High Dynamic Range (HDR) color grading

Use the following workflow to adjust color grading in the Rec.2020/S-Log3 color space and then convert to high dynamic range (Rec.2020/S-Log3, Rec.2020/HLG, or Rec.2020/PQ) or standard dynamic range (Rec.2020 or Rec.709) color spaces for distribution.

  1. Adjust Catalyst Prepare options for HDR color grading:

    1. Click the Options button .

    2. From the Working color space drop-down list, choose Rec.2020/S-Log3 (HDR).

      3. When you choose Rec.2020/S-Log3 from the Working color space drop-down list, the SR Live for HDR controls are displayed to allow you to convert between standard- and high-dynamic-range content:

      SR Live metadata source

      Choose a setting from the SR Live metadata source drop-down list to choose how SR Live metedata processing is performed:

      • When SR Live metadata source is set to None and Adjust SR Live settings manually is off, no SR Live processing is performed.

      • When SR Live metadata source is set to None and Adjust SR Live settings manually is on, SR Live processing is performed only for the visible controls.

      • When SR Live metadata source is set to Clip and Adjust SR Live settings manually is off, metadata settings from the current clip are used when converting between standard- and high-dynamic-range content.

      • When SR Live metadata source is set to Clip and Adjust SR Live settings manually is on, metadata settings from the current clip and manual control settings are used when converting between standard- and high-dynamic-range content. For more information, see "Adjust SR Live settings manually."

      • When SR Live metadata source is set to External file and Adjust SR Live settings manually is off, metadata settings from an external .srm file are used when converting between standard- and high-dynamic-range content.

      • When SR Live metadata source is set to External file and Adjust SR Live settings manually is on, metadata settings from an external .srm file and manual control settings are used when converting between standard- and high-dynamic-range content. For more information, see "Adjust SR Live settings manually."

        • When SR Live metadata source is set to Clip or External file, Catalyst Prepare uses recommended SR Live values for clips generated by Sony devices even if SR Live metadata values are not present in the clip.

        When SR Live metadata source is set to External file, the selected file's values are used as SR Live default values.

      Adjust SR Live settings manually

      Enable the Adjust SR Live settings manually switch to enable the SDR gain, SDR knee, and Black adjustment switches to manually control settings for converting between standard- and high-dynamic-range content.

      When SR Live metadata source is set to Clip or External file and Adjust SR Live settings manually is on, clip metadata and manual control settings are used for conversion.

      Click the Load button to load settings from the selected clip and set the SDR gain, SDR knee, and Black adjustment controls to match the clip settings. You can then fine-tune the settings manually, and the manual adjustments will be used for conversion.

      You can double-click a control to reset it to the default value. When SR Live metadata source is set to External file, the selected file's values are used as SR Live default values.

      SR Live settings are applied in the following cases:

      • When exporting Rec.2020/S-Log3, S-Gamut3/S-Log3, S-Gamut3.Cine/S-Log3, or Sony RAW/X-OCN source clips to Rec.2020/S-Log3, Rec.2020/HLG, Rec.2020/PQ, or SDR formats when the Output color space drop-down is set to Same as preview or Same as external monitor.

      • When exporting Rec.2020/HLG clips to Rec.2020/HLG or SDR formats when the Output color space drop-down is set to Same as preview or Same as external monitor.

      • When exporting Rec.2020/PQ clips to Rec.2020/PQ or SDR formats when the Output color space drop-down is set to Same as preview or Same as external monitor.

      • When exporting SDR clips to Rec.2020/S-Log3, Rec.2020/HLG, Rec.2020/PQ, or SDR formats when the Output color space drop-down is set to Same as preview or Same as external monitor.

      When Use SR Live metadata is off and Adjust SR Live settings manually is off, color management uses default settings, and no SR Live processing is performed.

      When Output color space is set to Rec.2020/HLG AIR Matching, Rec.2020/HLG (bypass OOTF), Rec.2020/PQ AIR Matching, or Rec.2020/PQ (bypass OOTF) in Options, no SR Live processing is performed.

      Conversion mode

      When External file is selected in the SR Live metadata source drop-down list, the Conversion mode section displays conversion settings for the selected external .srm file:

      • Conversion mode displays the file's HDR/SDR conversion mode.

      • HDR look displays the file's look setting for source HDR content.

      • HDR black compression indicates whether black compression is enabled to improve the appearance of low-luminance levels.

      SDR gain

      When the switch is enabled, you can drag the Gain slider to choose the gain that is applied when reading SDR content or when exporting to an SDR format or displaying on an SDR display.

      For example, if you set the slider to -6.0 dB, a linear gain of +6.0 dB (2.0x) is applied when reading SDR content, and a linear gain of -6.0 dB (0.5x) is applied when exporting to an SDR format or displaying on an SDR display.

      Black adjustment

      Enable the Black adjustment switch to adjust black levels:

      • Drag the Master black slider to adjust the master black level.

      • Drag the HDR black offset slider to apply an offset to the Master black value for HDR content.

        The Master black and HDR black offset values should match the settings on the HDRC-4000 HDR Production Converter Unit.

        On the HDRC-4000, the SETTING MODE should be set to SONY SYSTEM CAMERA, and the ABS mode should be set to enabled.

      Gamma settings

      When External file is selected in the SR Live metadata source drop-down list, the Gamma section displays gamma settings for the selected external .srm file:

      • Table displays the file's gamma table.

        When a hypergamma value is selected, you must adjust the SDR gain value manually:

        • Hyper 1: Increase SDR gain by 5.0 dB. For example, if your clip's original SDR gain value is -6.0 dB, you will need to increase SDR gain by 5.0 dB for an SDR gain value of -1.0 dB.

        • Hyper 2: Increase SDR gain by 8.0 dB. For example, if your clip's original SDR gain value is -6.0 dB, you will need to increase SDR gain by 8.0 dB for an SDR gain value of 2.0 dB.

        • Hyper 3: Increase SDR gain by 3.0 dB. For example, if your clip's original SDR gain value is -6.0 dB, you will need to increase SDR gain by 3.0 dB for an SDR gain value of -3.0 dB.

        • Hyper 4: Increase SDR gain by 6.0 dB. For example, if your clip's original SDR gain value is -6.0 dB, you will need to increase SDR gain by 6.0 dB for an SDR gain value of 0.0 dB.

      • Step indicates the gamma strength in steps (0.35 to 0.90).

      • Level indicates the gamma strength in analog values from -100 to 100.

      SDR knee

      Select the SDR knee switch to apply a knee curve to the RGB output gain when exporting HDR content to an SDR format or displaying on an SDR display. While the SDR gain setting applies a linear gain, a knee curve can help preserve midrange colors and highlights.

      When using knee parameters on the Sony HDRC-4000 HDR Production Converter Unit, please enable ABS mode and confirm the R, G, B values in the HDRC-4000. Adjust the values in Catalyst Prepare to match. Using different R, G, B values is not supported.

      • Drag the Point slider to adjust the position of the knee point in the curve.

      • Drag the Slope slider to adjust the slope of the curve above the knee point.

      • To adjust the color intensity in the output image, select the SDR knee saturation switch and drag the Level slider. Increasing the saturation can help compensate for decreased saturation around the knee curve.

      White clip

      When External file is selected in the SR Live metadata source drop-down list, the White clip section displays the white clip settings for the selected external .srm file:

      White clip indicates whether the white clip level is used when exporting HDR content to an SDR format or displaying on an SDR display.

      Level indicates the white clip level: 0 is the default setting; lower settings decrease the white clip level, and higher settings increase the clip level.

      The File tab in the Inspector displays the SDR White Clip and SDR White Clip Level settings for the selected clip.

      HDR knee

      When External file is selected in the SR Live metadata source drop-down list, the HDR knee section displays information about the HDR knee curve for the selected external .srm file. The HDR knee curve is applied to the luminance (Y) when exporting HDR content to an SDR format or displaying on an SDR display. The HDR knee value adjusts brightness to conform to SDR output.

      When using knee parameters on the Sony HDRC-4000 HDR Production Converter Unit, please enable ABS mode and confirm the R, G, B values in the HDRC-4000. Adjust the values in Catalyst Prepare to match. Using different R, G, B values is not supported.

      • Point indicates the position of the knee point in the curve.

      • Slope indicates the slope of the curve above the knee point.

    3. From the Preview color space drop-down list, choose the color space for the Catalyst Prepare video preview window.

      In most cases, choose Rec.709 for your computer monitor, or you can choose other settings to check your video using scopes. For more information, see "Loading a clip/clip list for color adjustments and configuring the waveform, histogram, and vectorscope monitors."

    4. From the External monitor color space drop-down list, choose the setting that matches the EOTF (electro-optical transfer function) setting on your external monitor.

      You can use the AIR Matching (Artistic Intent Rendering) or bypass OOTF settings to achieve a consistent look between external-monitor previews and rendered clips.

      Using AIR Matching to monitor using the S-Log3 (Live HDR) EOTF

      Sony BVM-X300 version 2.0 monitor settings:

      • Color Space: ITU-R BT.2020

      • EOTF: S-Log3 (Live HDR)

      • Transfer Matrix: ITU-R BT.2020

      • In the Catalyst Prepare Options menu, choose Rec.2020/S-Log3 from the External monitor color space drop-down list.

        Content mastered using these settings and rendered to HLG or PQ with AIR Matching should have the same look on HLG or PQ monitors or televisions.

      Using bypass OOTF to monitor using the S-Log3 (HDR) EOTF

      Sony BVM-X300 version 2.0 monitor settings:

      • Color Space: ITU-R BT.2020

      • EOTF: S-Log3 (HDR)

      • Transfer Matrix: ITU-R BT.2020

      • In the Catalyst Prepare Options menu, choose Rec.2020/S-Log3 from the External monitor color space drop-down list.

        Content mastered using these settings and rendered to HLG or PQ with bypass OOTF should have the same look on HLG or PQ monitors or televisions.

      Converting HDR media to SDR color spaces

      When converting HDR media to standard dynamic range color spaces, use the following settings to preserve your Rec.2020/S-Log3 grading (the dynamic range of the HDR color space will be clamped to the BT.709 gamma curve):

      • In Options, set the Working color space to Rec.2020/S-Log3 (HDR).

      • In Options, enable the SDR gain and SDR knee switches and adjust the controls to choose the gain and knee curve that will be applied when exporting to an SDR format or displaying on an SDR display.

      • In Options, set the Preview color space for the video preview to Rec.709 or Rec.2020.

      When converting HDR media to standard dynamic range color spaces, use the following settings to preserve more of the dynamic range of the original HDR media:

      • In Options, set the Working color space to Rec.709.

      • In the Inspector, set the Convert to color space to 709(800), HG8009G33, or HG8009G40.

    5. From the External monitor device drop-down list, choose the device where you've connected a monitor that supports the Rec.2020 color gamut and an HDR luminance curve, such as the Sony BVM-X300.

    6. From the Monitor resolution drop-down list, choose the appropriate resolution for your external monitor.

  2. Click the Organize button at the top of the Catalyst Prepare window to view the Media Browser.

  3. Double-click a clip in the Media Browser to load the clip you want to edit. When you load a clip, the color-correction settings saved with the clip are loaded.

    Color correction is available only in Edit mode.

  4. Click the Adjust Color button at the bottom of the Catalyst Prepare window. In this mode, Catalyst Prepare displays a waveform/histogram/vectorscope monitor, a video preview, and color controls that you can use to adjust the appearance of your video.

    The waveform/histogram/vectorscope monitor and video preview window allow you to monitor your progress as you adjust color values. For more information, see "Editing Color Adjustments controls."

  5. Click the Inspector button in the toolbar to display the Inspector pane if it isn't already visible. In the Adjust Color workspace, the Inspector pane provides controls that you will use to adjust color-grading settings.

  6. Use the color wheels and controls in the Inspector pane to adjust your colors as needed. For more information, see "Editing Color Adjustments controls."

  7. Click the Tools button at the bottom of the Catalyst Prepare window and choose Export color settings from the menu if you want to export your settings as a 3D LUT file.

    For more information, see "Exporting color-correction settings."