To keep a 4K/60fps video loop in HDR on YouTube Live, the source must genuinely be HDR and the outgoing signal must preserve its 10-bit color and matching HDR metadata. YouTube’s documented HDR path uses HEVC/H.265, Main 10, P010 4:2:0, and the source’s actual PQ or HLG transfer function, alongside Rec. 2020 color primaries and a Rec. 2020 non-constant-luminance matrix. A 4K resolution setting alone does not make a stream HDR.
The steps below use OBS and a local video file. Exact menus and encoder options can vary with OBS version, operating system, GPU, and driver; confirm support on your setup and test before going public.
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Check that the video is actually HDR
Before opening OBS, inspect the file with a media-information tool or your editing/export application. Confirm that it is mastered as HDR and that its color characteristics are internally consistent:
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- Color primaries: Rec. 2020.
- Matrix coefficients: Rec. 2020 non-constant luminance.
- Transfer function: the source’s actual PQ or HLG signal.
- Bit depth: 10-bit for YouTube’s documented HDR encoding path.
Do not add HDR tags to an SDR file or select PQ/HLG simply to make an HDR option appear. YouTube warns that incorrectly tagging material not graded in HDR can badly distort its appearance. Match the output to the real source signal; PQ and HLG are both supported, and YouTube recommends HLG in its OBS instructions. YouTube’s HDR live-streaming guidance explains the supported signaling.
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Set up the loop in OBS
- Add the video: In OBS, add a Media Source and select the HDR file. OBS documents MP4, MOV, and MKV among supported containers; compatibility can depend on installed decoders and the file’s encoding.
- Enable looping: Open the Media Source properties and check Loop. OBS defines this option as replaying the file after playback completes. Start playback and confirm that it restarts as expected. Looping controls playback only; it does not verify that HDR metadata survives the rest of the signal path. OBS Media Sources documentation describes the control.
- Set the canvas and output: Configure OBS for 3840 × 2160 output at 60fps. Keep the canvas and scaled output consistent with the source where possible to avoid unnecessary scaling. The Media Source loop and the stream output are separate settings.
- Confirm HDR-capable encoding: YouTube’s OBS HDR instructions call for OBS 30.1 or later, a hardware HEVC encoder, the Main 10 profile, P010 4:2:0, and a color space of Rec. 2100 PQ or HLG. Choose the transfer function that matches the source. The available options depend on the GPU, driver, and operating system; a particular computer is not guaranteed to support this combination.
YouTube’s OBS guidance specifically says to use a hardware HEVC encoder and to leave Manual resolution unchecked in the encoder setup. Follow the labels exposed by your OBS release and encoder rather than assuming every device presents identical controls.
Choose the ingest protocol and encoder settings
OBS with RTMPS
For YouTube’s documented OBS workflow, select YouTube RTMPS as the service and use the HDR-capable HEVC configuration above. YouTube’s general encoder guidance recommends HEVC over RTMP(S) for HDR; it also suggests considering HLS if an encoder cannot provide the required HDR capabilities over RTMP. The OBS HDR instructions document the RTMPS procedure, so do not confuse that procedure with the separate HLS requirement YouTube specifies for hardware encoders.
Dedicated hardware encoder with HLS
If you use a dedicated hardware encoder, YouTube’s HDR page specifies HLS output. The HLS ingest documentation calls for 10-bit HEVC, BT.2020-compatible primaries, the matching PQ or HLG transfer characteristics, and a BT.2020 non-constant-luminance matrix. Its transport requirements also include M2TS muxing, AAC audio, a closed GOP, and up to 60fps. Use the encoder’s HLS documentation as well as YouTube’s HLS ingest guide; HLS setup involves protocol-specific configuration beyond choosing a color space.
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RTMPS and HLS do not create HDR by themselves. The codec, bit depth, color metadata, and actual source signal must all agree. YouTube supports HEVC/H.265 for HDR; its general live-encoder settings page says AV1 is not supported for HDR. YouTube’s encoder settings guidance lists the current live-stream targets.
Set the 4K/60fps target
For 4K/2160p at 60fps, YouTube’s current settings table lists 10 Mbps as the HEVC/H.265 minimum and 35 Mbps as the recommended bitrate. These are YouTube’s published guidance, not a guarantee that a particular connection or encoder can sustain the stream. Set rate control to CBR and the keyframe interval to 2 seconds; YouTube says not to exceed 4 seconds. Leave headroom beyond the video bitrate for audio and network variation, and monitor stream health. The same table lists 50 Mbps recommended for H.264 at 4K/60fps, but H.264 is not the HDR path described here.
Add the YouTube stream key safely
- In YouTube Studio, create or open the live stream and locate its stream settings.
- Copy the stream key and paste it into OBS’s stream configuration for YouTube RTMPS, or enter it in the encoder’s applicable YouTube configuration.
- Keep the key private. Anyone with access to it may be able to stream to your channel. If it is exposed, replace or reset it in YouTube Studio and update OBS or the encoder.
- Start the OBS or encoder output, then check the YouTube Live Control Room for incoming video and stream health before making the event public.
YouTube’s exact Studio labels may change. Use the stream settings attached to the live event you intend to run, and verify that the correct key is loaded before starting the encoder.
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Test the loop and verify HDR playback
Run a private or unlisted test with the actual file and intended settings before scheduling or starting a public stream. This is a practical check, not a guarantee that an unknown setup will sustain 4K60. YouTube recommends testing and monitoring stream health.
- Watch the loop restart and check for a visible color or brightness jump at the boundary.
- Monitor OBS and YouTube stream health for dropped frames, encoder overload, or unstable bitrate during representative motion and audio.
- Open the stream on an HDR-capable display and check the playback quality menu for YouTube’s “HDR” label. The Live Control Room preview does not display HDR colors, so it is not a reliable visual HDR check.
- Check an SDR playback path too. YouTube presents SDR to viewers on unsupported devices; HDR ingestion does not mean every viewer will see HDR.
For additional platform detail, see YouTube’s HDR live-streaming instructions.
Troubleshoot common HDR and 4K60 problems
The stream appears to be SDR
- Confirm the source is genuine HDR rather than SDR carrying incorrect tags.
- Check that the output uses 10-bit HEVC Main 10 and P010, with Rec. 2020 primaries and matrix plus the source’s actual PQ or HLG transfer function.
- Verify playback on an HDR-capable device and look for the HDR label in the playback quality menu. Do not judge HDR from the Live Control Room preview.
Colors are washed out, oversaturated, or shifted
Check for disagreement between the source’s color metadata and OBS or encoder output settings. Also check whether SDR footage was mislabeled as HDR. Incorrect HDR signaling can distort the result; do not try to fix a mismatch by switching between PQ and HLG without confirming the source’s real transfer function.
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The stream stutters or drops frames
Check whether the encoder can sustain 4K/60fps on the actual hardware and whether the upstream connection can hold the selected bitrate with room for audio and variation. Test the real loop, watch OBS statistics and YouTube stream health, and reduce load or resolve network instability before going live. The available information cannot establish performance for an unspecified GPU, driver, operating system, or connection.
Viewers do not see HDR
Check on an HDR-capable device with HDR enabled and use the player’s quality menu. YouTube automatically supplies SDR to unsupported devices, so the absence of HDR on one viewer’s screen does not alone show that ingest failed.
HDR controls are missing in OBS
Check that OBS is version 30.1 or later and that the operating system, GPU, driver, and available hardware encoder support HEVC Main 10 HDR output. YouTube’s OBS procedure requires a hardware HEVC encoder; having a 4K-capable GPU does not by itself establish support for that specific configuration.
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Cost and equipment considerations
The OBS loop workflow does not inherently require a purchase. If your current computer lacks the hardware HEVC Main 10 encoder required by YouTube’s documented OBS HDR setup, verify the exact GPU, driver, and operating-system support before buying hardware. No specific GPU model is established as suitable for every setup. HLS hardware encoders are another protocol-specific route, but they require the HLS settings described above.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is a continuously looping YouTube channel rather than learning the encoder setup, StreamNeo is a cloud service from Yorker Media for uploaded videos. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. StreamNeo loops the uploaded video from the cloud, so your computer and home connection do not have to stay on. It streams to YouTube only, and it plays uploaded videos rather than broadcasting a camera.
- Nothing has to stay on at home while the stream runs.
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The monthly option is $9.99 per month. HDR preservation still depends on the source and output signal; confirm StreamNeo’s current HDR handling for your specific file and workflow before relying on it for HDR delivery. Start with StreamNeo’s free first day.
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