If the deliverable is SDR, I would plan and verify the HDR-to-SDR conversion rather than trusting a capture card’s HDR badge. Source, capture format, application interpretation and output must agree. A plausible-looking preview on one monitor is not proof that the delivered file is correctly interpreted.
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Our recommendation
I would choose a documented capture mode and prove the final SDR file before an important session. An HDR-capable card is a component of the workflow, not a guarantee of correct delivery.
Identify what enters the recorder
OBS’s capture-device guidance says HDR capture requires suitable device support and a 10-bit format such as P010, and lists tested hardware rather than guaranteeing every card. Check the current firmware, driver and application requirements for the exact device. The card’s marketing resolution does not describe every supported capture mode.
Record the source signal, capture settings and intended delivery colour space. Keep HDR capture and SDR delivery as separate stages. If you choose to capture an SDR-converted signal instead, identify where that conversion happens so it is not repeated later.
Test highlights and ordinary content
Use a short source segment containing bright highlights, midtones, text and skin or another familiar subject. Inspect the recorded file’s metadata and its interpretation in the editor. Then export the intended SDR proof and view it through a normal SDR route.
Check for clipped highlights, unusual saturation and washed-out contrast. Change one stage at a time. Avoid compensating with an arbitrary contrast filter before establishing whether the input was misinterpreted or converted twice.
A conversion map
Write “HDR source → supported capture mode → editor interpretation → one planned SDR conversion → SDR export”. If the capture device already outputs tone-mapped SDR, revise the map to show that. The map exposes an accidental second conversion more clearly than a collection of screenshots from unrelated settings panels.
Before you act
- Verify the exact supported capture mode.
- Identify where the SDR conversion occurs.
- Inspect metadata and a rendered SDR proof.
Use the Delivery workbook to apply the guide to your own setup.
Keep exploring
- Plan an HDR-to-SDR delivery as an explicit color conversion
- Washed-out exports: a color-management checklist
Sources and research notes
Research checked on 21 October 2026. Product specifications are manufacturer statements; examples and buying judgements are our analysis. No hands-on product test is implied.
Build on what you just learned
Your next useful step.
Separate color interpretation from delivery.
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Read the guide →Washed-out exports: a color-management checklist
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