Beyond high resolution, video trends are shifting toward mood and emotional storytelling. Samsung Electronics debuted the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec on Galaxy S26 Ultra, laying the groundwork for mobile video production while maintaining image quality and minimizing loss during editing.
In response, Samsung asked a simple question — can anyone create Hollywood-style videos on a Galaxy mobile phone? The answer is the Cinematic Look-Up Table (Cine LUT) feature on the Galaxy S26 series. While the APV codec provides the foundation for cinema-quality video, Cine LUT brings a distinct color style to the footage.
Cine LUT makes professional-level color grading — once reserved for experts — accessible to anyone. Samsung collaborated with internal teams and external specialists to bring the feature to life. The Mobile eXperience (MX) Business led final camera implementation, Samsung Research developed core video processing technologies and U5K Imageworks — a colorist studio behind globally recognized productions — helped shape its visual aesthetic.
Following the introduction of the APV codec, which delivers a visually lossless level of image quality, Samsung Newsroom spoke with three key developers behind Cine LUT — Sugon Baek of the Camera Image Quality R&D Group at the MX Business, Bomi Kim of the Reality Media Lab at Samsung Research and Taesik Eom, CEO of U5K Imageworks — to hear the story of its creation.
Q. What is a LUT? What sets Cine LUT on the Galaxy S26 series apart?
Baek: A LUT is essentially a “map” that transforms one set of colors into a desired look. Unlike conventional filters that simply overlay color, Cine LUT reinterprets Samsung Log1 footage to deliver the depth and look of professional filmmaking.
Kim: It’s optimized for Log video. By leveraging its wide gradation,2 the feature precisely reconstructs color and brightness to preserve subtle tonal details often lost with conventional filters for richer, more natural depth.
Q. What led to the development of Cine LUT?
Kim: While Galaxy devices supported Log video for high-quality capture, color grading remained challenging for users. We aimed to make professional-looking results accessible without advanced editing skills.
Baek: We wanted to create an experience that lets users preview cinematic footage at the moment of capture, then apply a LUT and share the video with a single tap in the Gallery.
Q. How did the collaboration with U5K Imageworks begin? How was Cine LUT developed?
Eom: Our collaboration began two years ago with Rec. 709 LUT advisory work for Samsung Log video, where we refined strong colors into more natural tones — an experience that led to Cine LUT. For this project, we developed multiple versions across three intensity levels — neutral, soft and strong — and tested them in diverse scenes, ultimately selecting four core styles.
Kim: Building on U5K’s color direction, we validated the concepts against quantitative criteria to ensure consistent performance in different environments, refining them through testing until creative intent and technical quality aligned.
Q. What challenges did you face during development?
Kim: We needed a large dataset to validate performance across diverse conditions. Testing in real-world environments — from natural and indoor lighting to day and night — and close collaboration were key to capturing the nuances of color.
Baek: Maintaining consistent, undistorted color in different environments was challenging. Through continuous testing, we developed a LUT that balances subjective preference with objective quality.
Q. What was the key consideration in creating looks optimized for mobile phones?
Eom: Ensuring reliable performance in real-world conditions was key. Since lighting, exposure and white balance constantly vary, we focused on creating looks that remain natural in any situation.
Kim: Quality was our top priority. We analyzed each frame and validated performance using tools like color charts, gray balance and vector scopes.
Q. Why were these four styles chosen for the Galaxy S26 series?
Baek: We analyzed the visual language of popular film genres and identified four representative styles. From the high-contrast Blockbuster to the fresh Coming-of-age, warm Romance and moody Thriller, each color palette was designed to give everyday scenes an instant cinematic look.
Q. Which Cine LUT styles do you recommend for different situations?
Eom: There’s no fixed answer — it depends on the situation. Blockbuster suits high-contrast environments like outdoor and urban scenes; Coming-of-age fits soft, trendy settings like cafes or vlogs; Romance adds warmth to character-driven scenes; and Thriller creates a more striking impression.
Q. What stood out to you in user feedback?
Baek: We expected it might be seen as just another video effect, but the response exceeded expectations. Users quickly recognized that combining Log shooting with Cine LUTs expands creative possibilities beyond simple filters. We’re also seeing more users choose styles based on the scene, with high-quality videos widely shared on social media — and even inspiring new ways to create content.
Q. What are your plans for the future?
Baek: We aim to further establish the Galaxy S26 series as a professional-grade camera. We hope to see more content that resonates with both creators and viewers and will continue to set new standards in video creation.
Kim: As the world changes rapidly, our goal is to identify next-generation technologies. Through close collaboration with business divisions, we will work to bring them into products and deliver innovative experiences to users around the world.
Born from close collaboration, Cine LUT on the Galaxy S26 series transforms everyday moments into cinematic visuals. Beyond its technical achievements, the feature marks an important step toward making video creation more accessible — lowering barriers once reserved for professionals and enabling anyone to express themselves.
Heesub Han, a commercial and documentary director, shot a series of short films on Galaxy S26 Ultra using the APV codec and Samsung Log. Explore the videos below to discover the possibilities of Cine LUT through the making-of and short films.
