and skipped.
Is my video uploaded by this check?
No. The page reads the file inside your browser and never sends it anywhere.
SDR Ready is made by Karolis Valatka, who wrote this page. Questions or a clip that will not convert: info@kv-software.com.