DaVinci Resolve HLG Editing on Windows

illidan2000 · Nov 25, 2023

Hi,
I cannot find a way to match what I view in the preview monitor and what I actually take after exporting a HLG (HDR) video using a HDR Monitor on Windows PC.
I also tried to change project settings, color spaces,ecc... and it does not change anything. I also tried to use a LUT in the Project Settings->ColorManagement->Video monitor lookup table trying many of them but no luck.

what do you suggest?

brett8883 · Nov 25, 2023

illidan2000 said:
Hi,
I cannot find a way to match what I view in the preview monitor and what I actually take after exporting a HLG (HDR) video using a HDR Monitor on Windows PC.
I also tried to change project settings, color spaces,ecc... and it does not change anything. I also tried to use a LUT in the Project Settings->ColorManagement->Video monitor lookup table trying many of them but no luck.

what do you suggest?

I was under the impression that on Windows you need a Blackmagic deck link card to monitor Resolve in HDR. I’m not sure if this has changed recently or not.

illidan2000 · Nov 26, 2023

brett8883 said:
I was under the impression that on Windows you need a Blackmagic deck link card to monitor Resolve in HDR. I’m not sure if this has changed recently or not.

yes, I read that but, it is unbeliavable that the software cannot tonemap that like other softwares do! (like adobe premiere pro)

Tonyzak · Dec 1, 2023

illidan2000 said:
yes, I read that but, it is unbeliavable that the software cannot tonemap that like other softwares do! (like adobe premiere pro)

Are you shooting in RAW ?

illidan2000 · Dec 1, 2023

Tonyzak said:
Are you shooting in RAW ?

The mini 4 pro has not a RAW video mode.
I am using its HLG mode

brett8883 · Dec 1, 2023

illidan2000 said:
yes, I read that but, it is unbeliavable that the software cannot tonemap that like other softwares do! (like adobe premiere pro)

Premiere Pro may actually just be interpreting HLG as SDR. As the name suggests HLG or “Hybrid Log Gamma” can be interpreted with either an SDR gamma curve or HDR gamma curve.

If you want your monitoring image to look the same as your output image in Resolve the easiest way to do that would be to use color management to make your output settings SDR. You could even make your timeline settings in HDR and grade in HDR but since you don’t have a decklink your output settings need to be SDR so you monitoring and output are the same. With color Managment remember that you need to mark all your HLG clips with the input colorspace of rec. 2020 HLG so Resolve can make the proper transforms for you.

You can use the automatic “SDR” output settings in colormanagment but if you want to take it to the next level matching your output settings to your monitors sdr capabilities will give you even more consistency.

illidan2000 · Dec 2, 2023

brett8883 said:
Premiere Pro may actually just be interpreting HLG as SDR. As the name suggests HLG or “Hybrid Log Gamma” can be interpreted with either an SDR gamma curve or HDR gamma curve.

If you want your monitoring image to look the same as your output image in Resolve the easiest way to do that would be to use color management to make your output settings SDR. You could even make your timeline settings in HDR and grade in HDR but since you don’t have a decklink your output settings need to be SDR so you monitoring and output are the same. With color Managment remember that you need to mark all your HLG clips with the input colorspace of rec. 2020 HLG so Resolve can make the proper transforms for you.

You can use the automatic “SDR” output settings in colormanagment but if you want to take it to the next level matching your output settings to your monitors sdr capabilities will give you even more consistency.

Understood... I Will try to output a rec709 so (monitor).
I had issue exporting the final video the first time, because I Missed one check in the project setup, but now I think I solved it. Both Vimeo and YouTube (after 24h) are recognizing videos as HDR.
I only don't know if the 'HDR vivid' options are useful or not for my Dji mini 4 pro HLG clips, because I don't know if it is supported

brett8883 · Dec 2, 2023

illidan2000 said:
Understood... I Will try to output a rec709 so (monitor).
I had issue exporting the final video the first time, because I Missed one check in the project setup, but now I think I solved it. Both Vimeo and YouTube (after 24h) are recognizing videos as HDR.
I only don't know if the 'HDR vivid' options are useful or not for my Dji mini 4 pro HLG clips, because I don't know if it is supported

Ok well if your intent is for them to be in HDR when uploaded to Vimeo/YouTube then your export settings will have to be HDR but without having a way to monitor in HDR I don’t know how well that’s going to work out and forsure your monitoring image will not match your output image.

YouTube and Vimeo don’t support HDR Vivid so I’d leave that unchecked to avoid any conflicts.