YouTube adds HDR support as Chromecast Ultra starts shipping

YouTube has added support for High Dynamic Range (HDR) for videos on the platform.

From yesterday, viewers can watch YouTube videos in HDR on supported devices including via HDR-enabled TVs with Google’s new Chromecast Ultra HDMI dongle.

Support for HDR will be extended to YouTube viewing on Samsung SUHD and UHD TVs soon, the video platform said.

HDR videos will pay in standard dynamic range on devices that do not support HDR.

YouTube said it would work with partners to enable streaming of HDR content on more devices as they become available.

Early HDR content on the platform includes videos from YouTube content creators MysteryGuitarMan, Jacob + Katie Schwarz and Abandon Visuals.

YouTube has teamed up with DaVinci Resolve to enable the uploading of HDR videos in a way that is relatively simple and accessible, the video platform said. It has also provided HDR equipment to enable the creation of content at its YouTube Spaces facilities in Los Angeles and New York.

Google started shipping Chromecast Ultra, a new UHD version of the popular HDMI streaming device, this week, priced at US$69 in the US. The device is also to be made available in 15 countries internationally.

Chromecast Ultra supports 4K, HDR and Dolby Vision. While the dongle can currently be used to view content from Netflix and Vudu as well as YouTube, Google has also said it woll roll out 4K content on Google Play Movies later this year.

According to Google, Chromecast Ultra loads videos 1.8 times faster than previous Chromecast devices and includes improved WiFi connectivity. It can also be hooked up in WiFi-challenged environments through the inclusion of an optional Ethernet port.