Vimeo Announces Support for HDR Video Playback on iPhone X, 2017 iPad Pro, and Apple TV 4K

Vimeo today announced that support for high dynamic range (HDR) videos has officially arrived across the company's entire suite of apps for the iPhone X, 2017 iPad Pro models, and Apple TV 4K. Vimeo said this means it's "the only video-hosting platform available in HDR" on Apple's platforms right now. This might be a reference to YouTube, which has been notably absent from including 4K video on its Apple TV app due to each company supporting different HDR codecs.

For Vimeo, the company said that it's enabling HDR with 10-bit graphics and a BT.2020 wide color gamut by leveraging the next-generation High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard to keep file sizes at manageable levels. This will allow video makers and editors who shoot in HDR the ability to upload to Vimeo "in the highest color accuracy possible."

vimeo hdr

We now support 10-bit video, which means the image quality is strikingly clear and cleaner than ever before. The precision and nuance of 10-bit allows us to upgrade from 16 million colors to 1 billion colors.

With BT.2020 (or Rec.2020) support and wider color gamuts (WCG), your image will now represent over 75% of the color that the human eye can see. That’s a big change: most modern color gamuts in videos are limited to a 35% color range. But with BT.2020, we can truly depict your deepest reds, brightest greens, and darkest blacks like never before.

The new support also unlocks resolutions in up to 8K, according to Vimeo, which viewers can watch on devices that support output of these resolution levels (4K, 5K, 6K, and 8K), or download them for file sharing later. Because Vimeo is also a video marketplace where creators can sell videos, the company noted that 8K Ultra HD support isn't just about streaming video (since 8K displays are still nascent in the market), but also for selling, distributing, and submitting videos to festivals "in the best quality possible."

Viewers will be able to know when a video is available in HDR with an included "HDR" badge on the video page and player, which Vimeo automatically detects and displays. Like all HDR and high-resolution content, viewers will need a screen that supports HDR 10 and HEVC, so anyone with an iPhone X, a model of the latest iPad Pro from 2017, and Apple TV 4K will be able to watch this content on their devices.


Vimeo content in HDR will also include a separate standard definition version of the video, for users who don't have access to HDR-capable devices. Any device will be able to download HDR HEVC files so they can share and transfer the videos to other platforms, as well.

For more information on Vimeo's HDR support, check out the company's blog post here. Vimeo is available for free on the iOS App Store [Direct Link] and tvOS App Store.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, iPad Pro
Tags: HDR, Vimeo

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Top Rated Comments

thelookingglass Avatar
100 months ago
I would like to do see a double blind study of 50 people or so.

They all get shown a video on the X in HDR and non-HDR. My hypothesis: they wouldn’t notice a thing.
Have you ever watched a video in HDR on a screen that supports it? The colors are incredibly vibrant. It's very striking.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
IGI2 Avatar
100 months ago
Great move Vimeo!

Don't let the YouTube to have full control over media in the Internet!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
redman042 Avatar
100 months ago
I would like to do see a double blind study of 50 people or so.

They all get shown a video on the X in HDR and non-HDR. My hypothesis: they wouldn’t notice a thing.
You are speaking from personal experience testing a video in this way, I hope.

Otherwise you are just being negative for no good reason.

I suspect it’s the latter.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
twinlight Avatar
100 months ago
Did a quick peek on my iPads and see now big difference but it sure is a pretty video and I liked the song.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
69Mustang Avatar
100 months ago
I would like to do see a double blind study of 50 people or so.

They all get shown a video on the X in HDR and non-HDR. My hypothesis: they wouldn’t notice a thing.
I think you may be confusing 4K and HDR. A double blind of a 4K video and a 1080p video might produce the results you're predicting. HDR? HDR will produce strikingly differing results. HDR matters way more than 4K when it comes to visual impact.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Return Zero Avatar
100 months ago
Kind of a jerk move to tease us in the release notes, then make us wait a week (and counting) for the update that actually supports what was described in the notes... I think Apple needs to start cracking down on devs for not having accurate release notes, or for not describing what was changed at all. It's deceptive and really lowers the quality of the entire platform IMO. I know most people don't read release notes, but I sure do, every time XD
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)