X

690Final Cut Pro User Guide
View HDR video in the Final Cut Pro viewer
In Final Cut Pro 10.4.7 or later, you can choose how to view HDR video in the viewer. The
available options depend on the capabilities of your display and which version of macOS
you’re using.
On systems with macOS Catalina 10.15 or later, you can view HDR video in the viewer with
tone mapping applied, which compresses bright image content and reduces the apparent
dynamic range of the video to fit the viewable range of your display.
On systems with macOS Mojave 10.14, you have the option to show details in HDR video.
This “flat” view is helpful when you need to see pixel details (for example, to select an area
with an eyedropper or add a Draw Mask effect).
Important: To play back the wider range of colors in an HDR project with maximum
accuracy, you can use the A/V Output feature with an external reference HDR video
monitor. See
Play media on an external display in Final Cut Pro.
View HDR video on macOS Catalina 10.15 or later
When you view HDR video on macOS Catalina 10.15 or later, the Show HDR as Tone
Mapped setting is turned on by default in most cases, applying tone mapping to the HDR
image in the viewer. This setting does not affect how HDR content is displayed on an
external monitor using A/V Output.
Important:
If the Pro Display XDR is set to HDR Video or another reference mode preset in
the Displays pane of System preferences, tone mapping is disabled.
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. Click the View pop-up menu in the upper-right corner of the viewer, then, in the Display
section, make sure that Show HDR as Tone Mapped is turned on (a checkmark appears
next to it).
If you’re using a system with a Pro Display XDR, this setting is appropriate for day-to-day
playback and editing with the default preset (“Apple Display P3-1600 nits”) in Displays
preferences. To use the Pro Display XDR for critical tasks such as color correction, see
Color correct HDR video with Pro Display XDR and Final Cut Pro.
View HDR video on macOS Mojave 10.14
When you view HDR video on macOS Mojave 10.14, highlights above the reference white
level, typically 100 nits, appear clipped in the viewer on a Mac display. To see the image
details of HDR clips or projects, use the Show HDR as Raw Values setting.
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. Click the View pop-up menu in the upper-right corner of the viewer, then, in the Display
section, make sure that Show HDR as Raw Values is turned on (a checkmark appears
next to it).