diff --git a/src/video.cpp b/src/video.cpp
index 02f996df565..2c3a8b3b938 100644
--- a/src/video.cpp
+++ b/src/video.cpp
@@ -1929,21 +1929,28 @@ namespace video {
       return nullptr;
     }
 
+    // may be downgraded below if the device can't deliver HDR (e.g. NvFBC's CUDA path is NV12/YUV444P only)
+    bool dynamicRange = config.dynamicRange;
+
     if (config.chromaSamplingType == 1) {
       if (!video_format[encoder_t::YUV444]) {
         BOOST_LOG(error) << video_format.name << ": YUV 4:4:4 not supported"sv;
         return nullptr;
       }
 
-      if (config.dynamicRange && !video_format[encoder_t::DYNAMIC_RANGE_YUV444]) {
-        BOOST_LOG(error) << video_format.name << ": YUV 4:4:4 dynamic range not supported"sv;
-        return nullptr;
+      if (dynamicRange && !video_format[encoder_t::DYNAMIC_RANGE_YUV444]) {
+        BOOST_LOG(warning) << video_format.name << ": YUV 4:4:4 dynamic range not supported, falling back to SDR"sv;
+        dynamicRange = false;
+        encode_device->colorspace.colorspace = colorspace_e::rec709;
+        encode_device->colorspace.bit_depth = 8;
       }
 
     } else {
-      if (config.dynamicRange && !video_format[encoder_t::DYNAMIC_RANGE]) {
-        BOOST_LOG(error) << video_format.name << ": dynamic range not supported"sv;
-        return nullptr;
+      if (dynamicRange && !video_format[encoder_t::DYNAMIC_RANGE]) {
+        BOOST_LOG(warning) << video_format.name << ": dynamic range not supported, falling back to SDR"sv;
+        dynamicRange = false;
+        encode_device->colorspace.colorspace = colorspace_e::rec709;
+        encode_device->colorspace.bit_depth = 8;
       }
     }
 
@@ -1987,7 +1994,7 @@ namespace video {
             // HEVC uses the same RExt profile for both 8 and 10 bit YUV 4:4:4 encoding
             ctx->profile = AV_PROFILE_HEVC_REXT;
           } else {
-            ctx->profile = config.dynamicRange ? AV_PROFILE_HEVC_MAIN_10 : AV_PROFILE_HEVC_MAIN;
+            ctx->profile = dynamicRange ? AV_PROFILE_HEVC_MAIN_10 : AV_PROFILE_HEVC_MAIN;
           }
           break;
 
@@ -2147,11 +2154,11 @@ namespace video {
       for (auto &option : video_format.common_options) {
         handle_option(option);
       }
-      for (auto &option : (config.dynamicRange ? video_format.hdr_options : video_format.sdr_options)) {
+      for (auto &option : (dynamicRange ? video_format.hdr_options : video_format.sdr_options)) {
         handle_option(option);
       }
       if (config.chromaSamplingType == 1) {
-        for (auto &option : (config.dynamicRange ? video_format.hdr444_options : video_format.sdr444_options)) {
+        for (auto &option : (dynamicRange ? video_format.hdr444_options : video_format.sdr444_options)) {
           handle_option(option);
         }
       }