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689Final Cut Pro User Guide
Color correct HDR video with Pro Display XDR
and Final Cut Pro
On a system with a Pro Display XDR, Final Cut Pro provides the maximum color and
brightness accuracy in HDR video playback. This makes the Pro Display XDR the ideal
professional reference monitor for critical work such as HDR color correction.
The A/V Output feature allows you to send video and audio from your Mac to an external
video monitor. Follow the instructions below to set up a color correction system with
at least two displays: the Pro Display XDR as the external HDR reference monitor and a
display for working with the Final Cut Pro interface.
To color correct HDR video with the Pro Display XDR, you must be using Final Cut Pro
10.4.7 or later and macOS Catalina 10.15 or later.
1. In Final Cut Pro, position the playhead on an HDR clip in the timeline or browser, so that
the clip appears in the viewer.
2. Connect the Pro Display XDR to the Thunderbolt port on your Mac using a Thunderbolt
cable, and make sure the display is connected to power and turned on.
3. To configure the Pro Display XDR, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click
Displays.
4. In the Displays pane on the Pro Display XDR, click the Presets pop-up menu and choose
HDR Video.
When you choose this preset, Final Cut Pro turns off tone mapping to provide
the maximum color and brightness accuracy for HDR video playback on the
Pro Display XDR. The color and brightness is accurate for video content measuring
up to 1000 nits. For more information about tone mapping, see View HDR video in the
Final Cut Pro viewer.
Note: The HDR Video preset is intended for use in a dimmed viewing environment.
5. In Displays preferences, set the Pro Display XDR to be a secondary display.
6. To set the Pro Display XDR as the A/V output device, choose Final Cut Pro >
Preferences (or press Command-Comma), click Playback, then click the A/V Output
pop-up menu and choose Pro Display XDR.
7. In Final Cut Pro, choose Window > A/V Output.
The viewer contents appear on the Pro Display XDR. Viewer features (such as onscreen
controls and the title-safe and action-safe overlays) appear only in Final Cut Pro.
Note: Video and audio are synced at the video frame (not audio sample) level.
To turn off A/V Output, choose Window > A/V Output.