To stream a 4K/60fps video loop to YouTube Live in HDR, the source must be genuine HDR and the outgoing stream must preserve its real color metadata through a 10-bit HEVC (H.265) encode. In OBS, use a supported HDR setup, match the output transfer function to the source, and verify playback on an HDR-capable device; a loop setting alone does not preserve HDR.
Check that the video is actually HDR
Before configuring OBS, inspect the source file and confirm that it is HDR—not SDR footage that has merely been given HDR tags. Check for Rec. 2020 primaries, a Rec. 2020 non-constant-luminance matrix, and the source’s actual PQ or HLG transfer function. YouTube warns that incorrectly tagging material as HDR can badly distort its appearance: YouTube’s HDR streaming guidance.
Keep the source’s real signal consistent through the output. PQ and HLG are both supported, but they are not interchangeable labels: choose the transfer function that matches the source. YouTube recommends HLG in its OBS instructions and also supports PQ.
Set up the video loop in OBS
- Add the file: In OBS, add a Media Source and select the video. OBS documents support for common containers including MP4, MOV, and MKV.
- Enable looping: Turn on the Media Source’s Loop option. OBS describes this as replaying the file after playback completes. The control repeats playback; it does not establish that the file is HDR or guarantee that HDR metadata reaches YouTube. See the OBS Media Sources documentation.
- Check the transition: Preview the file, including its ending and restart. Confirm that the loop behaves as intended and that the image does not visibly shift at the boundary.
Configure OBS and YouTube for HDR
YouTube’s documented OBS HDR procedure calls for OBS 30.1 or later, a supported hardware HEVC encoder, the Main 10 profile, P010 4:2:0 pixel format, and Rec. 2100 PQ or HLG. The specific GPU, driver, operating system, and encoder determine whether those options are available on a given computer; confirm support on your actual setup.
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- Choose the ingest protocol: For the documented OBS procedure, select YouTube RTMPS. YouTube supports HDR over RTMP(S) or HLS and lists OBS among compatible RTMP software encoders. Its HDR guidance specifies HLS output for hardware encoders; do not assume a dedicated hardware encoder can use the same RTMPS route as the documented OBS setup. Consult YouTube’s HDR streaming instructions and the protocol guidance for your encoder.
- Set the video signal: Select HEVC/H.265, Main 10, P010 4:2:0, and Rec. 2100 PQ or HLG as appropriate for the source. Ensure that primaries, matrix, and transfer characteristics describe the actual signal: Rec. 2020 primaries, Rec. 2020 non-constant-luminance matrix, and the matching PQ or HLG transfer function.
- Set resolution and frame rate: Use 4K/2160p at 60fps. Leave OBS’s manual resolution option unchecked, as YouTube instructs in its OBS setup procedure.
- Set bitrate and keyframes: YouTube’s current encoder settings list 10 Mbps as the minimum and 35 Mbps as the recommended bitrate for 4K/2160p at 60fps with H.265. Use constant bitrate (CBR) and a two-second keyframe interval; YouTube says not to exceed four seconds. Allow additional stable upstream capacity for audio and network variation, then monitor stream health. See YouTube’s recommended live encoder settings.
HDR requires HEVC/H.265 in YouTube’s documented live workflow; YouTube’s general encoder guidance does not support AV1 for HDR. H.264’s listed 4K60 recommendation is 50 Mbps, but that is not the HDR path.
If you use a hardware encoder with HLS
Follow the encoder’s exact HLS requirements rather than treating RTMPS and HLS as interchangeable. YouTube specifies 10-bit HEVC, BT.2020-compatible primaries, the matching PQ or HLG transfer characteristics, and a BT.2020 non-constant-luminance matrix for HDR. Its HLS ingest documentation also specifies M2TS muxing, AAC audio, a closed GOP, and a frame rate up to 60fps.
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The protocol does not create HDR by itself. The codec, bit depth, transfer function, primaries, and matrix must all be correct. Choose between ingest options based on what the encoder supports, whether it can produce HEVC Main 10, network reliability, and whether its HLS segment and playlist setup is manageable.
Test the loop and verify HDR playback
- Make a private or unlisted test: Use the actual source file and planned settings before going public. Check that the file restarts correctly, the image remains consistent across the loop boundary, and OBS sustains 4K60 without dropped frames.
- Monitor stream health: Watch for dropped frames or unstable delivery while the test runs. YouTube recommends testing before a stream and monitoring stream health; a setup that works briefly may still need a longer representative test.
- Verify on an HDR-capable display: The Live Control Room preview does not display HDR colors. On a supported device, check the playback quality menu for YouTube’s “HDR” label.
- Check an SDR viewing path too: YouTube delivers SDR to viewers on devices that do not support HDR. Confirm that the picture remains acceptable there as well. YouTube’s HDR playback guidance explains the device-dependent behavior.
Troubleshoot common HDR problems
- The stream looks like SDR: Confirm that the source is genuine HDR and that OBS is outputting HEVC Main 10 in 10-bit P010 with matching color primaries, matrix, and transfer function. Do not use the Live Control Room preview as the HDR check; look for the HDR label on a capable playback device.
- Colors look washed out, oversaturated, or shifted: Check for mismatched color metadata or an SDR source incorrectly tagged as HDR. The signal’s transfer function, primaries, and matrix must describe the actual content.
- The stream stutters or drops frames: Check sustained encoder performance and upstream capacity. Test with the real loop and monitor YouTube stream health; 4K60 performance depends on the specific computer and connection.
- Viewers do not see an HDR option: Check that their device and display support HDR and that HDR is enabled. YouTube presents SDR on unsupported devices, and the HDR label appears only where HDR playback is available.
- HDR settings are missing in OBS: Check that OBS is version 30.1 or later and that the operating system, GPU, driver, and available hardware HEVC encoder support the documented configuration.
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