Turn your Apple monitor into a color accurate display in DaVinci Resolve

Here's a simple workflow and a new tool to use your Apple display as a trustworthy reference monitor.
Grab the macOS Viewing Transform from the video to unlock your Apple display:
procolor.ist/apple-display-tr...
*IMPORTANT NOTE*: This video will NOT provide a fix for the "gamma shift" problem of images looking different after export than they did while grading. This is a separate issue from getting an accurate image during the grading process, and one we'll cover in more detail soon!
--------
Grab my Voyager LUT Pack. 17 LUTs to provide beautiful looks for any type of project so you can grade faster, take every image further, and attract better and better jobs.
procolor.ist/voyager-lut-pack
Get my free Kodak 2383 film print LUT for DWG and ACES here:
procolor.ist/freelut
Check out my ebook, The Colorist's 10 Commandments:
procolor.ist/ebook

[@zlobna_bulka]

as I see in a comments, we definitely need more information about gamma shift issue and 709-A tag. thank you, Cullen.

[@JasonBowdach]

Excellent work, Cullen!

[@jsimps0110]

Can't tell you how much this helps!. Been researching this for a week now and so glad I caught this on your channel.

[@RneeErneNree]

So awesome! Thank you very much Cullen, this workflow is pretty straightforward, the explanation quite clear, and I’m sure this will be much appreciated by the amateur color community.

[@Andrew-vi7je]

I literally asked you for this in a comment on your last video! You're so awesome. Thank you so much Cullen!!!! 😭😭

[@nicholasbrecken7357]

Woah. What perfect timing.

[@manuelsweingarten]

Cullen this by far the best video I’ve watched, regarding this topic. As per usual, well explained and easy to understand. Thanks a ton 🙏🏼

[@CullenKelly]

So glad to hear it, thanks!

[@hafeezdop]

That's very helpful, I always end up when grading on my Macbook on the go, darkening the image cos off using the display incorrectly, but after this you just save me too much of rendering and testing out lol. And ofcurse for my professional grading I always go with a trusty reference monitor in the grading room.

[@leepatterson]

You're a mind reader! I was looking into this very question 24 hours ago! Thank you so very much

[@UraFlight]

Same as me 😊I’m even contacted Davinci Resolve support. Waiting for a reply from them.

[@JohnMoran]

This is what I've needed FOREVER since getting a studio display, thank you! You're really almost the only one I can find on this.

[@sonidojamon]

This deserves a BIG THANK YOU!!

[@videooutpost]

I would love to see you do a video talking more about options for monitors and reference displays whether it be Ezios, LGC3 or Sony BVMs. A "guest engineer" to talk with you would be awesome.

[@QualityAntics]

I have been so frustrated with grading in resolve after always knowing what I’m getting on Final Cut. The only thing that made my export as close to what I saw on my GUI was to have a CST from 709 2.4 to 709a . Made it look too contrasty but on export it looked like what I saw. SO FRUSTRATING. Hopefully this new setup will work. Thanks!

[@jaiwaite1120]

Mate. I've been tearing my hair out trying to solve that gamma shift on export on my Mac. This fixed it, well explained. Legend

[@noahdolinsky]

Great video tnx. One question though, is this good for outputting a DCP for movie theatre screening?

[@organismx]

Awesome information !!! Please drop some affiliate links to entry level calibration tools and reference monitors.

[@JGorg8]

I feel like a video like this for the new QD-OLED monitors would be amazingly helpful since they're going to be insanely color accurate looking at the specs, but the same issues you're solving here is needed

[@tomshinan1892]

Until this video, I used to set my timeline to Rec.709 (scene) and my output to Rec.709-A, when using my Macbook Pro screen for grading Rec.709 footage. But Cullen is using Rec.709 2.2 for output, and feeding his custom LUT with a Rec.709 2.2 input (using the second CST node before the custom LUT). So, given that I follow the exact steps shown in the video, should I stop using Rec.709-A altogether?

[@CraigHolland_Productions]

Amazing workflow. Thank you for the tips!

[@chfilm]

YES! I was waiting for a video by you on this specific topic, owning two Pro Display XDRs.. there is so much nonsensical information out there on this topic.. Thx Cullen, you're the man! Any advice on a calibration solution for the pro Display XDR? Is there any way to do this with lesser devices than the 15.000 $ ones that apple suggests? And the second question- I guess you output with Gamma 2.4, right? The Lut inverse-compensates while viewing for the 1-1-1 file tagging that lifts the image when viewed in the browser, right?

[@airbeoneairbeone2872]

A huge thanks dear Cullen. Thoses precious advices on the DCI P3, the gamma 2.2, your macDisplay's LUT downloaded have solved my washed's flavors aspects when broadcasted onto plateforms, such as Vimeo or Ytube. As same as often I've read in the comments, I was questioning and dealing about this issue, then you've dedicated one tutorial in september onto this unsolved problem... Are you directly connected with us ? You've saved my day, thanks dear maestro. 🥰

[@shueibdahir]

This doesn't actually fix it. You just don't see it but others with displays that use gamma 1.96, 2.2 2.4 or even 2.6 will definetly notice. You need to entirely bypass apple color sync by using a blackmagic video card. That way resolve takes control of the HDMI output signal of the video card and directly exports the clean feed without mac os interfering in the middle.

[@camilitoo]

Hi Cullen great video as always ❤ I have a question: Does this LUT work for any reference monitor calibrated to DCI-P3 D65 color space or just for Apple Monitors? Thank you in advance 😊

[@ejrocks123]

This is super helpful😊

[@gabrielebradley]

lol suggestion for next video: how to calibrate a monitor and create a 3d lut with DisplayCal. This could be very useful for many starting out and wanting to get serius about grading :)

[@berlinbluestar]

Hey, could you also make a video about how to grade for cinema?

[@Rogeras32]

Do it in a projection room

[@3DimeMedia]

Thanks Cullen. Any calibration tips/LUTs for colourist using Resolve on iPad Pro please? It’s hard to tell what P3 color space it’s defaulted to.

[@MylonasFilms]

I would love to know this

[@elcasanelles5806]

How do you manage to always do the video that I need? 😂 But I'm not sure if we can still add the voyager luts on the timeline level with this workflow.

[@MichaelKaykov]

Thank you!!!!!

[@MrTink_]

Thank you for this video! I have a question though, I have an Apple Studio Display and an Eizo CG279x as my reference monitor. It's connected straight to my Mac Studio via USB-C and set to BT709. Do I need to uncheck the "Apple Display Color Space" in resolve so that it doesn't mess with the colours on the reference monitor? What would that workflow look like?

[@letromortel]

Thanks Does it work the same with the video clean feed ? What would be the settings to benefit of the entire ColorSync profil of the Apple Display (Gamut P3D65 & Gamma 2.2 with 300 nits) ? Why not put the lut in Project Setting ➧ Color Management ➧ LUT ➧ Color Viewer LUT, instead ?

[@Cloud1242]

You've upgraded my grading so much with your careful explanations. If there is one thing I could hope for, it's a deep dive on Davinci export settings! Thank you!!!

[@alaeifR]

I have a MPB 16" and I found that if I (in System Preferences) set up a custom Display Preset, set it to Rec.709, D65, BT.1886, and then crucially UNTICK "Apply System Gamma Boost", and then grade into Rec.709 Gamma 2.4 in Resolve, then it translates perfectly between a KZbin/Vimeo upload and Resolve. I wish we could move beyond this though and live life with a bit more colour. Most people not on PC or Android can reproduce P3 these days.

[@getmarked]

this should be the correct workflow, right? Choosing reference mode Rec.709, D65, BT.1886 to be sure that your work is not affected by colorsync etc.

[@techknowbabble]

Hi long time listener first time caller! I have an HP z31 they don't have HDR but they have the same color reproduction if not better. I usually run them in the Native color space preset, should i be using DCI P3 D65?

[@AlexanderMarshallI]

You really do a whole lot to help out, and it is all much appreciated!

[@davidschwan]

Great Thank you Bro!

[@EldenEleSinema]

You are a savior. :)

[@rodprod8522]

This how critical are the tone mapping settings? I don't usually change them when doing a CST?

[@JalilTheBourne]

For PC I did this before for my mini home suite By bypassing Windows OS color management for my Eizo monitor and color mange it with rec709 ICC profile by targeting my Eizo monitor to rec709 2.4 and it works perfectly and it match my studio reference monitor with I/O box

[@musicelect]

Rather than placing the LUT on a node, you can apply it to the color viewer in Resolve color settings. It only affects the color viewer, not the export or anything else.

[@CullenKelly]

There's a good reason I don't suggest doing it this way! Happy to discuss further in Grade School

[@musicelect]

@@CullenKelly I’d be curious to know

[@shueibdahir]

@@CullenKellyi want to know aswell

[@jena1821]

you are my lifesavor thank you

[@slipoch6635]

Just so people know the LG display used by Apple is very good, but the white point is at a weird spot and the entire colour gamut is shifted away from P3 standard toward the green end I believe. The display has ~95% DCI P3 coverage (When Apple say P3, they mean to their own P3 standard). It's a great screen, but the C3 and newer LG panels are more accurate and also a lot brighter (you can get them up to ~850 nits) so you could feasibly do the low-end of hdr grading on those. BUT in all of these cases, please create a colour profile for your monitor using a sensor, also you will want to redo this at least once every two months at least in the beginning to see if there is any shift.

[@rioricardo]

i tried it, and it works :D.. i usually use rec709-A as my output instead of gamma 2.4.. but now i can confidently use gamma 2.4 as my output.

[@sidclove6788]

but in this he talks about putting gamma 2.2. Have u tried it?

[@srivero24]

Thanks for this great tip!

[@oshrigetreuer1490]

Is this about the grade itself or the exports? I work with your usual workflow but use Rec.709-A both in the color management and export settings (I use sRGB when using ACES). Exports look exactly the same on all my Apple devices and different PCs. I don't have gamma shift (used to when working on Rec.709 2.4) but I might have a slight tint shift depending on the monitor.

[@matthewblacklock2972]

I use a similar workflow with the Bt.1886 reference mode enabled on my Apple display and to eye it’s a perfect match to a calibrated LG OLED, and by tagging Rec709-A I’ve also gotten consistent reproduction across apps/devices. Curious about Cullen’s thoughts on using the reference profiles that Apple is shipping with their more recent devices (including iPad Pro now)

[@koushikbhattacharya832]

it is awesome

[@VisionOneCreatives]

My asus laptop is factory calibrated to the pantone palette. Any ideas what to do for that? I also use a pixio px247 which when adjusted seems to reproduce pretty accurate colors I believe in srgb. Is there something I need to do after the rec709 2.2 output transform for this? I know non of my stuff is pro, and I don’t use it professionally. It would be nice to improve my creations, though.

[@xuanzhou8068]

hi cullen, thanks for sharing this, very useful! question about that LUT, is it very close to a rec.709 2.2 - rec 709 1.96(A) transform?

[@CullenKelly]

Sure thing! Not exactly, but you've got the right idea.

[@peturthor5140]

So a basic take on this is that IF I am running with a colour accurate reference monitor which is connected to BMD Ultrastudio to bypass colorsync altogether - It would be correct to simply target rec709 2.4 and deliver to that as well? I'm mainly thinking of content that would go out to multiple platforms - TV and the interwebs to be exact. Or would you do any kind of a trim for internet content?

[@CullenKelly]

Great question Petur! We'll be covering this in greater depth soon, but short answer to your question would be yes. Mastering gamma 2.4 in dim surround and then playing back on a 2.2 display with bright surround (most common web viewing setup) will give you a rough approximation of what you saw while mastering.

[@peturthor5140]

@@CullenKelly - Great - Look forward further deepen my understanding of this all - The main thing is that I would like to get as close as possible in one go if that's possible .. If not then I would of course be prepared to make the necessary adjustments.

[@DavidFitt]

Thanks a lot Cullen, learning a lot here8 I do have a quick question: when you do color management through the nodes, which color management do you put in the settings ? DaVinci YRGB? Or can it be Aces or DaVinci Color Managed? Thank you!

[@CullenKelly]

Great question, you can do this either through node management or through a color managed workflow. The important part is paying attention to what your output transforms are. You can effectively work either in Aces/DWG or whatever large gamut you prefer.

[@J_HNP]

Cullen, it looks like this is one of your most viewed videos, yet I feel like this video left many of us hanging for a follow-up video. Any plans to release more info in an attempt to solve this issue?

[@SeanCruser]

Was very excited about this video - but feel like it has only confounded my Apple MacBook workflow. I use display BT1886 preset and turn off Mac displays in DVR while working in rec709 Gamma 2.4 color managed project. Exports looks same on OLED; but stills always have a gamma issue with stills/exports when viewed on other apple devices etc not in that 1886 setting.. I am sure Cullen has more illuminating and susinct insights on all this Apple silliness.

[@CullenKelly]

Hey Sean! As I mentioned toward the beginning, this video isn't intended to address the gamma shift issue -- we're laying the foundation here, but "Do my exports match what I saw when grading?" is a distinct question from the one we're answering here: "Am I getting an accurate rendering of my image while grading?" More to come!

[@MaximoJoshua]

This is awesome, I have always been curious because the MacBook Pro 16" has a lot of specific color profiles, and I was curious how good it could get. I have two questions, maybe there is a reason for this, maybe it doesn't work the way I expect... 1. Could you group your clips and then add the Input to the group pre-clip and and Output to the group post-clip? That would mean that your actual clip based node tree would be only focused on actual changes and would make it a little cleaner? i assume these changes are for every clip, so putting them on a different "level" then the clip would be more organized? I might be thinking about this wrong, so not sure if that makes any sense... 2. There is an option in Resolve, in the color management project settings called "Video monitor Look Up Table", I thought, and again, I am a total noob, so maybe it doesn't work with this flow, but I had thought that this would be the LUT you are using for your monitor, similar to the last node you have? I was curious if maybe it automatically doesn't apply it to the render as it marks it as only for visual reference while working? I can just imagine people forgetting to turn it off before rendering sometimes or maybe forgetting to turn it off on one cliip? Your workflow is very specific, so could be that that feature is meant for something different. sorry, I guess I have one more question, and that is on the MacOS display settings, mine has p3-1600 nits? Is that not useable in this flow? Both that and the P3-500 Nits are listed in the top section so I assume they are both "Native"? Edit to say thank you for all your content, great video!

[@Rogeras32]

Use the default color profile. Don't mess with these options, it doesn't matter. First - you put your output color space to rec709-a in the timeline settings, second - you turn on the macos display option, then you just tag the delivery with rec709 / rec709. And that's it, your good to go. No gamma shift, the image looks exactly the same in DVR and in Quicktime.

[@MylonasFilms]

Fantastic. Hill Cullen, i have a great grading set up at home but now i’m flying a lot & might need to just grade on the new iPad Pro. I would love to know accurate setting alone on the iPad, maybe just for online exports. Also… what if my iPad pro was connected to my windows PC but using the new Remote Monitoring’ set up as a reference display. Any settings change there? I assume you don’t have windows but the iPad alone question i would love to know. Many thanks 😊

[@getmarked]

ipad has no colorsync, this issue is tied only to macos.

[@josemiguelherrerapalacin2816]

Bro question: how can I use cineon film looks when I have resolve color management on ?

[@StingRay67_Live]

Thanks for the video. What calibration device would you recommend for my Apple Studio Display? I've heard too many conflicting reports! Cheers.

[@Joey_Riffs]

Hey Cullen. In a DWG colour managed project, are we able to use this LUT at the timeline level on the colour page, that way not having to turn it off on each individual clip and just once in a single node? Thanks so much for the info and look forward to the Gamma shift issue video.

[@CullenKelly]

Great question! Yes you can!

[@mustafaronyzeno4162]

Hi Cullen; would it work for us to add the viewing lut on the timeline node since as i understand that comes after the clip nodes? Just eyeballing it it seems to give the same results but much easier to disable in the end!

[@CullenKelly]

Great question! That's correct, it should work on the timeline level when doing node based color management!

[@eddradcliffe]

Thanks Cullen. Couple of questions. Do you have 'True Tone' on or off, and secondly, why this workflow instead of working to SRGB if delivering for web? The latter gives me consistent results and avoids colour / gamma shift.

[@CullenKelly]

True tone off, and sRGB is something to be avoided IMO, as it creates more problems than it solves. More content to come on solving gamma shift after export -- in this one we're just focused on getting an accurate image while grading.

[@jamielejeune]

⁠@@CullenKelly It is worth noting that the sRGB spec is still part of the equation. Your macOS monitoring LUT exactly matches a color space transform from sRGB encoding gamma as input to 2.2 gamma as output. And, if the goal were to make playback on color sync managed apps of 1-1-1 tagged exports match the Resolve viewer on macOS when set up as you recommend, then a CST from sRGB encoding gamma as input to REC709-A gamma as output should be added at the end of the pipeline to the render. Not that I’m saying it should be the goal. I don’t believe any perfect solution is possible when Apple is doing their own thing when it comes to displaying 1-1-1 tagged video, and for better or worse, 1-1-1 is the default for SDR on the web.

[@Gh0stwr1t3r_]

First thing that came to my mind was to simply put Rec.709-A in the CST output node. Correct me if I tell bs, but isn‘t that the same or very very close to Gamma 2.2? I always thought Rec.709-A was especially designed for Apple displays to tackle the gamma shift of the output😅

[@CullenKelly]

This is a common solution to the "gamma shift" issue, but that's not an issue we're focused on solving in this video. In this one we're asking: “Am I getting an accurate rendering of my image while grading?” as opposed to "Do my exports match what I saw when grading?”. Hope that makes sense?

[@chfilm]

It would really be important to know what settings we should set while exporting the actual output files. Project settings? (2.2)? Rec709a when exporting a h264? I can not get an accurate reproduction of what I see in Resolve in a final QT file with this workflow. I DO get an accurate reproduction when I don't do any of this, don't use the lut but just grade regularly and when outputting convert to rec709a via a CST AND a Gamma Tag when I want to export an h264. When I export ProRes Rec709 I just ignore all of this and export without any 709a tagging etc. should we set the output CST to 2.4 when we render a Prores? Or do we leave everything as is and export a prores with 2.2 gamma? This video is incomplete without those informations..

[@KasbashPlays]

Yeah I'd really like a better dive into what the export settings need to be.

[@johnwaldmann5222]

Surely storing the “display Lut” in the Display lut slot in Resolve preferences. Solves the problem of turning the final Node on and off. At delivery. Or does that output slot only apply to a clean feed output path?

[@TheRealBarkinMadd]

Same question - worth a try to see.

[@sonidojamon]

@@TheRealBarkinMaddI leave this here in case someone comes back with test results 😂

[@DaveKnowlesFilmmaker]

Interesting. Just a thought could you not add the LUT to the Project settings /Colour Management/Video Monitor LUT then not have to worry about switching it off?

[@Visethelegend]

There’s just one way to find out I guess!

[@sonidojamon]

@@Visethelegendbump, in case the answer comes😉

[@anttiheik]

@@sonidojamonSign me up for this info!

[@CullenKelly]

I wish this worked, but unfortunately it adds its own complications....happy to discuss further in Grade School!

[@danmavric2268]

Thanks Cullen, Very much appreciated! Question regarding applying the Color Match X-Rite ColorChecker in DaVinci. I’m using the following footage: ARRI_Helen_John_ALEXA_35_ARRIRAW.mxf Would these Configuration settings for this footage be correct? Source Gamma: ARRI LogC Target Gamma: DaVinci Intermediate Target Color Space: DaVinci Wide Gamut Color Temp: 6500

[@Shimshon_Film_Editor]

Hi Cullen, does this workflow also work in color management or only in cst?

[@CullenKelly]

Great question! Yes, you can use color management with this workflow.

[@jomiblura]

Hey Cullen, is this supposed to be used in the same viewing environment as 709 2.4, meaning a dim environment and screen brightness at around 100 nits? Thank you for your continuous efforts! Michael

[@J_HNP]

It does seem like there should have been a big disclaimer on this video that states, “don’t bother doing any of this until the gamma shift solution is provided” Without the gamma shift solution as an integral part of the strategies in this video, it becomes even more convoluted and confusing when you see a misaligned export. Key information needed here is what tagging option we use for exports. I’m happy to sit and experiment for several hours to find the answer, but are all viewers eager to do the same?

[@CullenKelly]

I see your point, but as I mentioned in the video, we actually need to start with an accurate reproduction of the image, then worry about maintaining that accuracy following export. Otherwise we're just struggling to ensure consistently incorrect reproduction, which is much harder, and not terribly useful. That said, the gamma shift issue is of course vitally important! More content to come on this topic.

[@J_HNP]

@@CullenKellyany update to the second series? I had assumed another video was soon to follow?

[@michakowalski8075]

Hi Cullen, I appreciate Your videos a lot, but why not to use just sRGB output in project settings? It results the same...

[@AlexNesh]

Thanks a lot! But I don’t get what are export gamma settings? 2.2 also for mp4 export?

[@GeraColorz]

So could I use that Mac viewer on the viewer lut option? So it's always on the viewer but doesn't affect the grade? Just so I don't forget it from time to time. Also, once I export to clients what should the output be? Im afraid that if I send a 2.2 to my client they could see it brighter than the still's I've been showing.

[@berlinbluestar]

For some reason the export looks brighter than in resolve.

[@c412yet]

So im on a much older system, for now, but my Apple display is a T1 and it only has one Apple profile which is "Apple RGB". Is that the best option since its a native apple lut or should I pick one of the other actual P3 LUTS such as "P3 D65 Gamma 2.4", or "Display p3" etc? My second question is about the calibration process you mention at the end. Would I then scrap this method, and just calibrate my monitor using that calibrated lut, or calibrate it and continue with this method using the calibrated LUT then as my system base. Thanks!

[@ekredel]

@CullenKelly is there something similar for MacBooks Pro's XDR display? How would you approach that or is the XDR too inaccurate for it to matter? Thanks!

[@uummiid]

Hi Cullen. I've used this lut on a few projects. When exported, videos look great on apple products but show wayy too much saturation on products other than apple's. So I had revert back turning the mac display color option off and the old rec709, gamma 2.4 transforms and timelines. Am I doing anything wrong?

[@uknowy420]

is it applicable for macbooks? what if I output to some other display from my macbook? (not apple display) some generic srgb monitor for example

[@aov_james]

I have question as a beginner..! So when provided lut is enabled, treat mac display as full sized reference monitor without referring to scopes data right?

[@rdc6014]

Hello Cullin may I ask if tone mapping in CST IN in the beginning does any destructive behaviour? Also tone mapping to da Vinci in cst out seem to be very similar to luminance mapping. Will using Da Vinci as CST out tone mapping cause different behaviour for multi camera that is converted to the same color space from CST when applying an overall look before the CST out?

[@chrissnyder4439]

Should I calibrate my monitor or just choose a preset color profile? I ask because when I choose anything related to P3, I get a VERY cool image and is NOTHING like the calibrated display.

[@Miguel.Garcia]

Hi Cullen, what are some of the pre req's for your CCA course? Thanks!

[@CullenKelly]

Great question! There are no per-requesets. If you're interested in signing up, subscribe to the newsletter and we'll let you know when sign ups are open for a new round of CCA.

[@isaacalgutria]

What if you select rec 709A as the output color space under color management instead of rec 709 gamma 2.4 Do you get a more accurate representation on a Mac? Do you use it in tangent with your gamma 2.2 method

[@kamediabb]

Still bit lost... What would my export settings look like? Am I exporting to Rec 709/gamma 2.2?

[@cammackey]

What’s a budget friendly reference monitor you can recommend? Sorry if you’ve covered this already!

[@akyhne]

Any Asus ProArt that goes beyond 500nits (for HDR), would be a good choice. To my knowledge, they all supports 3D LUT box build in, so that you don't have to rely on ICC color profiles.

[@DennisSchmitz]

Tried your workflow with the Lut placed on timeline (But in Rec709 2.4 to match with my OLED) and it seems to be slightly more accurate than using the Rec709-A tag as output colorspace. Good work! Output also looks identical in every color-managed player such as Quicktime, Optimus, Chrome etc.

[@Rogeras32]

You don't have to use Rec709-a as an output tag, to achieve 1-1-1 gamma tag you should put rec709 / rec709 , that way you don't need to worry about quicktime messing up your work with gamma shift. everything is far less complicated. First - you put your output color space to rec709-a in the timeline settings, second - you turn on the macos display option, then you just tag the delivery with rec709 / rec709. That's it.

[@mattstahley6340]

@@Rogeras32 Do you use the built in HDTV BT709 display profile?

[@Rogeras32]

@@mattstahley6340 No, I always use the default Mac Display profile that comes straight out of the box. You don't have to squeeze your display output capabilities to get a decent picture with no gamma shift, you still won't get a properly calibrated gamma 2.4 if you change your display profile to whatever. So why bother :)

[@GabrieleGismondi]

Do you mean at "Timeline level" (not Clip)?

[@Apple_Ryan]

@Cullen kelly Thanks a lot for this. What calobration would you recommend thats not going to cost an arm and a leg.I have a spyder III but it makes screens green like very green using their own software and DisplayCal does not work on M1 Macs. We tested it on many systems and the same green result always ocurs. Except using DisplayCAl but no luck with the Apples computers

[@Apple_Ryan]

Sorry Spyder X pro not spyder iii

[@kenbarnes7853]

Excellent information! Just downloaded the Mac Display LUT! I've got a M1 MacBook Pro with a choice of XDR P3 1600 Nit default or P3 500. Are they both going to be gamma 2.2? Also, your brightness setting looks to be about 75%. Was that as a result of calibration or a recommended brightness? Last question: Between a REC 709 gamma 2.4 calibrated BENQ SW-270C and the MacBook Pro, which would you consider more accurate? Thanks a ton!!

[@mohamadali2066]

Thank you Cullen, I have few questions, What is the brightness level of the mac Display I have to setup at the start, As I know Rec709 is a 100 nit, so shall I pick my light meter and majr a 100 nit before starting, Second many Mac Display support HDR, is it possible to explain how to make it possible to grade HDR1000 or DolbyVision on a Mac Display.

[@BestPlayedLoudLtd]

I have these same questions. What would the XDR display workflow be?

[@Rogeras32]

@@BestPlayedLoudLtd Find an app that can calculate nits through the camera. Find the proper brightness setting. Leave it on forever.

[@TheRealBarkinMadd]

What about the macOS auto-brightness setting, Cullen. On my MacBook Pro, it has this enabled by default and of course this has a huge impact on the display brightness and simply cannot be used as a reference setting (or am I really missing something)? My first thought was to use on of the MacBook reference monitor presets such as the HDTV 709 bt1886 (?) which also disables True Tone and auto brightness. Thx.

[@sonidojamon]

Keep seeing this popping up, but no actual video talking about it. Maybe a pretty recent addition and most haven't caught up yet? Any article or link on this particular setting? I'm curious!

[@sonidojamon]

I found this: Learn about reference modes You can use the reference modes included with your display to match the production requirements of HDR, HD, SD video and other media types. Each reference mode sets the colour space, whitepoint, gamma and brightness on your display. This section provides details about each reference mode included with your display. Apple XDR Display (P3-1600 nits) On MacBook Pro, use this mode for general home and office environments. This mode is based on the wide colour P3 primaries used by Apple displays and includes Extreme Dynamic Range (XDR) support up to 1,600 nits (peak). Pro Display XDR (P3-1,600 nits) On Pro Display XDR, use this mode for general home and office environments. This mode is based on the wide colour P3 primaries used by Apple displays and includes Extreme Dynamic Range (XDR) support up to 1,600 nits (peak). Apple Display (P3-500 nits) Use this mode for general home and office environments. This mode is based on the wide colour P3 primaries and supports a brightness range of up to 500 nits typical of Apple built-in displays. On Studio Display, this mode appears as Apple Display (P3-600 nits) and supports a brightness range of up to 600 nits. HDTV Video (BT.709-BT.1886) Use this mode for high-definition video production workflows targeting the ITU-R BT.709 and BT.1886 recommendations. This mode is designed for controlled viewing environments set up per ITU-R BT.2035. Digital Cinema (P3-DCI) Use this mode for motion picture and post-production workflows using the P3 theatrical colour space and digital cinema whitepoint. This mode is designed for controlled viewing environments set up per SMPTE RP 431-2:2011. Digital Cinema (P3-D65) Use this mode for motion picture and post-production workflows using the P3 theatrical colour space with the D65 whitepoint. This mode is designed for controlled viewing environments set up per SMPTE RP 431-2:2011. Internet and Web (sRGB) Use this mode for content creation workflows targeting the web or other internet-based uses. This mode uses the broadly supported sRGB (IEC 61966-2-1:1999) colour space per the W3C CSS Colour Module Level 3 recommendation and is designed for appropriately set up and controlled viewing environments (64 lux is recommended).

[@akyhne]

No OS auto brightness solution should ever be used. Best scenario is, you always do color workflow in a dark room, or at least a room, with the same level of light, no matter the time of day. Some monitors with 3D LUT box build in, can have a light sensor, for auto adjustment, and some calibration software, can auto adjust according to ambient light, via the colorimeter. But best option is really to disable it all, and always do color workflow in a dark room. For SDR, a calibrated monitor between 80-120 luts/nits is ideal, and for HDR, anything above 600 nits, and ideally 1000 nits.

[@CullenKelly]

Yep, auto-brightness should be disabled (even though I mistakenly left it on in this recording 😂)

[@huggeebear]

@@CullenKelly but then what brightness level should you set your display to? This seems to be critical, otherwise all bets are off regarding what the image looks like to you vs the rest of the world. Full brightness? Half Brightness? 38% brightness?

[@BigsisEditor]

thank you so much for this valuable information! please turn on the “super thanks” so we can donate for these incredible tips. 👍

[@lombardy3274]

Have you tried an sRGB workflow? I set my MacBook Pro XDR display to the sRGB reference preset and output color space/gamma in Resolve to sRGB and it is by far the most consistent presentation across my MacBook Pro, iPhone and Windows Desktop. No gamma shifts across any of the devices. Input color space is CDNG (de-bayered into BMD Gen 4), working color space is DWG, output color space SRGB.

[@paulobernardino3785]

Interesting!

[@getmarked]

@CullenKelly so with this method, what I see in viewer will also see users outside of macos? Thats all I need.. Idc what is quick time showing me, I just want to see accurate gamma of 2.2 in my viewer.

[@maurice_morales]

Hey Cullen I'm curious to know how you're using your reference monitor AND this pipeline for macOS color sync? I'd assume this would affect the image being sent to your reference display.

[@AustinPageofficial]

I think I remember him saying in the video that the point of this is mainly for people who haven't or can't yet invest in a dedicated reference display. This solution is for people using their primary display as their reference monitor as best they can. I think if you have an actual reference monitor then you would just skip this step altogether and trust the reference monitor over the apple display

[@crismotions1127]

Would you then tag your export as Rec709 gamma 2.2 as well?

[@HearBetweenTheLines]

That's also my question exactly!

[@m1nt9reen]

no, because it won't carry over when uploaded to any video platform

[@Traenonify]

Tag it 709-A

[@TheRealBarkinMadd]

Cullen did say that the output tag should be Rec709 gamma 2.2 and of course, this will not solve the gamma shift issue which he also mentioned. Seems like there's more work to do to get the image out when dealing with the fact that many players assume a 1:1:1 color space / gamma.

[@adrianoclinquart]

I tried this doing everything as Cullen said but I tagged the file export in the delivery tab as REC 709-A. By doing that the QT reproduction was more accurate compared to what I saw inside Resolve. On top of that TAG (1-1-1) from 709-A is the standard profile that production companies have been using to send to me their films to be color graded at least in my regular advertising pipeline (ONLINE MEDIA - NOT TV). I tested on an iMac 27 5K using the display color profile: Display P3. This setup worked well trough Resolve "Remote Monitoring".

[@sonidojamon]

This is very valuable info! How about Chrome and other players? Is it consistent?

[@Rogeras32]

You could also use rec709 - rec709 output tag to get the 1-1-1, just put rec709-a in your timeline color space output settings, that way you get the correct gamma tag and no gamma shifts across all media. And the macos displays option should be on, yes.

[@adrianoclinquart]

I didn’t do it because I tried to follow Cullen’s plan as much as possible and putting that 709-A in the output color space tab inside project settings would change our monitoring during the grading.

[@sonidojamon]

@@adrianoclinquart he's right! He could place clip's/timeline's last node adjustment on the monitor sí

[@Rogeras32]

@@adrianoclinquart this is a proven method of grading on macs with Mac monitors and color sync to get consistent results across all media as well as inside DVR. of course with rec709-a tag you get a different gamma in your viewer, but at least you won't have gamma shift if you export with the correct gamma tag and you deliver exactly what you see, but good luck fiddling with additional cst nodes and so on.

[@coltonberry9935]

If my apple display is calibrated, do I need to produce my own unique viewing LUT to add after the ODT? Or am I good to roll with the one that is linked in the download?

[@randallburgess6393]

Awesome thanks ❣️❣️❣️❣️

[@RafalGendarz]

in mac settings on macbook pro there is only colour profile which I have set to colour lcd, should we change this to display p3 or image p3 or ?

[@Rogeras32]

use the default one. Then you put your output color space to rec709-a in the timeline settings, second - you turn on the macos display option, then you just tag the delivery with rec709 / rec709. That way you get a consistent result across both DVR and quicktime.

[@RafalGendarz]

@@Rogeras32 yes, that is what I did earlier

[@GeraColorz]

Do you have any suggestions for an affordable reference monitor? Thing is I've worked with ips reference monitors before like flanders dm240 and contrast seems to be a big issue while monitoring the image vs every other output, specially commercial that is mostly viewed on oled phones or client macbooks. I've seen some ASUS Oled's or Mini Led that look good but heard some bad things about mac connectivity or blooming, etc.

[@kevin.stiller]

What would this workflow look like if you instead receive footage that is already 709 2.4?

[@AustinPageofficial]

in that case wouldn't you just adjust your CST input node settings to be rec709 2.4 to Davinci wide gamut? then I would think everything else would remain the same

[@Georgeinthejungle]

Hey great video, just one question. At 3:15, when selecting a display preset (P3-600nits) you left the "Automatically adjust brightness" option checked. Doesn't that create problems when editing? If yes what would be the "optimum" setting for brightness? (coming from a photo editing world where everything gets edited at 80nits I found this kind of weird).

[@MusaonYT]

What about setting Rec.709-A as the Output color space under Project Settings?

[@sonidojamon]

This video has lota of valuable info, but has raised LOTS of questions as well! Leave this here in case someone answers 😉

[@Rogeras32]

Correct. You do that, then you deliver with rec709 / rec709 gamma tag. And have use mac display option on. And that's it. No luts needed, consistent result across dvr and quicktime.

[@CullenKelly]

This is a common practice designed to solve a different issue than what we're talking about in this video. Goal of this one is to ensure accurate reproduction of the image while grading, while the goal of using 709-A tags is to try and get a matching reproduction following export. More to come on the latter soon (there's a better solution than using 709-A tags).

[@MusaonYT]

@@CullenKelly Thanks Cullen. Looking forward to it.

[@trilliamnellis]

Is there a way to make this technique work if I'm using film emulation powergrades?