OBS SDR White Level vs HDR Nominal Peak Level
When configuring High Dynamic Range (HDR) recording or streaming in OBS Studio, two critical color settings often cause confusion: “SDR White Level” and “HDR Nominal Peak Level.” This article explains the practical differences between these two settings, how they impact your video output, and how to configure them to achieve the best visual quality when managing HDR and SDR content together.
What is SDR White Level?
The SDR White Level setting in OBS Studio determines how bright Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) elements should be when they are placed on an HDR canvas.
In a streaming setup, you often mix HDR sources (like a modern console or PC game) with SDR sources (like webcam feeds, alert overlays, chat widgets, and text). Because SDR has a much lower maximum brightness than HDR, OBS needs to know how to scale these SDR elements so they do not look dull, grey, or washed out next to vibrant HDR gameplay.
- Standard Value: The industry standard for SDR White Level is 203 nits (often referred to as the ITU-R BT.2408 recommendation).
- Impact: Setting this too low (e.g., 80 or 100 nits) makes your webcams and overlays look very dark and muddy. Setting it too high (e.g., 400+ nits) will make SDR elements look unnaturally glowing and blown out, losing detail.
What is HDR Nominal Peak Level?
The HDR Nominal Peak Level setting specifies the maximum brightness level (peak luminance) that your HDR output is allowed to reach. This value tells OBS—and subsequently the playback device or streaming platform (like YouTube)—the upper limit of highlights in your video.
This setting dictates how bright the most intense highlights, such as explosions, sunlight, or reflections, can get in your stream or recording.
- Standard Value: The default and most common standard is 1000 nits, which matches the capabilities of most HDR-compatible monitors and televisions.
- Impact: If you set this value lower than your monitor’s capabilities, your HDR content will look flat and lose its high-contrast impact. If you set it higher than your display or game’s actual peak output, it can result in “clipping,” where bright areas lose all texture and detail, turning into solid white patches.
Key Differences Summary
| Feature | SDR White Level | HDR Nominal Peak Level |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Purpose | Adjusts the brightness of SDR sources (webcams, overlays) in an HDR project. | Sets the maximum brightness limit for the entire HDR video output. |
| Target Elements | Overlays, alerts, capture cards running in SDR, text. | High-intensity highlights (sun, fire, reflections) in HDR games. |
| Common Default | 203 nits (or 75% HLG). | 1000 nits. |
| Visual Threat | Too low = muddy overlays; Too high = blindingly bright overlays. | Too low = dull highlights; Too high = clipped/blown-out white details. |
Recommended Settings for OBS Studio
To get the most balanced visual output when streaming or recording in HDR using OBS Studio, use the following baseline settings:
- Color Space: Set your color space to Rec. 2100 (PQ) or Rec. 2100 (HLG) in the Advanced settings tab. PQ is generally preferred for HDR10 recording and YouTube streaming.
- SDR White Level: Set this to 203 nits. This ensures your webcams, alerts, and overlays look natural and remain perfectly readable without being distractingly bright.
- HDR Nominal Peak Level: Set this to 1000 nits. This is the sweet spot for maximum compatibility across most consumer HDR displays and streaming platforms.