How to Watch HDR Content on a Mac
High dynamic range video, or HDR for short, is all the rage right now and supported by many of the latest Mac models and displays. Unfortunately, correctly playing HDR video on your MacBook or Apple display isn’t quite as easy as it could be.
Which Mac models support HDR?
The following Mac models support HDR video playback:
- MacBook Pro 2018 and later
- MacBook Air 2018 or newer (external HDR playback requires M1 chip or better)
- iMac 2020 or newer
- iMac Pro
- Mac mini 2018 or newer
- Mac Pro 2019 or newer
- Mac Studio
Not all of these models have built-in displays, and some of them don’t display a particularly impressive HDR image.
HDR video doesn’t look good without enough peak brightness (measured in nits) to make the picture pop. The 2021 MacBook Pro models can reach a peak brightness of 1600 nits for impressive HDR output, while the 2018 MacBook Air will disappoint with its peak brightness of 300 nits.
Keep this in mind for external displays as well. The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) tests and certifies monitors so you know what to expect from HDR performance. Go for the VESA DisplayHDR 600 standard or better, as DisplayHDR 400 will disappoint if HDR is a priority for you.
Don’t get us wrong: there are plenty of decent monitors that are certified with the DisplayHDR 400 standard. These may be ideal for SDR content with high refresh rates, good pixel density and excellent color reproduction. Poor HDR performance doesn’t mean a monitor is bad for general use, so don’t be put off if that’s not a priority for you.
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Getting external HDR displays to work
You can connect an HDR display to a supported display like Pro Display XDR via DisplayPort (through your Mac’s Thunderbolt port), via an HDMI output or USB-C hub with an HDMI port, or via a Thunderbolt connection .
After connecting your HDR display, you need to enable HDR mode in your Mac’s display settings. To do this, connect your monitor and go to System Preferences (System Preferences) > Displays.
The sidebar shows all currently connected displays (or just one display if you’re using a single external monitor setup). If you’re using a MacBook, your internal display will also be listed. Select the external display and check the “HDR mode” box. The display should flicker and reappear.
You don’t have to do anything to enable HDR on your MacBook’s built-in display, HDR should “just work” if the content is recognized.
Play HDR video files
With everything up and running, you need to find a suitable media player to play whatever you want to watch. Your Mac can play HDR10, Dolby Vision, and HLG formats on built-in displays (and Pro Display XDR). For external displays, macOS uses HDR10. Dolby Vision and HLG content is converted to HDR10 for display on HDR-capable monitors.
QuickTime Player is a good choice, especially for HDR videos shot on an iPhone or camera. It comes with your Mac and will open and display MP4 HEVC (h.265) files correctly. The macOS Photos app also plays HDR videos from your iPhone (and similar) natively.
Unfortunately, QuickTime Player has its limitations, especially when it comes to HDR video files within an MKV container. We had problems with other players like VLC and Elmedia Player, which also displayed these videos correctly. We ended up using a premium app called Movist ($4.99) to play these files correctly on both the internal MacBook Pro display and an external LG C2 OLED TV.
Other HDR sources you can use
The most readily available HDR content is available on the web, with YouTube taking the lead. You can play this content in most major browsers, including Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Vimeo also supports 4K content in HDR.
When it comes to streaming 4K HDR content from Netflix, Safari is one of the best options, as long as your internet connection is good enough. This is thanks to Safari’s support for HDCP 2.2. Apple TV+ also (of course) supports HDR content in the Apple TV app, which runs natively on macOS.
Unfortunately, browser support for 4K HDR content is still not well supported by other streaming services (like Paramount+ and Disney+).
Unlock the brightness of your HDR display in SDR mode
If you have a 2021 MacBook Pro or a Mac connected to Apple’s Pro Display XDR, you can unlock the brightness normally reserved for HDR content with an app called Vivid. The app costs €20 (about $20) and has a free “split screen mode” so you can see the difference before you buy.
This could be a useful tool if you’re having trouble using your MacBook or Pro Display XDR in bright sunshine. In normal operation, these displays hover at a maximum brightness of around 500 nits, but Vivid will push past that while causing only a minor increase in operating temperature.
Developers claim that “Vivid doesn’t use low-level display hacks to push your display to levels it shouldn’t. The temperature of your displays will increase by 5-10%, but macOS will limit the maximum brightness if necessary.” Of course, Vivid takes no responsibility for any damage caused, so be very careful before investing in and using the app.
Great for movies and some games
The HDR display mode is great for watching movies and playing some games, but it’s not essential for everyday use. YouTube, Netflix, and other streaming sites provide an SDR version if you don’t have (or don’t want to use) HDR mode.
To understand the benefits of HDR, you need to understand dynamic range. One of the ways you can do this is by editing your photos to get more detail out of the shadows and highlights.
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