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To stream HDR on YouTube, send genuine HDR video through an encoder that supports YouTube Live HDR, using HEVC/H.265 and matching 10-bit HDR color signaling. For gaming, enable HDR in the game and capture its HDR output; for camera footage, use a camera and workflow that produce PQ or HLG. YouTube delivers HDR automatically to compatible viewers and an SDR version to devices that do not support HDR.
What you need for YouTube Live HDR
YouTube’s “Stream HDR video on YouTube” guidance currently supports live HDR only with H.265/HEVC. You also need a source that is actually HDR, an encoder that can preserve it, and color metadata that correctly describes the source. An HDR setting or label by itself does not make SDR footage HDR.
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- Gaming: The game must support HDR, HDR must be enabled, and the capture and encoding path must retain the HDR output.
- Camera footage: Use a camera and recording/output workflow that supports PQ or HLG HDR.
- Encoder: It must support HEVC HDR and the YouTube ingest protocol you choose.
- Viewer check: Confirm delivery on an HDR-capable device. YouTube’s Live Control Room preview does not display HDR colors.
The required HDR signaling is 10-bit, BT.2020 primaries, a PQ (ST 2084) or HLG transfer function, and a BT.2020 non-constant-luminance matrix. These values must match the source and workflow; do not relabel SDR or change PQ to HLG merely to satisfy an encoder field.
Choose the source and ingest path
Gaming capture or HDR camera
For a game, enable HDR both in the game and in the relevant capture setup. For live camera footage, check the exact camera model’s manual for PQ or HLG support and make sure the outgoing signal remains HDR through capture and encoding. A camera that records HDR does not by itself guarantee that the entire live path outputs correctly signaled HDR.
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RTMP(S) or HLS
YouTube supports RTMP(S) and HLS for Live HDR when the encoder supports the required capabilities. YouTube’s guidance recommends H.265 over RTMP(S) for HDR; if your encoder cannot provide the necessary HDR capabilities over RTMP(S), consider HLS instead. Select based on the specific encoder’s documented YouTube compatibility, not protocol name alone.
For HLS, YouTube documents these output requirements: TS segments from 1 to 4 seconds, no byte range, a rolling playlist with no more than five outstanding segments, HTTPS POST/PUT, and no encryption other than HTTPS. Encoder menus may use different labels for these settings, so follow that model’s manual.
Set up an OBS HDR stream
YouTube’s OBS instructions specify OBS 30.1 or later for the documented RTMP setup, a compatible hardware HEVC encoder, Main 10 profile, HDR enabled, P010 (4:2:0), and Rec. 2100 PQ or HLG color space. The exact controls depend on your OBS version and hardware encoder; consult their current documentation. YouTube recommends HLG in its listed OBS setup, but the transfer setting must match the actual source and workflow.
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- Prepare the source. Enable HDR in the game or use an HDR camera workflow producing PQ or HLG. Confirm that capture hardware and software preserve 10-bit HDR.
- Create or manage the live stream. In YouTube Studio, open Live Control Room and create or select the stream. Choose RTMP(S) or HLS according to the encoder’s supported HDR workflow.
- Check the resolution control. Ensure “Turn on manual resolution” is unchecked. For an HLS stream, select HLS for the stream key and leave manual resolution unchecked.
- Configure OBS and the encoder. Select HEVC/H.265, Main 10, HDR, P010 (4:2:0), and the source-matching Rec. 2100 PQ or HLG setting. Use the current YouTube instructions for your encoder and OBS version.
- Connect privately. Enter the stream key in OBS as instructed by YouTube. Treat it as a password: do not publish it or expose it in screenshots, public pages, or recordings.
- Start the stream and verify playback. Use Live Control Room to monitor stream status, then check the delivered stream on an HDR-capable device using the playback steps below.
Configure an HLS hardware encoder
If your encoder uses HLS, YouTube’s specified HDR output signaling is HEVC, 10-bit, BT.2020 primaries, PQ/ST 2084 or HLG transfer to match the source, and a BT.2020 Non-Const Y matrix. Set the HLS segment and playlist behavior to YouTube’s documented requirements above, and use HTTPS for its POST/PUT requests. The encoder’s terminology may differ; verify its manual and do not guess at color metadata.
YouTube lists examples of encoder options including Avermedia RECentral 4, AWS Elemental Live, Mirillis Action!, Cobalt encoders that support HEVC HDR, and Telestream Lightspeed Live Stream. This does not establish compatibility for every version, model, or configuration within those product families. Check the exact manufacturer documentation.
Verify that viewers receive HDR
The Live Control Room preview is not a visual HDR test: YouTube states that it “will not show HDR colors.” Instead, open the stream on a device and display that support HDR, open playback quality settings, and look for the “HDR” label beside a quality option. YouTube automatically serves SDR to devices that do not support HDR, so an SDR rendition on an incompatible screen is expected and does not alone indicate an ingest failure.
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Troubleshoot a stream with no HDR badge
Check these in order, changing one part of the chain at a time:
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- Confirm the encode. Verify HEVC/H.265, 10-bit/Main 10 where applicable, and a compatible HDR-capable encoder. An SDR or 8-bit encode will not meet the stated live HDR requirements.
- Match color signaling. Check BT.2020 primaries, BT.2020 non-constant-luminance matrix, and the transfer function that matches the source: PQ/ST 2084 or HLG. Incorrect tags can prevent correct recognition or produce wrong-looking color.
- Check ingest configuration. Confirm the stream key protocol matches RTMP(S) or HLS in YouTube Live Control Room and that “Turn on manual resolution” is unchecked.
- Test on a supported display. Use an HDR-capable device and inspect the playback quality menu for the HDR badge. A non-HDR device can receive SDR by design.
These are diagnostic checks based on YouTube’s published requirements, not a guarantee that every missing badge has one particular cause.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Live HDR and HDR uploads are different
Do not apply live-stream codec requirements to prerecorded uploads. YouTube’s HDR upload guidance says uploaded files need HDR metadata in the codec or container. It recommends Rec. 2020 grading with PQ or HLG; supported tested containers include MOV/QuickTime, MP4, and MKV, and recommended codecs include VP9 Profile 2, AV1, and HEVC/H.265. Unlike the current Live HDR path, uploads can use codecs such as VP9 Profile 2 or AV1.
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YouTube detects valid metadata, processes HDR renditions, and creates an SDR conversion for other devices. Incorrect metadata can badly distort the result; do not use YouTube’s metadata tool unless the footage was actually graded with an HDR transfer function. YouTube also says HDR uploads currently cannot be edited with its web editor.
Or let it run in the cloud
For a prerecorded-video YouTube stream that needs to run continuously, StreamNeo is a separate cloud looping service, not an HDR live encoder or camera workflow. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Your computer and home connection do not need to stay on; StreamNeo loops uploaded videos to YouTube, not camera footage or other platforms.
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