Hi,

It seems to be a potential interaction between the AI processing, the original video's characteristics (like High Dynamic Range - HDR), and the selected export settings.

Here is a breakdown of potential reasons and troubleshooting steps you can take to address this:

Potential Causes:

• HDR and Color Space Conflicts: One of the most frequently caused reasons for color shifts and darkening after export in CapCut is related to High Dynamic Range (HDR) footage and color space settings. If your original video was shot in HDR, or if CapCut's settings are not correctly configured to handle HDR during editing and export, it can result in the exported video appearing darker or with washed-out colors on displays that are not HDR-compatible. AI Ultra HD's processing might interact with HDR information in a way that contributes to this issue during the conversion or export process.
• Compression During Export: While CapCut Pro offers higher quality exports, some degree of compression is inherent in the export process. In certain scenarios, especially with specific codecs or bitrates, this compression might subtly affect the luminance levels, leading to a darker appearance.
• Software Glitches or Cache Issues: CapCut can sometimes experience temporary glitches or accumulated cache data that might interfere with the export process and lead to unexpected results like color shifts.
• Display Differences: The display you are viewing the exported video on can also influence how dark it appears. Ensure you are viewing the exported video on a calibrated display if possible, as different screens can render colors and brightness differently.

Troubleshooting Steps:

1. Check Your Project's Color Space Settings:

   • In CapCut, look for project settings related to color space. If your original footage is Standard Dynamic Range (SDR), ensure your project and export settings are also set to SDR (often labeled as Rec. 709).
   • If your original footage is HDR, experiment with different HDR export options within CapCut if available, or consider converting your footage to SDR before editing if maintaining consistent brightness across various displays is crucial.

2. Adjust Brightness and Contrast Before Export:

   • If you suspect the issue is a general darkening, try manually increasing the brightness and slightly adjusting the contrast of your video within CapCut before exporting. This can help compensate for any darkening that occurs during the export process.
   • In the final step before exporting, go back and slightly increase brightness or exposure (+5 to +10).
   • This compensates for any dimming that might happen during export with AI Ultra HD.
   • Preview the video again to confirm it looks slightly brighter than usual (to compensate for darkening after export).
3. Check Display vs Export Differences
   • Preview brightness ≠ Exported brightness. The editor preview might appear brighter due to CapCut’s real-time preview optimization, but the export is based on actual video data.
   • Try playing the exported video in multiple players (e.g., VLC, QuickTime) and on different devices to verify if the issue is consistent.

4. Experiment with Export Settings:

   • While you're using AI Ultra HD, review your other export settings. Try exporting with a higher bitrate if the option is available, as this can reduce compression artifacts that might affect brightness.
   • Ensure your resolution and frame rate settings match your desired output and the capabilities of the platform you plan to share on.
5. Make Sure You’re Using sRGB Color Space
   • Some devices record or render in HDR or a wide color gamut (like Display P3), but CapCut may tone-map that to sRGB.
   • Before exporting, try:
     • Converting any HDR media to standard dynamic range (SDR).
     • Avoid mixing HDR and SDR clips in one project.

6. Clear CapCut Cache:

   • Accumulated cache data can sometimes cause performance or export issues. Try clearing CapCut's cache within the application settings. The exact steps may vary slightly depending on your device and CapCut version.
7. Disable Hardware Encoding
   • Some devices or systems with hardware encoding enabled can mess with color profiles.
   • On CapCut PC:
     • Click on your profile picture > Settings.
     • Look for an option like Hardware Acceleration or Encoding and try disabling it.
     • Re-export the video.
8. Change AI Ultra HD Settings or Skip It Temporarily
   • Sometimes AI Ultra HD can over-sharpen and auto-correct brightness/contrast in ways that darken shadows or midtones.
   • Try this:
     • Export without AI Ultra HD enhancement.
     • Or choose the “Standard” export preset with 4K or 1080p manually, and compare.
     • Click Export and wait for it to render.
     • Check the exported video in a neutral video player (like VLC) to compare.

9. Update CapCut:

   • Ensure you are using the latest version of CapCut Pro. Updates often include bug fixes and performance improvements that might address export issues.

10. Re-install CapCut:

    • If the problem persists, a clean re-installation of CapCut might resolve underlying software conflicts or corrupted files.
    • This resets any glitched rendering settings.

11. Export a Small Section for Testing:

    • Before exporting your entire video, try exporting a small section with AI Ultra HD enabled and your chosen settings. This allows you to quickly check if the darkening issue occurs and experiment with different settings without waiting for a full export.

12. Compare with Friends' Settings:

    • Since your friends are not experiencing the issue, try to identify any differences in their CapCut settings, particularly regarding import, project, and export options, as well as the characteristics of their original video footage.

By systematically trying these steps, you should be able to identify the cause of the darkening issue and achieve a more consistent and desirable video output when using CapCut's AI Ultra HD feature. If the problem continues, consider reporting it to CapCut support, providing details about your original footage, project settings, export settings, and the steps you've already taken.