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Freedom251 › Blog › 4K streaming

How to Stream 4K 60fps 10-Bit Video Files to YouTube Live

By Freedom251 Team · · 6 min read

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You can stream a local 4K 60fps video file to YouTube Live using OBS Studio: add it as a Media Source, configure the outgoing encoder, and send the stream to YouTube using the stream URL and key from Live Control Room. The crucial distinction is that a 10-bit file is not automatically an HDR stream. For HDR, YouTube requires a compatible HEVC Main 10 encoding path and matching color signaling; otherwise, you can stream the video as SDR.

Choose SDR or HDR before configuring OBS

First establish what you mean by “10-bit.” The source file may use 10-bit encoding while the live broadcast is intended to be SDR. If the broadcast must be HDR, the encoder must preserve or correctly signal the source’s HDR color characteristics. YouTube’s HDR guidance specifies HEVC and compatible HDR signaling; bit depth alone does not make a stream HDR.

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  • SDR: Use this if HDR is not required or your available encoder cannot produce YouTube-compatible HDR. A 10-bit source can still be sent as an SDR broadcast.
  • HDR: Check the file’s actual HDR format and verify that your encoder and device support the required HEVC Main 10 settings. Do not merely toggle HDR for an SDR source: the metadata and pixel values need to match.

YouTube’s HDR documentation says HDR streaming is supported with H.265 (HEVC). Its OBS instructions specify OBS 30.1 or later, a hardware HEVC encoder, Main 10, P010 (4:2:0), and Rec. 2100 PQ or HLG; YouTube recommends HLG. Available profiles depend on the encoder device. YouTube’s HDR live-streaming instructions describe the color requirements and setup paths.

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Set up the YouTube Live event and protect the stream key

  1. In YouTube Live Control Room, create or schedule the event and select the encoder workflow. YouTube provides the stream URL and stream key for the encoder.
  2. In OBS, open Settings > Stream, choose YouTube if available, and enter or connect the current server and key supplied for the event. Follow YouTube’s current Live Control Room configuration if its protocol or key settings differ.
  3. Treat the stream key like an account credential. Do not share it or include it in a public recording or screenshot. If it is exposed, replace it in YouTube and update OBS.

An encoder is the software or hardware that sends the live video to YouTube. See YouTube’s encoder setup guide for its setup workflow.

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Add the local video file in OBS

  1. In the OBS scene you intend to stream, select Sources > + > Media Source.
  2. Name the source, then select the local video file. OBS documents support for containers including MP4, TS, MOV and MKV, along with other formats. A supported container does not guarantee that every codec, profile or HDR configuration will work correctly.
  3. Enable Loop only if you want the file to repeat. Use Restart playback when source becomes active if the desired behavior is to restart the file when the source is activated. Hardware decoding can be enabled where available; compare playback stability on your system.
  4. Start playback in OBS and check that video is smooth and audio is present. Confirm the file reaches its intended end behavior before relying on it for an event.

For current source options and supported formats, consult the OBS Media Sources documentation. A capture card is not needed to play a file stored on the computer; Media Source is the local-file route.

Configure 4K at 60 fps and select the matching bitrate

Set the output resolution to 3840 × 2160 and frame rate to 60 fps if that matches the content and your system can encode it reliably. YouTube’s English live-encoder settings page, checked October 3, 2026, lists these 4K/2160p 60 fps ingest recommendations:

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Video codec Minimum bitrate Recommended bitrate
AV1 or H.265 (HEVC) 10 Mbps 35 Mbps
H.264 14 Mbps 50 Mbps

These are YouTube’s published ingest figures, not a guarantee of the quality every viewer receives. Choose the row for the codec your encoder and YouTube ingest path actually use; do not treat one bitrate as the universal 4K/60 setting. YouTube automatically transcodes live input into multiple output formats for viewers on different devices and networks. Check the current YouTube live-encoder settings when configuring your event.

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  • Rate control: Use CBR (constant bitrate), as YouTube recommends.
  • Keyframe interval: Set two seconds; YouTube recommends two seconds and says not to exceed four seconds.
  • Frame rate: YouTube lists frame rates up to 60 fps. Keep the output at 60 only if the file and system can sustain it.

Configure HDR encoding and protocol when HDR is the goal

For OBS HDR, YouTube’s instructions call for a hardware HEVC encoder, the Main 10 profile, P010 (4:2:0), and Rec. 2100 PQ or HLG color settings. Match the color transfer and metadata to the actual source. YouTube’s general HDR requirements also specify BT.2020 primaries and compatible transfer and matrix characteristics. Options can vary by OBS version and hardware, and a device that supports ordinary HEVC encoding may not support Main 10 HDR encoding.

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YouTube documents HDR setup over RTMP(S) and HLS. OBS’s HDR setup follows an RTMP(S) workflow; HLS is not universally required. If you choose HLS, YouTube specifies additional requirements: an HLS stream key with manual resolution settings unchecked, TS segments of one to four seconds, a rolling playlist, HTTPS POST/PUT transport, and no byte-range mode. Follow the current instructions for your exact encoder and protocol rather than assuming settings transfer between implementations.

Test the complete path before going live

  1. Run a private or unlisted test using the same file, output resolution, frame rate, codec, bitrate and audio path planned for the event.
  2. Use movement and audio representative of the actual stream. Check OBS for stable playback and YouTube Live Control Room for stream-health messages.
  3. Confirm that your upload connection can sustain the configured stream rate with headroom. YouTube’s streaming tips recommend 20% upload bandwidth headroom.
  4. If HDR is required, inspect the viewer-side output on an HDR-capable device. Verify that the result is recognized and displayed as intended; a 10-bit source label is not proof of HDR output.

YouTube’s guidance on testing and monitoring is in its live-streaming tips.

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Troubleshoot common 4K/60 and HDR problems

The stream buffers, drops frames or reports poor health

Check whether the upload connection can maintain the selected bitrate plus YouTube’s recommended 20% headroom. Confirm the encoder is using CBR and that the selected bitrate matches the codec. If the system cannot encode steadily at 4K/60, reduce the output load or resolve the hardware and network bottleneck before the event.

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The stream is 10-bit but not recognized or displayed as HDR

Check that the source is actually HDR and that the output uses HEVC Main 10, P010 and the matching Rec. 2100 PQ or HLG settings. Confirm BT.2020 primaries and compatible transfer and matrix metadata. Do not apply HDR signaling to SDR pixel values.

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OBS does not offer Main 10 or hardware HEVC

The available encoding options depend on the device. Verify its specific HEVC Main 10 hardware-encoding capability and the current YouTube/OBS requirements; ordinary HEVC support is not enough to establish HDR compatibility.

The file plays but has no audio or does not loop as expected

Recheck the Media Source file selection and its loop and restart-on-activation options. Test playback in the intended scene, listen to the OBS audio path, and run the YouTube test stream before the event.

YouTube rejects or fails to receive the stream

Confirm the current stream URL, key and selected protocol in Live Control Room and OBS. If the key has been exposed, replace it and update the encoder. For HLS HDR, verify the stream key configuration, segment format and duration, rolling playlist, HTTPS transport and byte-range setting against YouTube’s current instructions.

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