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# Adjust brightness, contrast, saturation with eq
- URL: https://ffmpeguru.com/adjust-brightness-contrast-saturation-with-eq/
- Published: 2026-08-20T09:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-13T17:59:38.000Z
- Author: FFmpeguru
- Tags: ffmpeg

The eq filter is the workhorse for a quick color correction: brightness, contrast, saturation, gamma, and a per-channel red/blue/green balance. It is less precise than curves but faster to type, and the parameters are linear so you can predict the result without rendering.

## The command

```
ffmpeg -i in.mp4 -vf "eq=brightness=0.05:contrast=1.1:saturation=1.2" -c:v libx264 -crf 20 out.mp4
```

## What it does

The \`eq\` filter applies a linear transform to the YUV channels. \`brightness\` is added to the luma in the -1 to 1 range. \`contrast\` is a multiplier around 1.0; 1.1 is a subtle contrast boost. \`saturation\` is a multiplier on the chroma planes. The defaults are 0, 1, 1 — no change. To shift the color temperature, add \`gamma\_r\`, \`gamma\_g\`, \`gamma\_b\` to adjust each channel's gamma.

## Requirements

Any video input. The filter is in libavfilter. CPU-only, single-pass. The default values are sensible, so leaving a parameter out of the expression is safe.

## Things to avoid

- Using values far from 1.0\. A contrast of 2.0 will clip the highlights to pure white; a brightness of 0.5 will lift the blacks and add a permanent gray cast.
- Applying eq after a heavy denoise. The denoise softens the contrast, so the eq you choose will look different than it did on the source.
- Forgetting that the parameters are not in display units. \`brightness=0.1\` is a 10% luma offset, not a 10 IRE step.
- Combining eq with a curves filter on the same channel. The two will compound, and the second filter sees the first filter's output as its input.