Which MacBooks support HDR?Įvery MacBook Pro and MacBook Air that has been introduced in 2018 or after is capable of supporting HDR video. Another possibility is that there is some problem with the connection between the MacBook and the monitor. If the monitor is incompatible with HDR10 and Dolby Vision or the MacBook doesn't support HDR, it won't be possible to display HDR.

It might be as simple to solve as checking a few options in System Preferences. If an HDR video looks washed out on an external monitor, it indicates some incompatibility in hardware or software. Why is HDR washed out on an external monitor? That means HDR videos will have a good dynamic range but won't come anywhere near to the brightness levels that might be expected if accustomed to watching HDR videos on a recent iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro. That's incredibly intense for a laptop and will deliver an HDR experience that will be quite impressive.Įvery other MacBook to date, including the newest M2 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, have displays with 500 nits of brightness or less. Why doesn't HDR look brighter on a MacBook?Įvery 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro that Apple released in 2021 includes a built-in XDR display that can reach a peak brightness of 1,600 nits for HDR content. If this option is unchecked, a screen that is capable of HDR10 will only show videos in lower-quality SDR. It's important to check that High dynamic range is enabled for the external monitor in the Displays pane of System preferences. Apple recommends updating MacOS to ensure the best possible picture and to support the latest hardware. How to see HDR video on an external monitorĪ MacBook that has HDR capability can also play HDR video on an external monitor as long as the display supports HDR10 or Dolby Vision and a compatible cable is connected to the correct port. To always view HDR content at its best quality on the MacBook's screen, visit the Battery or Energy saver pane in System preferences and uncheck Optimize video streaming while on battery. When the MacBook is unplugged and running on battery power, it might show a standard dynamic range (SDR) in order to extend the time between charges.Īpple does allow this battery-saving feature to be overridden. If your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro is capable of displaying HDR content on its built-in screen, the full dynamic range will be shown when the laptop is plugged into a power adapter. How to watch HDR movies on the MacBook's screen For more complicated setups like a MacBook with an external monitor or when trying to watch an HDR movie on the go, a few more details might need to be checked to make sure the best picture quality is maintained. When a compatible MacBook that already has an HDR display is used at home, it usually just works.

Viewing HDR movies and videos on a MacBook can be quite simple in some cases and frustrating in others.

How to make video on macbook pro