[Interview] Make Every Moment Cinematic: How Cinematic LUT Transforms Video on the Galaxy S26 Series

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.

▲ (From left) Taesik Eom, Bomi Kim and Sugon Baek

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.