Runway has launched Ruby, a new video model designed to convert standard-dynamic-range (SDR) footage into high-dynamic-range (HDR) video while preserving the source material for professional post-production workflows. The model can convert existing uploaded videos or previously generated Runway outputs of up to 30 seconds into HDR formats, including 16-bit EXR image sequences and 10-bit or 12-bit ProRes and HEVC.
The launch expands Runway’s focus from generative video creation into AI-assisted professional finishing and post-production. Ruby is aimed at workflows where greater color depth and HDR output are important, including film, television, visual effects and other professional video applications. Runway says the model supports BT.2020 color with PQ or HLG transfer functions, giving creators more options for integrating converted footage into modern HDR production pipelines.
Runway Ruby Converts SDR Footage Into HDR
Ruby is designed specifically for video conversion rather than generating an entirely new scene from a text prompt. Users can provide existing footage, including previously generated Runway video, and have the model transform SDR material into HDR.
The model is compatible with videos up to 30 seconds, making it suitable for individual shots, clips and short sequences. The output can be delivered in professional formats rather than being limited to compressed consumer video files.
Runway Ruby At A Glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Model | Runway Ruby |
| Primary function | SDR-to-HDR video conversion |
| Maximum source duration | Up to 30 seconds |
| HDR output | Up to 16-bit |
| EXR output | 16-bit EXR sequences |
| ProRes output | 10-bit and 12-bit |
| HEVC output | 10-bit and 12-bit |
| Color space | BT.2020 |
| HDR transfer functions | PQ and HLG |
| Availability | Max and Enterprise plans |
The combination of high bit depth, HDR color and professional formats differentiates Ruby from consumer-focused video enhancement tools. Rather than simply increasing brightness or contrast, the workflow is intended for footage that needs to move into a professional color and finishing environment.
16-Bit EXR Brings Ruby Into VFX Workflows
One of the most significant parts of the launch is support for 16-bit EXR sequences.
OpenEXR is widely used in professional visual-effects and compositing workflows because it can preserve substantial image information and provide greater flexibility during post-production. Runway’s Ruby output can therefore be delivered as individual 16-bit EXR frames instead of a conventional compressed video file.
This is particularly relevant when footage needs additional grading, compositing or visual-effects work after the AI conversion.
Ruby’s Professional Output Options
| Output | Bit Depth | Likely Workflow |
|---|---|---|
| EXR sequence | 16-bit | VFX and compositing |
| ProRes | 10-bit / 12-bit | Editing and professional finishing |
| HEVC | 10-bit / 12-bit | HDR delivery and distribution |
| BT.2020 | Wide color gamut | Modern HDR workflows |
| PQ | HDR transfer function | HDR10-style workflows |
| HLG | HDR transfer function | Broadcast and compatible HDR delivery |
Runway already supports professional video formats such as ProRes and PNG sequences in other parts of its platform. Its documentation describes ProRes as a format designed for editorial and broadcast pipelines and PNG sequences as a format intended for VFX and compositing.
Ruby extends that professional orientation specifically to AI-based HDR conversion.
Why SDR-To-HDR Conversion Matters
Most older or traditionally produced footage was captured and mastered for SDR displays. HDR production, meanwhile, provides a wider range between the darkest and brightest portions of an image and can represent a broader range of colors.
Converting SDR footage into HDR can therefore make older material more suitable for modern display technologies and HDR-focused distribution.
However, simply increasing the numerical brightness of SDR footage does not recreate information that was never present in the original signal. AI-based conversion attempts to make more intelligent decisions about how existing visual information should be represented in an HDR output.
That makes the quality of tone mapping, color reconstruction and preservation of image details particularly important.
SDR And HDR Workflow
| Stage | Traditional SDR Workflow | Ruby HDR Workflow |
|---|---|---|
| Source | SDR video | Existing SDR video |
| Processing | Manual color work | AI-assisted conversion |
| Dynamic range | SDR | HDR |
| Color space | Typically narrower | BT.2020 |
| Output depth | Varies | Up to 16-bit EXR |
| Finishing | Manual grading | Can continue in professional tools |
| Delivery | SDR formats | HDR-compatible formats |
The practical advantage for production teams is the possibility of accelerating a process that can otherwise require significant manual color and finishing work.
Ruby Supports PQ And HLG
Runway says Ruby works in BT.2020 color with both PQ and HLG.
PQ, or Perceptual Quantizer, is widely associated with HDR mastering and formats such as HDR10, while HLG, or Hybrid Log-Gamma, was developed with broadcast and live-production applications in mind.
Supporting both gives production teams flexibility depending on their intended distribution environment.
For example, a studio preparing content for HDR streaming may have different technical requirements from a broadcaster working with HDR television workflows.
HDR Standards Supported By Ruby
| Technology | Purpose |
|---|---|
| BT.2020 | Wide-gamut color space |
| PQ | HDR transfer function for high-dynamic-range mastering |
| HLG | HDR transfer function designed with broadcast compatibility in mind |
| 10-bit | Higher color precision for ProRes/HEVC |
| 12-bit | Greater precision for professional video workflows |
| 16-bit | High-precision EXR image sequences |
This technical flexibility is important because professional video production rarely uses one universal delivery specification.
Ruby Can Process Existing Runway Videos
The model is also designed to work with existing content rather than requiring users to regenerate a clip.
Runway says Ruby can process either an uploaded video or a video generated within the Runway platform, provided the source is no longer than 30 seconds.
That creates a potentially useful workflow for creators who have already generated footage using Runway’s video models but want to prepare the material for a more demanding post-production pipeline.
Potential Ruby Workflow
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Upload existing SDR footage or select a Runway generation |
| 2 | Process the clip with Ruby |
| 3 | Convert SDR material into HDR |
| 4 | Select a professional output format |
| 5 | Export as ProRes, HEVC or 16-bit EXR |
| 6 | Continue editing, grading or compositing |
This approach could reduce the need to move between multiple AI and post-production applications for certain workflows.
Runway Is Moving Deeper Into Professional Video
Ruby arrives as Runway continues to broaden its platform beyond text-to-video generation.
The company has been building a wider set of tools for editing, generation, workflows and professional exports. Its current platform includes proprietary models as well as selected third-party models, while its product documentation emphasizes workflows designed around video creation and transformation.
Professional export options are also becoming more important. Runway currently supports ProRes and PNG sequence outputs in selected tools, with these formats available to Max and Enterprise users.
Ruby fits into this strategy by addressing a different part of the production pipeline: converting footage for HDR finishing rather than generating the footage itself.
Availability Is Initially Limited
Runway says Ruby is available to Max and Enterprise users. The company’s current plan documentation identifies Max as its high-generation creator plan, while Enterprise is aimed at organizational customers.
The initial availability suggests that Runway is positioning Ruby primarily toward professional creators and businesses rather than making the feature immediately available across all subscription tiers.
Runway Ruby Availability
| Category | Status |
|---|---|
| Max | Available |
| Enterprise | Available |
| Standard | Not listed as available |
| Pro | Not listed as available |
| Maximum source duration | 30 seconds |
| Professional outputs | Supported |
The limited availability also reflects the resource requirements associated with processing high-bit-depth HDR video.
HDR Could Become More Important For AI Video
Generative video has largely focused on visual realism, motion consistency and resolution. As AI-generated footage becomes more common in professional production, the next challenge is integrating that footage into established cinematic workflows.
Color depth and HDR support are important parts of that integration.
A generated clip that looks impressive in a consumer preview may still need significant technical processing before it can be used in a professional production pipeline. High-bit-depth exports allow colorists and compositors more flexibility when making adjustments.
Ruby therefore addresses a relatively specialized but important problem: making AI-generated or existing SDR footage more compatible with workflows built around modern HDR production.
The Bigger Picture
Runway Ruby represents a shift toward AI being used not only to create video but also to prepare and finish video for professional production. By converting SDR material into HDR and supporting 16-bit EXR alongside 10-bit and 12-bit ProRes and HEVC, Runway is targeting a part of the workflow traditionally handled by specialist post-production tools.
The launch also shows how generative-AI companies are expanding across the video-production stack. Runway is combining generation, editing, workflow tools and professional export capabilities, while Ruby adds AI-assisted HDR conversion to that ecosystem. If the technology can preserve image quality consistently, it could make HDR finishing more accessible to smaller studios and independent creators while giving professional teams another automation tool.
Looking Ahead
The key test for Ruby will be how accurately it can convert SDR footage without introducing unwanted artifacts, artificial colors or details that were not present in the source. Professional production teams are likely to judge the model less by its ability to produce visually impressive HDR clips and more by whether its outputs remain predictable enough for color grading, compositing and broadcast workflows.
Runway’s support for high-bit-depth EXR and professional video formats gives Ruby a stronger position in that market than a simple consumer HDR filter. As more AI-generated footage enters film, advertising and television production, tools that can bridge the gap between generative video and established post-production standards could become increasingly important. Ruby’s launch suggests that the next stage of AI video competition may involve not only who can generate the most realistic footage, but also who can make that footage production-ready.
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