Edit HDR video recorded on an iPhone 12

: June 7, 2024
: Apple

Table of Contents

Edit HDR video recorded on an iPhone 12

Edit HDR video recorded on an iPhone 12

Learn about which Apple apps you can use to edit and share Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range (HDR) videos recorded with iPhone 12 models.

iPhone 12 models record video in Dolby Vision HDR. You can check to make sure your iPhone 12 is set to record HDR video in Settings > Camera > Record Video.

Clips

Use Clips to create a new video project, then record or import an HDR video clip recorded with iPhone 12. Add titles, filters, graphics and music, edit your project, then share your video.

iMovie for iOS

Create a movie project in iMovie on iPhone, edit your movie, then share your movie. When sharing your movie, tap Options, then turn the HDR switch on to export your movie in HDR. To share a Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) version of your movie for use on SDR displays, turn the HDR switch off.

iMovie for macOS

In iMovie for macOS 10.2 or later, you can import HDR video into an iMovie project. For HDR video imported in an earlier version of iMovie, you’ll need to reimport it so it displays properly. You can share from iMovie in SDR.

To share an iMovie for macOS project in HDR, you’ll need to install Final Cut Pro or the Final Cut Pro trial on your Mac. In iMovie, choose Edit > Send Movie to Final Cut Pro. You can then follow the steps in the Final Cut Pro section below.

Final Cut Pro

Create a new Final Cut Pro library and set the color processing for the library to Wide Gamut HDR.
Import HDR video recorded with iPhone 12. You can import HDR video directly from your iPhone or the Photos app.
Create a new project and set the color space for your project to Wide Gamut HDR – Rec. 2020 HLG.
Edit your project.
For the highest quality, export an HLG master file or Share to Apple devices with the video codec set to HEVC 10-bit.

Use hardware acceleration to export HEVC 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR

You can use hardware acceleration* to enable fast encoding of HEVC 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR video using Compressor and Final Cut Pro with macOS Big Sur.

In the Settings pane in Compressor (press Shift-Command-1 if it’s hidden), select the Apple Devices 4K (HEVC 10-bit, HLG, Dolby Vision 8.4) setting.
Choose Duplicate from the Action pop-up menu at the bottom of the pane.
Open the inspector, select the Video tab, then set these options:
- Click the “Encoder type” pop-up menu and choose “Faster (standard quality).”
- Select the “Include Dolby Vision 8.4 metadata” checkbox to have Compressor include Dolby Vision 8.4 metadata in the output file.
Select the General tab in the inspector, then type a new name into the Name field such as “Accelerated Apple Devices 4K (HEVC 10-bit, HLG, Dolby Vision 8.4).”
In Final Cut Pro, choose Preferences > Destinations.
Double-click Compressor Settings, then under Custom select the Accelerated Apple Devices 4K preset you created in Compressor.
When you’re ready to share your HDR project, select it in the browser, choose File > Share, then choose the Accelerated Apple Devices 4K preset.

* Hardware acceleration is available only if your hardware supports it.

If you want to upload an HDR version of your project to YouTube, export an HLG master file or Share to Apple devices, then upload the video file to YouTube with a web browser like Safari.

Published Date: November 18, 2020