Today, YouTube says it has become the first major platform to support HDR (high-dynamic range) video quality in live streams.
YouTube launched HDR for standard video back in Nov. 2016 — a quality that yields higher contrast, better clarity, and a wider color gamut. At the time, YouTube said that HDR marked its highest quality to date — superior to existing 1080p or 4K options. That said, in order to be experienced, HDR content must be consumed on a compatible device, such as the latest Android mobile devices or an HDR-capable smart TV.
In a blog post today, YouTube explained that any creator using a supported encoder (which converts content into a digital format to stream on YouTube) can live stream content in HDR. YouTube said that in the future it will unveil new ways for creators to stream HDR — including additional encoders (both software apps and standalone hardware) as well as mobile devices.
Subscribe to get the latest creator news
If you’re on a compatible device, you can check out HDR in action below from a performance at a recent Phish concert.