Google adds High Dynamic Range (HDR) video support to YouTube

joe1946

joe1946

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Today, Google announces that it is making YouTube even better. The service can already stream video in 4K, and is available on countless devices, but now the videos are gaining High Dynamic Range (HDR) support too. This means the content will be presented with better contrast and more vibrant colors. Of course, the benefits will only be relaized with displays that support HDR.

"Starting today, you can watch YouTube videos in HDR on supported devices, such as HDR TVs with the new Chromecast Ultra, and soon on all 2016 Samsung SUHD and UHD TVs. If you're using a device that doesn't yet support HDR, don't worry, videos will still play in standard dynamic range. As more HDR devices become available, YouTube will work with partners to enable streaming of the HDR version", says Steven Robertson, Software Engineer, Google.

Robertson also shares, "any creator can upload HDR videos to YouTube. To make sure creators can tell awesome stories with even more color, we’ve been working with companies across the industry. We’ve worked with the DaVinci Resolve team to make uploading HDR just as simple as SDR videos to YouTube. We’ve also outfitted the YouTube Spaces in LA and NYC with all the gear needed to produce great HDR content".
Click to expand...
http://betanews.com/2016/11/07/google-high-dynamic-range-hdr-youtube-videos/
 
This is definitely a welcome step forward, because one of the (many) challenges so far with HDR content is how to actually deliver it to people. Hopefully the various TV manufacturers and streaming devices (Roku, etc.) will work on adding support for YouTube HDR playback.

Sounds like the easiest way to produce HDR video files suitable for upload to YouTube is to export them from Resolve, although YouTube also has a metadata generation tool to add HDR metadata to video files produced from other applications. Apparently YouTube will try to automatically do an SDR conversion of the uploaded HDR file, but it is also possible to supply a custom LUT for YouTube to use instead when generating the SDR version.

More details on exporting/uploading here:
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7126552
 
So can we expect all of the NLE's to easily add HDR export or is it more complicated? For example, if I start with 10-bit footage, can I edit and export in an HDR format and see an improvement compared to normal h.264?
 
Given how popular YouTube is as a platform (and that many of the NLE's already have some YouTube export profiles), I'd be surprised if we didn't see more direct support for YouTube HDR export in the future.

For the time being, it sounds like only Resolve is capable of directly exporting the HDR metadata for YouTube upload.

It is possible to export 10-bit footage from other editors, but then you will have to use YouTube's HDR metadata tool (https://github.com/youtubehdr/hdr_metadata) to generate the needed metadata before uploading. Assuming you use the metadata tool, I think the end result should be the same as exporting from Resolve (just with an extra step). Currently supported 10-bit file formats for upload include ProRes, DNxHR HQX, and 10-bit H.264.

If you upload 10-bit footage without the HDR metadata, presumably YouTube would just treat it as SDR footage. Which would mean that you wouldn't get HDR playback on supported HDR-capable displays and YouTube also wouldn't generate an SDR-compatible version of the file. Which means that it wouldn't look good when played back on any display (whether SDR or HDR).
 
Thanks. I guess I do not know enough about HDR video at this point. It seems everything we shoot in the video world has compromised dynamic range. What needs to be HDR at acquisition to get proper HDR upon output?
 
Yeah, I'm still learning as well. Here's a decent introduction:
http://www.newsshooter.com/2016/03/...t-why-and-how-of-shooting-high-dynamic-range/

I think roughly speaking, if you capture 10-bit or higher log or 12-bit or higher RAW, then you should end up with footage that can be used for HDR delivery.

Some of the HDR white papers from the camera manufacturers seem like pretty good overviews as well.
 
Thanks. I am used to the still RAW workflow. I am guessing the video world will eventually get to a more RAW than not area as computer speeds catch up. Good to see YouTube coming into it own as it was kind of not a serious choice in the not so distant past.
 
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