Vimeo now supports HDR video, and it's playable on Apple devices

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Video streaming service Vimeo announced today in a press release that it's finally rolling out support for HDR (High Dynamic Range) uploads on its site. Best of all, it is the first social video service to support HDR playback on iPhone X, iPad Pro, and Apple TV 4K — though YouTube added support for HDR last year and launched HDR playback on Android devices back in September, YouTube's iOS and Apple TV apps currently won't allow a resolution higher than 1080p. In addition, Vimeo now encodes its video using HEVC format — i.e. Apple's preferred format — so you should also be able to reap the benefits of super high-resolution if you own an iMac with a retina display and use Safari as your browser.

When users go to upload content to their Vimeo account, they will now be able to select HDR videos as they would any other supported video format. This is great across the board, but it's extra fantastic for those who use Vimeo as a more "professional" alternative to YouTube and would like to share more serious artistic or experimental projects. And trust us, with support for videos up to 8K in resolution, not a single visual detail will be lost.

If your internet connection isn't the most reliable thing in the world and you find streaming high-quality video difficult due to bandwidth constraints, viewing content in standard resolution is still an option on all videos. And, if you feel left out for now because your smartphone or tablet doesn't support HEVC, don't despair: though currently HDR playback is limited to HEVC-enabled devices, Vimeo is also assuring its users that HDR for more video standards like VP9 and AV1 is on the way.

Using Vimeo is free, so whether you're a filmmaker, casual videographer, or just really enjoy consuming visual media, I'd advise checking it out. You can also grab the Vimeo app on the App Store in order to make full use of that beautiful iPhone X display ASAP.

Thoughts?

Are you excited about watching some quality vids on your Apple devices? Give us a shout in the comments!

Tory Foulk
Tory Foulk

Tory Foulk is a writer at Mobile Nations. She lives at the intersection of technology and sorcery and enjoys radio, bees, and houses in small towns. When she isn't working on articles, you'll likely find her listening to her favorite podcasts in a carefully curated blanket nest. You can follow her on Twitter at @tsfoulk.