Updated: October 16, 2026
Why clients are starting to ask for HDR
A few years ago, HDR (high dynamic range) was something only streaming platforms and high-end film projects worried about. Now most new phones, many laptops and almost every mid-range TV can display it. Brands see their own footage on an iPhone looking brighter and more colorful than the final video delivered to them, and they start asking why. For Miami content, with its neon, sunsets, bright water and deep night skies, the difference can be striking.
HDR is not a filter or a setting you flip at export. It changes how footage is graded, how the grade is checked, what files you deliver and how many versions you need. Done well, it looks fantastic on the right screens and still works on ordinary ones. Done badly, it looks washed out, overly bright or simply wrong on half the devices that play it.
This guide explains HDR in post-production in practical terms: the main formats, what the footage needs, how grading and monitoring change, and what deliverables to plan for a Miami project.
HDR in plain terms
Standard dynamic range (SDR) video was designed around older display technology, with a fairly limited range of brightness and color. HDR expands both. Highlights such as the sun on the water, a neon sign or a chrome car can be much brighter than the rest of the image without clipping, while shadows keep detail. Colors can also be more saturated, within a wider color space.
Two technical elements make this possible: a transfer function that describes how brightness values are encoded (most commonly PQ, defined in SMPTE ST 2084, or HLG), and a wider color container, typically Rec. 2020. HDR deliverables are also at least 10-bit, so gradients like a sunset sky stay smooth.
The main HDR formats
For most commercial and branded work, you will meet three formats.
HDR10
The most common baseline format. It uses PQ and static metadata, values that describe the brightest pixel and the average brightness for the whole program. It is widely supported by TVs, streaming platforms and many web players.
Dolby Vision
Uses dynamic metadata that can change shot by shot, which helps displays with different capabilities show the image as intended. The colorist grades an HDR master and then creates trims that tell lower-capability displays, and the SDR version, how to map the image. Dolby Vision requires licensed tools and is common for streaming platform deliveries.
HLG
Hybrid Log-Gamma was developed for broadcast. It is designed to look acceptable on both SDR and HDR displays from one signal, without metadata. It is used by some broadcasters and by many phones when they record HDR video.
For a typical Miami brand project, the practical choice is usually HDR10 for web and social platforms that support it, Dolby Vision only if a streaming platform or client spec asks for it, and an SDR version for everything else.
What the footage needs
HDR exposes the weaknesses of the source material. Before you plan an HDR grade, check that the footage can support it.
- Log or RAW recording. Footage shot in a camera's log profile or RAW holds the highlight and shadow range that HDR shows. Our guide to colour grading a Miami video covers log footage in more detail.
- At least 10-bit. 8-bit footage tends to show banding in skies and gradients once it is stretched for HDR.
- Clean highlights. If the highlights were clipped on set, HDR cannot bring them back. It can make the clipping more obvious.
- Consistent cameras. Mixing a cinema camera with a drone and a phone is common in Miami projects. Each source behaves differently in HDR, so test them together early.
Graphics, stock footage and archive clips need attention too. SDR graphics placed in an HDR timeline can look dull or too bright unless they are mapped properly.
Grading and monitoring in HDR
HDR grading needs a display that can actually show HDR, ideally a professional reference monitor calibrated to the target standard. Grading HDR on a normal computer screen is guesswork. Many HDR masters are graded with a 1000-nit target, which matches what many reference monitors and better consumer TVs can show.
HDR first or SDR first
There are two common workflows:
- HDR first, SDR derived. The colorist grades the HDR master, then creates the SDR version through trims or a conversion, and adjusts it shot by shot. This is the standard Dolby Vision approach and usually gives the best HDR result.
- SDR first, HDR added. The colorist grades a normal SDR version, then builds an HDR version from it. This suits projects where SDR is the main deliverable and HDR is a bonus.
Either way, both versions need a proper review. A client who only checks the HDR file on their phone will approve something that may look different on a laptop at the office.
Restraint helps
The temptation in HDR is to push every highlight as bright as possible. Viewers find that tiring, and platforms may tone it down unpredictably. A good HDR grade keeps most of the image at comfortable levels and reserves the extra brightness for specular highlights such as sun on water, neon tubes, headlights and fireworks.
Audio, captions and graphics in an HDR delivery
The audio mix does not change for HDR, but the delivery package does get bigger, and each element needs to match both versions. Captions and subtitle burn-ins need brightness levels that read well in HDR without glaring. Brand colors in logos and lower thirds should be checked in both versions, since a brand red that looks right in SDR can shift in a wide color space. If you work with a motion graphics package, ask your designer to provide HDR-aware versions or let the colorist map them.
Deliverables and platform support
Plan the delivery list before the grade begins, because it shapes the workflow. A typical HDR project from Miami might include:
- An HDR10 master file (10-bit, PQ, Rec. 2020) with its metadata.
- A Dolby Vision master with its XML metadata file, if required.
- An SDR master for websites, presentations, events and older displays.
- Platform-ready exports for YouTube, Instagram and others, checked on real devices after upload.
Platform support changes, so check current specs before export, and always upload a test. Some platforms play HDR on supported phones and convert it to SDR elsewhere, and the automatic conversion is not always flattering. For file formats and bitrates, see our guide to export and delivery specs.
Also think about versions. If a project already needs 60, 30, 15 and 6-second cut-downs in two languages, adding HDR can double the number of files. Our article on cut-downs and versioning explains how to keep that under control.
Is HDR worth it for your project?
HDR makes the most sense when:
- The footage was shot in log or RAW on good cameras.
- The content features bright highlights and rich color, such as nightlife, hospitality, automotive, travel or luxury products.
- The audience watches mainly on modern phones or TVs, or the platform requires HDR.
- The budget allows for an HDR-capable grading suite and an extra review round.
For an interview-based corporate video watched on office laptops, a well-graded SDR master is usually the better use of budget.
HDR grading and delivery with Miami Video Services
Our post team grades in a calibrated suite with HDR reference monitoring and delivers HDR10, Dolby Vision and SDR versions depending on what your project and platforms need. We check source footage before we quote, recommend HDR only where it pays off, and review every version on real devices so the video looks right wherever people watch it.
If you are planning a project and want to know whether HDR makes sense, send us a sample of your footage and the platforms you are targeting. You can learn more about our team or read more post-production guides on our blog.