What HDR, HLG and Dolby Vision mean
Standard dynamic range (SDR) video is built around the brightness and colour range of older displays. High dynamic range (HDR) video carries a wider range. YouTube describes HDR as showing higher contrast and more colours than standard video. [1]
HDR needs two things standard video does not: a transfer function that maps code values to much higher brightness, and a wider colour space. YouTube lists the two HDR transfer functions it accepts, PQ and HLG (both defined in Rec. 2100), with Rec. 2020 colour primaries and 10- or 12-bit colour. [1] For PQ, YouTube also asks for SMPTE ST 2086 mastering display metadata and MaxFALL and MaxCLL values, and substitutes default values if they are missing. [1]
Dolby Vision is the HDR format Apple names for iPhone recording. Apple lists Dolby Vision capture on iPhone 17 at up to 4K and 24, 25, 30 or 60 fps, and 1080p at 25, 30 or 60 fps, with HEVC and H.264 listed as the recorded formats. [2] The iPhone 17 display is rated at 1,600 nits peak brightness for HDR against 1,000 nits typical maximum, which is part of why HDR clips look so vivid on the phone itself. [2]
Why HDR clips look wrong next to SDR clips
On an HDR display, an HDR clip can use brightness the SDR clip next to it never reaches, so highlights pop and the SDR footage looks flat by comparison. On an SDR display or in an SDR timeline, the editor has to squeeze the HDR range down to fit, and how well it does that varies by editor and setting. The result can be washed-out, too dark or oversaturated.
Colour tagging matters as much as brightness. YouTube warns that tagging P3 material as Rec. 2020 causes an oversaturated look with shifted hues. [1] For SDR uploads, YouTube recommends BT.709 and says it converts BT.2020 to 8-bit BT.709 without an HDR transfer function. [3] A mis-tagged or half-converted clip is the usual cause of an iPhone shot that looks fine on the phone and strange on YouTube.
Editing HDR well also needs the right screen. Filmora tech specs recommend an HDR10-capable display for HDR editing. [4] If you edit on an SDR monitor, you are judging an approximation of what HDR viewers will see.
Turning HDR capture off and the compatibility setting
If you do not need HDR, the simplest fix is not to record it. The HDR video option sits in the iPhone camera settings and its location has moved between iOS versions, so check it on the phone before the shoot rather than relying on a menu path copied from an old article.
Separately, the Camera Formats setting controls the codec. Apple says Most Compatible records new videos as H.264 instead of HEVC, and High Efficiency returns to HEVC. [5] Most Compatible helps when an older editor or computer cannot open HEVC; it is not described by Apple as an HDR switch, so check the HDR setting too.
The same choice now exists for Mac screen recordings. Apple says that on macOS Tahoe 26 or later, the Screenshot app capture format can be SDR (Most Compatible), using H.264, or HDR, using HEVC. [6] If your tutorial mixes iPhone footage and screen recordings, set both to the same range before recording.
What platforms do with HDR uploads
YouTube detects HDR metadata, creates HDR versions for HDR devices and an SDR down-conversion for everyone else. [1] It needs that metadata to be present: HDR videos must have HDR metadata in the codec or container to play back properly. [1] The most reliable way to get it is to export from an app that writes it; YouTube lists DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro, After Effects and Final Cut Pro as authoring tools. [1]
YouTube recommends VP9 Profile 2, AV1 or HEVC for HDR uploads, says ProRes, DNxHR HQX and 10-bit H.264 work but need very high bitrates, and tested MOV, MP4 and MKV containers. [1] Its recommended HDR bitrates are higher than SDR: 10 Mbps versus 8 Mbps for 1080p at 24 to 30 fps, and HDR is not supported at 480p or 360p. [3]
Two limits catch people out: HDR videos cannot be edited in the YouTube web editor, and PQ footage can show noise in dark areas, so YouTube suggests denoising before upload. [1] If you want control over how the SDR version looks, YouTube lets you supply a 3D LUT for its automatic conversion through its HDR metadata tool. [1]
| YouTube HDR requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Transfer function | PQ or HLG (Rec. 2100) [1] |
| Colour primaries and matrix | Rec. 2020, non-constant luminance [1] |
| Bit depth | 10 or 12 bit [1] |
| Recommended codecs | VP9 Profile 2, AV1, HEVC [1] |
| Containers tested | MOV, MP4, MKV [1] |
| 1080p bitrate, 24 to 30 fps | 10 Mbps HDR vs 8 Mbps SDR [3] |
| Viewers without HDR screens | See an SDR version YouTube creates [1] |
SDR or HDR project: how to decide
Make an SDR project if most of your footage is SDR (webcams, most screen recordings, stock), if the video is mainly watched on laptops, or if it goes to platforms or clients whose HDR handling you do not know. Convert the iPhone HDR clips once, check them against the SDR footage, and export SDR in BT.709. [3]
Make an HDR project if most footage is HDR, you have an HDR-capable display to grade on, your editor can export PQ or HLG with metadata, and the destination is YouTube or another platform that documents HDR support. [1][4] Expect bigger files and a longer review, because you need to check both the HDR and the SDR result.
| Situation | Project type | Main risk |
|---|---|---|
| Talking head on iPhone plus SDR screen recording | SDR | iPhone clip looks washed out or too bright until converted |
| All footage from recent iPhones, YouTube delivery | HDR or SDR | Missing HDR metadata on export [1] |
| Client review link or unknown platform | SDR | Viewer device cannot show HDR correctly |
| Editing on a non-HDR monitor | SDR | You cannot see what HDR viewers will see [4] |
Checklist for mixed SDR and HDR projects
Work through this before you cut, not after you notice one shot looks wrong.
- Identify which clips are HDR; iPhone Dolby Vision clips are the usual ones. [2]
- Pick SDR or HDR for the whole project and set the timeline to match.
- For SDR, convert HDR clips once and compare a skin tone and a bright window against an SDR clip.
- Set Mac screen recordings to the same range as the camera footage. [6]
- For HDR delivery, export PQ or HLG, Rec. 2020, 10-bit with metadata from your editor. [1]
- Use the recommended bitrate: 8 Mbps SDR or 10 Mbps HDR for 1080p30 on YouTube. [3]
- Upload a private test and view it on both an HDR phone and an SDR laptop.
Questions before you decide
Why do my iPhone clips look so bright compared with my other footage?
Current iPhones such as iPhone 17 record HDR video in Dolby Vision, which uses a wider brightness and colour range than SDR footage. On an HDR display or in a timeline that does not convert it, HDR footage looks brighter and more saturated than the SDR clips around it.
Does YouTube support iPhone HDR video?
YouTube supports HDR uploads that carry correct HDR metadata: PQ or HLG transfer, Rec. 2020 primaries and 10- or 12-bit colour. It creates HDR versions for HDR devices and an SDR down-conversion for others. HDR videos cannot be edited in the YouTube web editor.
Does the Most Compatible camera setting turn off HDR?
Apple describes Most Compatible as recording H.264 instead of HEVC; it does not describe it as an HDR switch. Check the HDR video option in the iPhone camera settings separately.
What bitrate should I use for HDR on YouTube?
YouTube recommends 10 Mbps for 1080p HDR at 24, 25 or 30 fps and 15 Mbps at 48, 50 or 60 fps, compared with 8 and 12 Mbps for SDR. HDR is not supported at 480p or 360p.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- YouTube Help: Upload High Dynamic Range (HDR) videos Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Apple: iPhone 17 Technical Specifications Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- YouTube Help: YouTube recommended upload encoding settings Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Wondershare Filmora: Tech specs (Windows) Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Apple Support: Using HEIF or HEVC media on Apple devices Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Apple Support: How to record the screen on Mac Accessed 30 Oct 2026
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