SDR White Level vs HDR Nominal Peak Level in OBS
Configuring HDR in OBS Studio requires understanding how standard dynamic range (SDR) and high dynamic range (HDR) elements coexist in a single video feed. When streaming or recording in HDR, OBS must balance the brightness of standard elements like webcams, alerts, and overlays with the intense highlights of HDR gameplay. The “SDR White Level” and “HDR Nominal Peak Level” settings are the two primary controls used to calibrate this brightness balance and prevent your video from looking either washed out or blindingly overexposed.
What is SDR White Level?
The SDR White Level setting (measured in nits) determines how bright SDR sources should be when mapped into an HDR video container.
In a typical stream or recording, you will have a mix of HDR content (like an HDR-enabled game) and SDR content (such as your webcam, stream overlays, alerts, and browser sources). Because SDR content does not have HDR brightness data, OBS must convert these elements so they look natural alongside the HDR game.
- The standard value: The industry standard for SDR white in an HDR environment (BT.2408) is 203 nits (sometimes configured at 300 nits depending on personal preference and viewing environments).
- If set too low: Your overlays, alerts, and webcam will look dark, dull, and gray compared to the bright game behind them.
- If set too high: Your SDR elements will look unnaturally bright, glowing intensely and potentially “clipping” (losing detail in bright areas), which causes eye strain for viewers.
What is HDR Nominal Peak Level?
The HDR Nominal Peak Level setting (also measured in nits) defines the maximum target brightness for the brightest highlights in your HDR video.
This setting tells OBS—and ultimately the video player or streaming platform (like YouTube)—how bright the peak highlights of the video are expected to be. This includes intense light sources like explosions, sunlight, reflections on metal, or headlights.
- The standard value: The most common setting is 1000 nits, which matches the mastering standard for most consumer HDR displays and HDR10 content.
- If set too low (e.g., 400 nits): The video will lack the “pop” of true HDR, making highlights look flat and closer to standard dynamic range.
- If set too high (e.g., 4000+ nits): If your monitor or your viewers’ displays cannot handle that level of brightness, the brightest parts of the image will “clip,” turning into solid white blocks with zero visible detail.
Key Differences Summary
| Feature | SDR White Level | HDR Nominal Peak Level |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Target | SDR elements (overlays, webcams, alerts, text). | HDR elements (gameplay highlights, sun, fire, reflections). |
| Purpose | Adjusts the baseline brightness of standard content to match the HDR space. | Sets the absolute ceiling for the brightest pixels in the video. |
| Typical Setting | 203 to 300 nits. | 1000 nits (standard for most HDR content). |
| Visual Impact | Keeps UI and text legible without being too dim or too blinding. | Directs how vivid and intense the bright highlights will appear. |
How to Configure Them Together in OBS
To get the best visual balance in OBS Studio, use the following workflow:
- Set your color space: In OBS Advanced Settings, ensure your Color Space is set to Rec. 2100 (PQ).
- Adjust SDR White Level first: Start at 203 nits. View your stream overlays against your game. If the overlays look too dim, slightly increase this value (up to 250 or 300 nits) until the text and webcams look naturally bright but not glowing.
- Set HDR Nominal Peak Level: Match this to the peak brightness of your gaming monitor or the HDR calibration of your game (usually 1000 nits is the safest default for compatibility across streaming platforms).