Transform your standard dynamic range (SDR) videos into true high dynamic range (HDR) withRuby, Runway's native color grading model.
Whether your footage comes from a Runway generation, a third-party model, or your own video library, you can now upgrade its brightness and color range for professional-grade output.
What is SDR to HDR conversion?
SDR to HDR conversion is powered by Ruby, a Runway-native video color grading model that takes any SDR input video and updates its brightness and color range to produce true HDR outputs. It works with:
- Videos generated in Runway (from any model)
- Videos generated by third-party models
- Existing video files you upload
The result is a richer, deeper, more cinematic image suitable for professional film and VFX pipelines.
Spec details
| Plan/Platform availability | Max plan or higher, all Runway Dev accounts | |
|---|---|---|
| Creation mode support | Sessions, Workflows | |
| Credit cost | 20 credits per second of video | |
| Unlimited support | No | |
| Supported output formats | Output format | Bit depth |
| Linear BT.2020 EXR sequences | 16-bit | |
| ACEScg EXR sequences (ACES 1.3 & 2.0) | 16-bit | |
| ProRes 4444 | 12-bit | |
| ProRes 422 & 422 HQ | 10-bit | |
| HDR10 & HLG | 10-bit | |
If you're on a lower tier and want access, upgrade to the Max plan from your workspace settings.
Converting SDR video to HDR
With the Ruby model in Tool mode
To convert any video, including footage that wasn't made in Runway, select Ruby directly from the model picker:
- In Tool mode, select Ruby from the video model picker
- Select Upload to add a video from your device, or Select to choose one from your assets
- Choose your desired Output format
- Select Generate to start the conversion
Before generating in a Session
Automatically start a conversion upon a generation's completion by following these steps:
- In Tool mode, select your model of choice and enter your inputs
- Select the HDR option in the settings bar to open the Convert with Runway Ruby menu
- Select the desired format to immediately start the conversion once the generation completes
After generating in a Session
After generating a video within a Session, follow these steps to conveniently convert to HDR:
- Beneath your output, select the HDR button
- Select the desired format to instantly start the conversion
In a Workflow
- Right click on the canvas
- Search for the Convert to HDR - Ruby node and add it to the canvas
- Connect your video output to the node's input
- Open the node's Settings to choose your Output format
- Run the node
Working in ACES pipelines
If your composites and grades are part of an ACES-configured pipeline, Ruby can deliver conversions as scene-referred ACEScg OpenEXR sequences. Choose the ACEScg 1.3 or ACEScg 2.0 output format to match your pipeline's ACES version, and the resulting ZIP of half-float EXR frames drops into tools without an extra transform step.
ACEScg outputs are available anywhere Ruby runs: Sessions, Workflows and Runway Dev. Gen-4.5's native HDR outputs can also be delivered in ACEScg.
Viewing HDR content
HDR looks stunning when it's displayed on hardware that can render it properly, but many external monitors and standard displays cannot show HDR content accurately.
If your screen can't render HDR, Runway will show a warning in the app. You may still generate and download the file, but the preview won't reflect the true HDR quality.
Tips for the best viewing experience
- Use a recent MacBook — the built-in display renders HDR well.
- Download the asset and view it in a professional player rather than in the browser.
- Confirm your monitor supports HDR10 or HLG before evaluating results externally.
Tips for best results
For the highest fidelity, start with the cleanest SDR source available. Higher-quality inputs produce more accurate HDR conversions with better color and depth.
FAQ
Can I convert videos that weren't made in Runway?
Yes. Select Ruby from the model picker in Tool mode and upload any SDR video, whether it came from another generative model, a camera or your existing library.
What's the difference between the ACEScg and Linear BT.2020 EXR formats?
Both deliver 16-bit half-float EXR sequences. The ACEScg formats are scene-referred in the ACEScg working space, built for ACES-configured compositing and grading pipelines. The Linear BT.2020 format is display-referred linear light in the BT.2020 gamut. If your pipeline runs an ACES configuration, choose the ACEScg version that matches it; otherwise, Linear BT.2020 is the right starting point for compositing.