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To stream HDR on YouTube, send genuine HDR video through an encoder that supports YouTube Live HDR, using H.265/HEVC and correctly matched 10-bit color signaling. Enable HDR at the source—either in an HDR-capable game and capture path or on a camera that records PQ or HLG—then verify delivery on an HDR-capable device. YouTube’s Live Control Room preview does not show HDR colors, and viewers on unsupported devices receive SDR.
What You Need for YouTube Live HDR
YouTube Help’s “Stream HDR video on YouTube” says live HDR currently supports H.265 (HEVC), with compatible encoders using RTMP(S) or HLS. The signal must carry the right HDR information; an HDR source label alone does not make an SDR stream HDR.
- A real HDR source: For gaming, enable HDR in a game that supports it and capture its HDR output. For camera footage, use a camera and recording workflow that supports PQ or HLG.
- An HDR-capable encoder: It must output HEVC/H.265 with 10-bit HDR support over the chosen YouTube ingest protocol.
- Matching color signaling: YouTube specifies 10-bit video, BT.2020 primaries, a PQ (ST 2084) or HLG transfer function, and a BT.2020 non-constant-luminance matrix. These settings must describe the source accurately.
- A compatible ingest configuration: Choose RTMP(S) or HLS according to what the encoder supports for HDR and YouTube’s requirements.
Do not relabel SDR footage as PQ or HLG to try to make it HDR. The transfer function and color metadata must match how the footage was produced.
Choose a Source: HDR Gaming or Camera Footage
HDR gaming
Enable HDR in the game, make sure the capture path preserves its HDR output, and configure the encoder for HEVC Main 10 and the matching HDR color space. A game running in HDR is only the beginning: capture hardware, software and encoder settings must preserve the signal through ingest.
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Camera footage
Use a camera workflow that records or outputs HDR using PQ or HLG. Confirm which transfer function the camera actually uses, then configure the encoder to signal that same function. YouTube’s listed signal values include BT.2020 primaries and a BT.2020 non-constant-luminance matrix; setting these tags without a matching HDR source can produce incorrect results.
Configure YouTube Live Control Room
- Create or manage the live stream in YouTube Live Control Room and select the ingest protocol your encoder supports for HDR.
- Use a stream key configured for that protocol. For HLS, select HLS for the stream key. Keep the key private: it grants access to your stream.
- Leave “Turn on manual resolution” unchecked. YouTube’s Live HDR guidance calls for this setting to remain unchecked, including when using an HLS stream key.
- Follow the encoder’s current YouTube instructions for its ingest URL and HDR output settings. Do not publish the ingest URL if it contains your stream key.
YouTube recommends H.265 over RTMP(S) for HDR when the encoder supports the required capabilities. If it does not support HDR over RTMP(S), consider HLS—but confirm the encoder’s HLS implementation meets YouTube’s requirements rather than assuming every HLS device is compatible. YouTube’s live encoder settings guidance provides protocol and encoder details.
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Set Up HDR in OBS
YouTube’s documented OBS setup calls for OBS 30.1 or later for the RTMP setup described on its HDR page, plus a compatible hardware HEVC encoder. OBS menus and available encoder choices can vary by version, operating system and hardware, so use the current YouTube and encoder documentation when a label differs.
- Set the encoder to H.265/HEVC and choose the Main 10 profile.
- Enable HDR output and select P010 (4:2:0) pixel format when the encoder exposes that setting.
- Set the color space to Rec. 2100 PQ or Rec. 2100 HLG, matching the source. YouTube’s listed OBS configuration recommends HLG, but do not choose HLG if the source workflow is PQ.
- In YouTube Live Control Room, use the matching RTMP(S) or HLS configuration and leave “Turn on manual resolution” unchecked.
- Start the encoder and check the delivered playback on an HDR-capable device; the Live Control Room preview is not a visual HDR monitor.
If your OBS installation does not expose the required HEVC Main 10, P010 and HDR color-space options, the current system or encoder may not support this path. Check the hardware and OBS documentation rather than substituting SDR settings or treating an HDR checkbox as proof of an HDR stream.
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Use HLS When the Encoder’s HDR RTMP Path Is Unsupported
YouTube’s documented hardware HLS path requires HEVC, 10-bit depth, BT.2020 primaries, PQ (ST 2084) or HLG transfer as appropriate, and a BT.2020 Non-Const Y matrix. The HLS implementation must also follow YouTube’s transport requirements:
- Transport stream (TS) segments must be 1–4 seconds long.
- Do not use byte-range segments.
- Use a rolling playlist with no more than five outstanding segments.
- Use HTTPS POST/PUT requests.
- Do not add encryption other than HTTPS.
Encoder manufacturers may use different field names for these settings. Confirm the exact model and firmware documentation; YouTube’s examples include Avermedia RECentral 4, AWS Elemental Live, Mirillis Action!, Cobalt encoders that support HEVC HDR, and Telestream Lightspeed Live Stream, but that does not establish compatibility for every version or model in each product family.
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Check Whether Viewers Receive HDR
The Live Control Room preview is not a reliable visual check: YouTube Help says it will not show HDR colors. Instead, open the stream on a device and display that support HDR, then open playback quality settings and look for “HDR” beside a quality option.
YouTube delivers HDR automatically to supported devices and an SDR rendition to devices that do not support HDR. Therefore, seeing SDR on one screen does not by itself prove the ingest failed. Check playback on a known HDR-capable display and device before diagnosing the stream.
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Troubleshoot a Stream With No HDR Badge
- Confirm the source is actually HDR. Verify HDR is enabled in the game and preserved by the capture path, or confirm the camera workflow outputs PQ or HLG.
- Check the encoder output. Verify HEVC Main 10/10-bit output and confirm the encoder is signaling the source’s actual transfer function, BT.2020 primaries and BT.2020 non-constant-luminance matrix.
- Check the ingest path. Confirm RTMP(S) or HLS is selected as intended, the stream key matches that protocol, and “Turn on manual resolution” is unchecked.
- Check HLS transport settings if applicable. Confirm segment duration, rolling playlist, request method and encryption comply with the requirements above.
- Test playback on a supported screen. Look for the HDR badge in playback quality settings rather than relying on the Live Control Room preview or an SDR device.
These are diagnostic checks based on YouTube’s published requirements, not a guarantee that every missing HDR badge has one specific cause. If the stream still is not recognized as HDR, consult the encoder manufacturer’s documentation and YouTube’s current Live HDR guidance for the exact hardware and software versions in use.
Live HDR Is Different From Uploading an HDR Video
A prerecorded HDR upload follows a separate workflow. YouTube’s “Upload high dynamic range (HDR) videos” says the file needs HDR metadata in its codec or container. Its guidance identifies PQ or HLG transfer, Rec. 2020 primaries and a Rec. 2020 non-constant-luminance matrix. Supported tested containers include MOV/QuickTime, MP4 and MKV; recommended upload codecs include VP9 Profile 2, AV1 and HEVC/H.265.
YouTube detects the metadata, processes HDR renditions and creates an SDR down-conversion for devices that do not support HDR. It recommends grading in Rec. 2020 with PQ or HLG; mismatched tagging, including P3/D65 or other incorrect metadata, can produce incorrect results. Do not use YouTube’s metadata tool to label footage HDR unless it was actually graded with an HDR transfer function. YouTube’s upload guidance also says HDR uploads cannot currently be edited with the YouTube web editor. Unlike live HDR, which currently specifies HEVC, HDR uploads can use other supported codecs.
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