Remove hdr without converting. Just remove hdr from mkv files

[fits79]

Hi.


Is there any way to simply remove hdr from any mkv file without re-converting?
Just like we remove the dts-hd and get only the dts core from any mkv file with mkvtoolnix.


Is there any way to do it with any program?

[poisondeathray]

No; you need to tonemap

[fits79]

what is tonemap?

[Cornucopia]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tone_mapping

[fits79]

So with little words i can't simply remove hdr from a mkv without recoding all the file?

[sneaker]

Correct.

[Selur]

Assuming we are talking about hdr-10 or hdr-10+ it should be possible to remove the hdr meta data, but your video would have 'dull' colors which would look way different than the hdr data.
It would be the same as watching a hdr movie on a non-hdr display which does not hdr->sdr color adjustments (= tone mapping).
https://www.mysterybox.us/blog/2016/10/27/hdr-video-part-5-grading-mastering-and-delivering-hdr has some nice screen shots like:

left one is HDR content on SDR display without tone mapping, the two on the right basically show different tone mapping methods applied.

Cu Selur

[fits79]

So even i remove the hdr if i don't do the tone remapping the video shows as it is the left picture.
Correct?

[smrpix]

Put another way, you can't remove HDR you can only interpret it.

[Selur]

So even i remove the hdr if i don't do the tone remapping the video shows as it is the left picture.
Correct?

Yes, the one on the left is what a hdr10/hdr10+/doblyvision video looks like without the hdr data.
So without reencoding, removing the hdr data is usually not what you would aim for.