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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →To stream HDR on YouTube, send a genuine HDR source through an encoder configured for 10-bit H.265/HEVC, then verify playback on an HDR-capable device. YouTube’s documented OBS workflow calls for OBS 30.1 or later, a hardware HEVC encoder set to Main 10, P010 color format, and Rec. 2100 PQ or HLG signaling. YouTube accepts HDR over RTMP(S) or HLS; the right path depends on what your encoder supports.
What you need before starting
- An HDR source: For game capture, enable HDR in an HDR-capable game and use an HDR-capable display. For camera video, confirm the camera records HDR using PQ or HLG.
- A compatible encoder: YouTube’s live HDR guidance specifies H.265/HEVC. For the documented OBS setup, use OBS 30.1 or later and a hardware HEVC encoder that supports Main 10 and HDR output.
- A verified, eligible YouTube channel: YouTube’s general live-streaming requirements say the channel must be verified, must not have had live-streaming restrictions in the past 90 days, and the streamer must be at least 16. These are general live requirements, not HDR-specific ones. See YouTube’s live-streaming eligibility guidance.
A display is part of the recommended game-capture setup and is useful for checking the result. It is not a universal purchase requirement for a camera-based stream. Do not buy an encoder based on codec support alone: confirm its exact model supports HEVC Main 10 and the HDR signal options you need.
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How to stream HDR on YouTube with OBS
- Confirm the source is actually HDR. Enable HDR in a supported game, or set the camera to a PQ or HLG HDR mode. Match the rest of the chain to the source’s actual transfer function; SDR material does not become HDR by selecting HDR metadata.
- Choose an ingestion protocol supported by your encoder. In OBS, open Settings → Stream and select YouTube RTMPS for the documented RTMP workflow. YouTube also documents an HLS workflow; select YouTube HLS if using HLS, and use an HLS-protocol stream key in YouTube. YouTube’s general encoder settings guidance recommends RTMPS generally and describes H.265 over RTMP(S) as an HDR option. HLS is an alternative when an encoder lacks the needed RTMP capabilities, but it adds latency because video is sent in segments.
- Set the encoder to HEVC Main 10. In OBS, go to Settings → Output → Encoder, choose the hardware HEVC encoder, and set its profile to Main 10. YouTube’s current live HDR instructions specify H.265/HEVC; do not substitute the VP9 Profile 2 or AV1 options mentioned for uploaded HDR files.
- Set HDR color output. In OBS, open Settings → Advanced, enable HDR, set Color Format to P010 (4:2:0), and choose Rec. 2100 PQ or HLG to match the source. YouTube recommends HLG on its setup page, but the setting must reflect the source’s real transfer function rather than a preference disconnected from the source.
- Keep YouTube’s manual resolution option off. In Live Control Room, leave Turn on manual resolution unchecked. If you chose HLS, ensure the stream key protocol is set to HLS.
- Start the broadcast and verify the audience playback path. Check the live stream on an HDR-capable device and display. Open the playback quality menu and look for the HDR label; the Live Control Room preview does not display HDR colors.
For current labels and the complete platform-specific workflow, consult YouTube’s Stream HDR video help page. OBS and encoder menus can vary by hardware and software version, so map the required values to the names shown by your encoder.
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When to use HLS, and its hardware requirements
Use HLS when your encoder supports YouTube’s HLS HDR workflow or does not support the required RTMP HDR capabilities. If real-time interaction matters, account for HLS’s higher latency compared with sending video continuously.
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For hardware HLS, YouTube specifies the following transport and signal requirements. The metadata must describe the source accurately:
- HEVC video at 10-bit depth.
- BT.2020 color primaries.
- PQ (ST 2084) or HLG transfer characteristics.
- BT.2020 non-constant-luminance matrix coefficients.
- MPEG-TS segments lasting 1–4 seconds; byte ranges are unsupported.
- A rolling playlist with no more than five outstanding segments.
- HTTPS POST/PUT; encryption beyond HTTPS is unsupported.
Encoder manufacturers may label equivalent values differently: PQ may appear as SMPTE ST 2084, HLG as ARIB-STD-B67, and the matrix as BT2020NC. Follow the manual for the exact encoder model. YouTube’s HLS setup guidance covers the platform’s HLS setup; its live HDR guidance gives the HDR-specific requirements.
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How to tell whether a YouTube live stream is really in HDR
- Use a playback device and display that support HDR.
- Open the stream’s playback quality menu and check for an HDR label.
- Do not use the Live Control Room preview as the test: YouTube says that preview does not show HDR colors.
YouTube delivers HDR automatically to supported viewers and SDR to viewers whose devices do not support HDR. Therefore, a viewer seeing SDR does not by itself show that the broadcast was configured incorrectly.
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| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| No HDR label in playback | The source is SDR, the encoder is not sending HEVC 10-bit HDR, or the playback device/display does not support HDR. | Confirm the source mode, HEVC Main 10 and P010 settings, matching PQ or HLG color space, and HDR capability on the playback device. |
| Preview looks like SDR | This is expected behavior in Live Control Room. | Verify on an HDR-capable display and look for the HDR label in playback quality settings. |
| Colors look washed out, wrong, or distorted | The transfer function, color primaries, or matrix may not match the source; metadata may be incorrectly labeling SDR as HDR. | Match the source’s actual PQ or HLG signal and BT.2020 signaling. YouTube’s separate HDR upload guidance warns that incorrect HDR metadata can badly distort footage; the same principle applies to a live signal chain. |
| Some viewers see SDR | Their device or display may not support HDR. | Test on an HDR-capable device; YouTube serves SDR to viewers without HDR support. |
| HLS encoder rejects the stream | The key protocol or HLS transport settings may not meet YouTube’s requirements. | Confirm the key uses HLS, segments are MPEG-TS and 1–4 seconds long, byte ranges are disabled, the playlist has no more than five outstanding segments, and requests use HTTPS POST/PUT. |
Live HDR is not the same as uploading an HDR video
YouTube’s upload guidance describes file-upload formats and codecs including VP9 Profile 2, AV1, and HEVC. Those upload options are not the live-stream codec rule: YouTube’s live HDR instructions currently specify HEVC. For uploads, YouTube also requires metadata that correctly identifies the transfer function, Rec. 2020 primaries, and Rec. 2020 non-constant-luminance matrix; it creates SDR versions for non-HDR viewers. See YouTube’s HDR upload documentation.
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