PixelTools HDR Toolkit: SDR-to-HDR DCTLs for Resolve

The complexity of managing dual HDR and SDR deliverables has long been a chokepoint in post-production. Colorists and post-production supervisors know the painstaking process of trimming a high-brightness container after an SDR master has been approved, often leading to additional, granular approval sessions. PixelTools has released its HDR Toolkit, a DCTL suite for Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve, designed to address these workflow inefficiencies for both current projects and catalog remastering efforts. The release was covered by Newsshooter on July 13, 2026.

For years, the industry standard for delivering content has evolved, with HDR becoming a prevalent requirement alongside traditional SDR. This dual-delivery mandate often translates into significant time and resource expenditures. The core issue lies in maintaining the artistic integrity of an approved SDR grade when expanding it into the wider gamut and dynamic range of HDR. Without specialized tools, this frequently means rebuilding the grade or engaging in extensive, manual trim sessions.

PixelTools' approach with the HDR Toolkit aims to circumvent this by anchoring the approved SDR master as a foundational element within the HDR container. Instead of initiating the HDR grade from scratch, or simply stretching an SDR signal with conventional methods, the Toolkit positions the approved SDR image directly within the HDR space. This allows the subsequent trim session to focus exclusively on managing highlight roll-off, peak nits, and diffuse white values, rather than re-establishing the core look and creative intent. This method also applies to remastering archival SDR content into HDR, offering a structured path to reuse existing approved masters.

The HDR Toolkit is comprised of three distinct DCTL (DaVinci Resolve Color Transform Language) tools:

SDRtoHDR: Anchoring the Approved Look

The SDRtoHDR tool is the cornerstone of the PixelTools suite. Its primary function is to map the approved SDR image directly into the HDR container while preserving the established look. This is a critical distinction from simpler up-conversion methods that often necessitate extensive re-grading.

Consider a scenario where a colorist has spent weeks finessing an SDR grade, achieving a precise balance of contrast, color, and exposure that aligns with the director's vision. Historically, transitioning this to HDR would involve either a separate HDR grading pass (effectively starting over) or a conversion process that might introduce unintended shifts in the mid-tones and shadows, forcing a meticulous re-adjustment of every scene.

With SDRtoHDR, the approved SDR master is used as the base. This means that the creative decisions embedded in the SDR grade (such as specific color palettes, shadow detail, and mid-tone luminance) are retained. The HDR trim session then becomes a precise exercise in expanding the upper end of the dynamic range, allowing highlights to extend into the HDR container without compromising the carefully crafted SDR foundation. This drastically reduces the labor involved in matching the creative intent across both deliverables and minimizes subjective interpretation during the HDR pass. The focus shifts from recreating the grade to intelligently expanding its dynamic range, a nuanced but significant difference for professional colorists.

PQ Limiter: Ensuring Technical Specification Compliance

A constant challenge in HDR post-production, particularly with a client-side QC, is adherence to technical specifications. Peak luminance values, if exceeded, can result in failed quality control reports. The PQ Limiter tool is designed to manage this proactively. It holds peak luminance under the specified ceiling, a crucial step for final delivery.

In a professional post-production environment, quality control (QC) is non-negotiable. Deliverables must meet stringent technical specifications set by distributors and streaming platforms. For HDR, this frequently involves specific peak nit targets (e.g., 1000 nits, 4000 nits). Manual monitoring and correction of these luminance peaks across an entire program can be time-consuming and prone to human error, especially in dynamic scenes with bright light sources or specular highlights.

The PQ Limiter acts as a safeguard. By actively holding peak luminance under the specified ceiling, it aids in preventing QC rejections related to over-bright pixels. This is not about creatively crushing highlights, but rather managing them within the technical boundaries required for distribution. It allows a colorist to work confidently within the HDR container, knowing that the final output will meet the necessary technical criteria, thereby reducing rounds of revision and ensuring a smoother delivery pipeline. This tool provides a deterministic control over a variable that often causes significant headaches during final mastering.

PQ False Color: Visualizing Luminance Across the Frame

The PQ False Color tool provides a nit-calibrated overlay, offering a direct visual representation of luminance levels within the image. This kind of real-time feedback is invaluable for colorists making critical decisions about highlight management in HDR.

False color displays are not new to post-production, but a nit-calibrated version tailored for HDR workflow offers a much more immediate and intuitive understanding of luminance distribution than waveform monitors or numerical readouts alone. When working with HDR, the precise value of a highlight (e.g., whether it's 500 nits, 1000 nits, or approaching 4000 nits) dictates how it will render on different HDR displays. Subjectively judging these values without visual aids can be difficult, leading to inconsistencies.

The PQ False Color overlay provides a practical, visual guide:

- Highlight Management: Instantly identify areas that are approaching or exceeding target peak luminance, allowing for precise adjustments with the SDRtoHDR and PQ Limiter tools. This avoids the situation where a highlight appears acceptable on a reference monitor but is technically out of spec, or conversely, is unnecessarily crushed.