What is the difference between HDR and SDR? How to convert from HDR to SDR

In this article, we will thoroughly explain the difference between SDR and HDR, and also explain how to convert HDR to HDR/4K HDR. Let's take a look at it together right away.

Difference between HDR and SDR

SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) is a video technology and a standard format for general video expression. SDR expresses brightness, color, and contrast within a certain brightness range, but there are limits to wide brightness ranges and reproduction of fine details.

HDR (High Dynamic Range) is a video technology that has a brightness gradation that is about 10 times that of conventional SDR, making it clearer and more realistic by reproducing a wide brightness range. We provide images that

"SDR" is a traditional method that supports 256 levels of contrast (8 bits) and brightness up to 100 nits.With SDR, images with a brightness over 100 nits are compressed and are all expressed with the same brightness.

On the other hand, HDR has a brightness that is more than 100 times higher than SDR, and can express fine details, colors, and contrast.

HDR standard

Common HDR standards are HDR 10 (introduced in 2015 and widely used), HDR10+, introduced in 2017, Dolby Vision (supports 12-bit color depth) and HLG (also known as broadcast HDR). hybrid log gamma).

HDR10: The most common HDR standard, uses 10-bit color depth and static metadata. Displays and playback devices that support HDR10 can reproduce a wide brightness level and color gamut.

HDR10+: An improved version of HDR10, it is a standard developed to provide higher quality HDR images and is used in content such as movies and TV programs.

Dolby Vision: Uses 12-bit color depth and dynamic metadata to provide more granular brightness control. Compatible displays and playback devices can reproduce images of higher quality than HDR10.

HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma): HLG is a standard that supports both HDR and SDR playback. HDR-compatible displays will play back with a high dynamic range, and SDR-compatible displays will play back as normal SDR video.

How to convert HDR videos to SDR videos

Therefore, this time we will introduce how to convert videos shot in HDR to SDR videos.

Special software is required to upscale SDR videos to HDR. There are various software on the market, but many are difficult to use for beginners. According to my experience, UniFab HDR Upscaler AI is a software that is easy to operate even for beginners.

UniFab HDR Upscaler AI is one of the DVDFab company AI products. This software uses AI technology to upscale videos to HDR. With the development of advanced models, all kinds of videos such as natural scenery, special effects scenes, night shots, etc. can greatly improve the color effect, creating more realistic and pleasing images. In particular, there are two video modes to choose from. Universal mode is set to be slightly brighter so that details in the image can be recognized even in spaces where lighting control is not ideal. Cinema mode has lower brightness than Universal mode. However, the brightness range is wider and the contrast between light and dark is more pronounced, creating a more realistic visual effect.

UniFab HDR Upscaler AI features:

• With the development of advanced models, the color effects of all kinds of videos, including natural scenery, special effects scenes, and night shots, can be greatly improved.

• Supports upscaling to Dolby Vision quality, providing an immersive viewing experience.

• Upgrade SDR to HDR10 for optimal compatibility with HDR equipment.

• Adopts cutting-edge technology and is equipped with AI technology to repair and upscale even the smallest details.

• Convert SDR videos to HDR with simple operations

Besides upscaling to HDR, you can also trim the beginning, end or any part of the video you don't need. Additionally, you can split video frames into multiple clips for multiple output files.

There is a 30-day free trial, so you can download it for free and try it out with confidence.

In conclusion

In this article, we introduced the overview and standards of HDR videos, the differences from SDR, and the advantages and disadvantages of using them, and then explained how to convert HDR videos to SDR videos using video editing software. UniFab HDR Upscaler AI is the best choice here. Please try using it.