SDR to HDR Converter

Convert SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) videos to HDR (High Dynamic Range) format with enhanced brightness and BT.2020 color space

Related Tags
Color 184 Video 80 Color Space 50 Brightness 29 Enhance 17 Dynamic Range 7

Click to upload file or drag and drop file here

Maximum file size: 500MB Supported formats: video/*

Target HDR format for conversion

0 30 100

Enhance brightness to simulate HDR (0-100)

0 15 50

Increase color saturation (0-50)

0 10 50

Enhance contrast (0-50)

0 16 51

Lower = better quality (16 recommended for HDR)

Key Facts

Category
Images, Audio & Video
Input Types
file, select, range
Output Type
file
Sample Coverage
4
API Ready
Yes

Overview

The SDR to HDR Converter allows you to transform Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) videos into vibrant High Dynamic Range (HDR) formats. By expanding the color gamut to the BT.2020 color space and enhancing brightness, contrast, and saturation, this tool upgrades your standard footage for modern HDR-compatible displays.

When to Use

  • •When you need to prepare standard definition or SDR video clips for playback on HDR10, HDR10+, or HLG compatible televisions and monitors.
  • •When you want to remaster older video footage by boosting its peak brightness, contrast, and color saturation to match modern display standards.
  • •When you are exporting video projects for platforms that support high dynamic range content and require BT.2020 color space encoding.

How It Works

  • •Upload your SDR video file in MP4, MOV, MKV, or other supported video formats up to 500 MB.
  • •Select your target HDR format, such as HDR10, HLG, or HDR10+, and adjust the brightness, saturation, and contrast enhancement sliders.
  • •Configure the output quality (CRF), encoding speed preset, and desired container format, then initiate the conversion to generate your enhanced HDR video file.

Use Cases

Remastering legacy SDR home videos or archival footage to display with richer colors and higher contrast on modern HDR TVs.
Preparing broadcast-ready video content by converting standard footage into the HLG format.
Enhancing gameplay recordings captured in SDR to make highlights pop and shadows deeper before uploading to HDR-supported video platforms.

Examples

1. Remastering Legacy Travel Footage

Independent Videographer
Background
A videographer has a collection of scenic travel videos shot in standard dynamic range (SDR) that look washed out on modern 4K HDR displays.
Problem
The footage lacks the vibrant highlights and deep contrast expected by modern clients viewing on HDR10 screens.
How to Use
Upload the SDR MP4 video, select HDR10 as the target format, set brightness enhancement to 40, contrast enhancement to 15, and set the encoding speed to slow for maximum quality.
Example Config
{
  "videoFile": "scenic_italy.mp4",
  "hdrFormat": "hdr10",
  "brightnessEnhancement": 40,
  "contrastEnhancement": 15,
  "crf": 16,
  "preset": "slow",
  "outputFormat": "mp4"
}
Outcome
A high-quality HDR10 MP4 video with expanded BT.2020 color space, brighter highlights, and richer contrast.

2. Preparing Broadcast-Ready HLG Video

Broadcast Editor
Background
A television editor needs to deliver a short promotional clip for a broadcast channel that requires the HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) standard.
Problem
The original source clip was recorded in standard SDR Rec. 709 format.
How to Use
Upload the source MOV file, choose HLG as the HDR format, apply a moderate saturation boost of 10, and set the output format to MOV.
Example Config
{
  "videoFile": "promo_clip.mov",
  "hdrFormat": "hlg",
  "saturationBoost": 10,
  "crf": 18,
  "preset": "medium",
  "outputFormat": "mov"
}
Outcome
An HLG-compliant MOV video ready for broadcast transmission with enhanced color saturation and dynamic range.

Try with Samples

video, file
Video Samples
Sample video files in different formats and orientations
preferred input family video
video
Video AV1 Samples
Sample video files encoded in AV1 format
preferred input family video
video
Video H.264 Samples
Sample video files encoded in H.264 (AVC) format
preferred input family video
video
Video H.265 Samples
Sample video files encoded in H.265 (HEVC) format
preferred input family video
video

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FAQ

What HDR formats are supported?

The converter supports HDR10 (PQ), HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma for broadcast), and HDR10+ (dynamic metadata).

What is the recommended CRF value for high-quality HDR output?

A Constant Rate Factor (CRF) of 16 is recommended to maintain high visual quality during the HDR conversion process.

Can I convert large video files?

Yes, the tool supports video file uploads up to 500 MB in size.

How does the tool simulate HDR from an SDR source?

It remaps the color space to BT.2020 and applies custom brightness, contrast, and saturation boosts to expand the dynamic range.

Which output video formats can I choose from?

You can export your converted HDR video as an MP4, WebM, MKV, AVI, or MOV file.

API Documentation

Request Endpoint

POST /en/api/tools/video-sdr-to-hdr

Request Parameters

Parameter Name Type Required Description
videoFile file (Upload required) Yes -
hdrFormat select No Target HDR format for conversion
brightnessEnhancement range No Enhance brightness to simulate HDR (0-100)
saturationBoost range No Increase color saturation (0-50)
contrastEnhancement range No Enhance contrast (0-50)
crf range No Lower = better quality (16 recommended for HDR)
preset select No -
outputFormat select No -

File type parameters need to be uploaded first via POST /upload/video-sdr-to-hdr to get filePath, then pass filePath to the corresponding file field.

Response Format

{
  "filePath": "/public/processing/randomid.ext",
  "fileName": "output.ext",
  "contentType": "application/octet-stream",
  "size": 1024,
  "metadata": {
    "key": "value"
  },
  "error": "Error message (optional)",
  "message": "Notification message (optional)"
}
File: File

AI MCP Documentation

Add this tool to your MCP server configuration: 

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "elysiatools-video-sdr-to-hdr": {
      "name": "video-sdr-to-hdr",
      "description": "Convert SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) videos to HDR (High Dynamic Range) format with enhanced brightness and BT.2020 color space",
      "baseUrl": "https://elysiatools.com/mcp/sse?toolId=video-sdr-to-hdr",
      "command": "",
      "args": [],
      "env": {},
      "isActive": true,
      "type": "sse"
    }
  }
}

You can chain multiple tools, e.g.: `https://elysiatools.com/mcp/sse?toolId=png-to-webp,jpg-to-webp,gif-to-webp`, max 20 tools.

Supports URL file links or Base64 encoding for file parameters.

If you encounter any issues, please contact us at [email protected]