---
title: "How to Read HDR Scopes in DaVinci Resolve: A Guide for Non-Colorists & OTT Delivery"
author: "Cutsio Team"
date: "2026-04-11"
lastmod: "2026-04-11"
category: "Video Editing"
excerpt: "Demystify HDR scopes in DaVinci Resolve. Learn how to read the waveform monitor for 1000-nit OTT delivery standards like Netflix and Amazon Prime."
tags: ["DaVinci Resolve","HDR","Color Grading","Scopes","OTT Delivery"]
---

## How do you read HDR scopes in DaVinci Resolve for OTT delivery?

To read HDR scopes, enable the Waveform monitor, click the settings icon to change the scale to "HDR" (measuring in Nits instead of 0-1023), and ensure your diffuse white highlights sit around 200 nits while specular highlights peak below your target maximum (e.g., 1000 nits).

Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) scopes measure video signals on a relative scale from 0 (black) to 1023 (white). High Dynamic Range (HDR) changes the math entirely. HDR scopes measure absolute light output in "Nits" (candelas per square meter). When delivering a project to Netflix or Amazon Prime, they require strict adherence to HDR standards (like Dolby Vision or HDR10). If you are grading for a 1000-nit display, your waveform scale will reach 10,000 nits. You must train your eye to place normal skin tones and paper-white objects in the lower 100-250 nit range, reserving the massive upper register strictly for practical lights, sun reflections, and fire.

## Why is it critical to enable the HDR scale on the DaVinci Resolve Waveform?

It is critical to enable the HDR scale because grading an HDR timeline while looking at an SDR (0-1023) scope will result in wildly inaccurate brightness levels, leading to instant rejection by OTT quality control (QC) departments.

If you leave your scopes in the default data level mode while working in an ST.2084 (PQ) HDR color space, the waveform will lie to you. The visual representation of the data will not correlate to the absolute light output expected by the television. By switching the scope to "HDR," DaVinci Resolve remaps the graticule to a logarithmic scale of Nits. This allows the colorist to mathematically verify that their specular highlights are hitting exactly 1000 nits, ensuring the file passes the rigorous automated QC checks required by major streaming platforms.

## How should you present HDR grades to stakeholders who lack HDR monitors?

Present HDR grades by exporting a tone-mapped SDR trim pass and uploading it to Cutsio, allowing stakeholders to review the creative intent securely in a branded environment on standard devices.

One of the biggest hurdles in HDR post-production is client review. You cannot send an HDR master file to a director who is watching on a standard SDR laptop screen; the colors will look washed out and the contrast will be broken. The workflow requires the colorist to render an SDR "trim pass" (a tone-mapped version of the HDR grade). Uploading this SDR version to Cutsio provides a frictionless presentation layer. The stakeholder views the video in a white-labeled environment, understands the creative intent, and provides approval via Cutsio’s gates without technical display issues.

## FAQ

### What is a Nit in video editing?

A Nit is a unit of measurement for brightness (luminance). A standard SDR television outputs roughly 100 nits, while modern HDR televisions can output 1000 to 4000 nits.

### What does PQ mean in HDR?

PQ stands for Perceptual Quantizer (ST.2084). It is the mathematical transfer function used in HDR10 and Dolby Vision to translate digital video data into absolute brightness levels on a display.

### Do I need an HDR monitor to grade HDR in DaVinci Resolve?

Yes, it is impossible to accurately grade HDR content without a specialized, calibrated reference monitor capable of outputting at least 1000 nits of peak brightness.