A 4K 60fps file does not become an HDR live stream just because its resolution is high or an HDR label is added. To preserve HDR on YouTube Live, confirm the source’s real HDR signal, carry its transfer function and colour metadata through a 10-bit HEVC Main 10 output, then check the delivered stream on an HDR-capable device.
The exact result depends on the file, GPU, drivers, operating system, OBS release, encoder and viewer. The workflow below follows YouTube’s published guidance, but it has not been tested on your setup; use a private or unlisted test before relying on it overnight.
Confirm the source is genuinely HDR
Start with the file, not the OBS canvas. A 4K image can be SDR, and an SDR file does not gain HDR detail when you change output settings or add HDR tags. YouTube warns that signalling material as HDR when it was not graded for HDR can badly distort its appearance. Do not relabel SDR as HDR to make the player show an HDR indicator.
Inspect the source with a media analyser that can report colour primaries, matrix coefficients, transfer characteristics and bit depth. For the HDR path described in YouTube’s guidance, look for Rec. 2020 primaries, a Rec. 2020 non-constant-luminance matrix, and a genuine PQ or HLG transfer function. The file should have a coherent set of values rather than a mixture that conflicts with its mastering or export history. If the metadata is missing or contradictory, check the original export settings or ask the person who prepared the master before choosing output tags.
Do not infer the transfer function from how bright the video looks on a laptop. Display settings, tone mapping and application support can all change what you see. If the source was made from SDR footage, a high-bit-depth export alone does not make it HDR. Conversely, a genuine HDR master may look flat in a desktop player that is not handling its colour information correctly.
Make a note of the source’s transfer function and colour fields before opening the streaming configuration. That gives you a reference when you set OBS and when you diagnose washed-out, oversaturated or shifted playback. If the source’s provenance is uncertain, resolve that first; otherwise you may end up troubleshooting the wrong stage of the chain.
For the loop itself, OBS’s Media Source can replay a file when playback completes. Add the file as a Media Source, use a supported container such as MP4, MOV or MKV, and enable its Loop option. The OBS guide to looping a YouTube music stream is useful for the playback part, but loop behaviour and HDR preservation are separate questions: a loop setting does not establish that the source is HDR or ensure that its metadata survives encoding.
Understand the metadata you need to preserve
HDR is a signal description as well as an image. The transfer function describes how encoded values relate to brightness; colour primaries define the colour space; and the matrix coefficients describe how colour components are represented. Bit depth and codec matter too. If one part of this chain is missing or mismatched, a stream can look wrong even when the player reports a 4K resolution.
YouTube’s HDR instructions describe 10-bit HEVC and Rec. 2100 PQ or HLG for the documented OBS workflow. The source’s real transfer function must agree with the output signal. YouTube recommends HLG in its OBS instructions, while also allowing PQ. These are not interchangeable labels: choose according to the actual master and the workflow that produced it. Changing a PQ source to HLG, or the reverse, without a deliberate conversion is not a metadata-preserving shortcut.
Keep the colour primaries and matrix aligned with the source and YouTube’s documented HDR requirements: BT.2020-compatible primaries and a BT.2020 non-constant-luminance matrix. Do not set values merely because they appear in a menu. First establish what the source contains, then make sure the encoder and output settings represent that signal accurately.
YouTube says HDR streams are delivered as HDR on supported devices and as SDR to viewers whose devices do not support HDR playback. Successful ingestion therefore does not mean every viewer will see HDR. For a practical overview of the moving parts in a continuous channel, see how a YouTube channel can stay live while your computer is off; for this article, the key point is that continuity and colour signalling must each be checked on their own.
Configure a 10-bit HEVC Main 10 output
YouTube’s documented OBS HDR setup 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. That is a specific, capability-dependent combination. A GPU name or the presence of an HEVC option by itself does not establish that your model, driver and OBS build expose every required setting together.
In OBS, select YouTube RTMPS for the documented OBS procedure, then configure the encoder for HEVC/H.265 with Main 10 and P010 where the available encoder supports them. Set the output colour space to the appropriate Rec. 2100 transfer option and make it match the source. YouTube’s HDR instructions say to leave manual resolution unchecked in this workflow. Menu names can differ between encoders and releases; follow the meaning of the setting rather than assuming two similar labels are identical.
The codec choice matters. YouTube’s general live encoder guidance says HDR is limited to HEVC, and its current settings page does not list AV1 as an HDR path. H.264 is not the documented HDR route either. A stream can be 2160p60 yet still be SDR if it is encoded with the wrong codec or without the 10-bit HDR signal.
For 4K/2160p at 60fps, YouTube lists a recommended 35 Mbps and a minimum 10 Mbps for H.265, as listed on YouTube Help in October 2026. The same guidance calls for CBR and a two-second keyframe interval, and says not to exceed four seconds. These are platform settings, not a promise that a given home connection or encoder will sustain them. Leave practical headroom for audio and network variation, and watch stream health during the test.
If the encoder cannot expose the specified profile, pixel format or transfer settings, do not assume the outgoing signal is correct. Check the encoder’s own documentation and YouTube’s current instructions. You can also compare protocol requirements: for hardware encoders, YouTube’s HDR page specifies HLS, while the documented OBS route uses RTMPS. HLS requires its own configuration, including the applicable ingest requirements; the protocol itself does not create HDR.
Keep transfer and colour metadata consistent
Treat source and output fields as a matched set. Record the source transfer function, primaries and matrix, then confirm the OBS colour settings and encoder output are not contradicting them. If you are using PQ, retain PQ through the output path; if using HLG, retain HLG. The same care applies to Rec. 2020 primaries and the non-constant-luminance matrix.
A common failure is to see a colour-space option and select it without checking the input. That can produce a stream whose tags claim one signal while its pixel values represent another. Viewers may see washed-out highlights, clipped detail or unusual saturation. If the picture changes dramatically when you toggle HDR-related settings, stop and review the actual source and export metadata rather than trying random combinations on a public broadcast.
Another failure is treating an HDR-capable monitor as proof that the stream itself is HDR. The local preview may be transformed by the operating system or display pipeline. Likewise, a successful connection to YouTube and a 4K badge establish neither 10-bit encoding nor correct transfer metadata. Verify the playback indication and image on a suitable device, as described below.
When your file is a loop, inspect the transition back to the beginning as well. A fade or abrupt change in exposure and colour at the boundary may come from the edit, not the encoder. Watch the transition in the local source and in a test stream. If the loop boundary looks different only in the delivered stream, review the encoding and signal path around that point.
Check encoder, OBS and ingest compatibility
Compatibility is setup-dependent. YouTube’s documented OBS instructions specify version 30.1 or later and a hardware HEVC encoder for this HDR configuration, but that does not mean every GPU, driver, operating system or OBS release supports it. Check that the expected Main 10 and P010 choices are actually available, and consult the GPU or encoder documentation for the exact model and software combination.
There are two ingest routes worth distinguishing, but only if your encoder supports the route and required settings. The documented OBS software-encoder procedure uses RTMPS. YouTube’s HDR guidance specifies HLS output for hardware encoders; its HLS developer documentation includes requirements such as M2TS muxing, AAC audio, a closed GOP and up to 60fps. Follow the current requirements for the chosen encoder and protocol rather than combining settings from different procedures.
| Route described by YouTube | When it applies | Checks to make |
|---|---|---|
| OBS over RTMPS | The documented OBS HDR configuration | Confirm OBS version, HEVC Main 10, P010 and matching Rec. 2100 transfer settings are available. |
| Hardware encoder over HLS | A hardware encoder using YouTube’s specified HLS ingest | Confirm the encoder supports the required HDR signal and the protocol-specific muxing, audio and GOP settings. |
The comparison is about compatibility and operational complexity, not image quality by protocol name. A reliable route is one you can configure exactly and monitor. If HLS playlist or segment setup is unfamiliar, consult the encoder and YouTube documentation before changing a working stream. If neither route exposes the necessary bit depth and metadata, the present setup may not be suitable for HDR output.
Before extending the test, run a private or unlisted broadcast using the actual loop and audio. YouTube recommends testing with representative content and monitoring stream health. Watch for dropped frames, encoder overload, reconnects, and a change in colour at the loop point. A short test can reveal configuration mistakes, but it cannot prove that a machine will sustain the same workload indefinitely; keep monitoring the real stream if you put it into regular use.
For ongoing operation, separate the question “does the file loop?” from “does the stream survive unattended?” Articles on restarting a playlist after a VPS reboot and streaming a loop from an external SSD address continuity and file access, not HDR correctness. They can help you plan the surrounding operation, but the signal checks here still apply.
Verify the delivered stream in HDR
Do not rely on the Live Control Room preview to judge HDR colour. YouTube notes that the preview does not display HDR colours. After the test stream is available, use an HDR-capable device and display with HDR enabled, open the playback quality menu, and check whether the player identifies the stream as HDR. The label is a more useful confirmation than resolution alone, though you should also look at the image for obvious clipping, washout or colour shifts.
Check an SDR playback path as well. YouTube serves SDR to unsupported devices, so compare whether that rendition remains watchable and whether highlights or colours become distracting. You are not trying to make every screen look identical; you are checking that the service has a sensible SDR presentation and that the HDR-capable playback path is actually signalled.
If the stream looks SDR on an HDR display, work backwards through the chain. Confirm that the file is genuine HDR; check the 10-bit HEVC Main 10 and P010 output; confirm the transfer function, primaries and matrix; then check device and player support. If the player has no HDR label, do not infer that a 4K resolution badge means the HDR path succeeded.
If colours look washed out, over-saturated or otherwise shifted, investigate a mismatch between source and output metadata before changing bitrate. A bitrate adjustment can affect compression and motion, but it does not correct an incorrect transfer function. YouTube’s HDR live streaming guidance and live encoder settings are the primary references for current configuration and ingest requirements; check them again before a production change because platform guidance can change.
For persistent stutter, check encoder load, network stability and YouTube stream health separately from HDR signalling. At a sustained 4K60 output, a machine that can start the stream may still struggle under real motion or other workloads. Use the test to observe representative content and audio, and do not interpret a clean still frame as evidence of sustained performance.
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FAQ
How do I stream a 4K 60fps video loop to YouTube Live in HDR?
Confirm that the source is genuine HDR, then use YouTube’s documented 10-bit HEVC Main 10 path with P010 and matching Rec. 2100 PQ or HLG settings. Looping the file is a separate playback setting; verify the delivered stream on an HDR-capable device before relying on it.
Why is my YouTube Live stream showing SDR instead of HDR?
Check the source metadata, HEVC Main 10 output, bit depth, transfer function, primaries and matrix, then check the viewer’s device and HDR settings. The Live Control Room preview does not show HDR colours, and unsupported devices receive SDR, so use the player’s HDR indication on a capable display.
Should I choose PQ or HLG?
Use the transfer function that matches the actual source signal and your conversion workflow. YouTube’s OBS instructions recommend HLG but also support PQ; neither should be selected as a cosmetic tag for the other.
Does this workflow guarantee HDR on every GPU or viewer?
No. Compatibility depends on the source, encoder, GPU, software and protocol, and viewers need a supported HDR playback path to see HDR. Test your actual setup and check YouTube’s current official instructions before a public or unattended stream.