Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK —The Holidays have come and gone, and many have updated their TV, computer or phone.
Chances are that many of those shiny new devices support something called HDR, or high dynamic range content. While many consumers focus solely on their device's screen resolution, pixel density can take your viewing experience only so far.
When it comes to truly lifelike content, contrast and color fidelity are arguably far more important. That's why HDR has been creating such a buzz in recent years. Screens are getting better and better at displaying deeper, sometimes "perfect" blacks as well as brighter highlights and vastly expanded color pallets. The results are striking — if your device can play HDR content.
The result is remarkably lifelike. This video depicts the sights, sounds and natural wonders of Yellowstone National Park like few visitors will ever be able to experience it, including 700-pound brawling grizzly bears, up close howling wolves, rivers and geysers — absent the crowds — and much more.
And thanks to HDR technology, this 4K video is more lifelike and true to the real Yellowstone experience than ever. While's it's still not able to offer the benefits of an in-person visit, this video will get you far closer to the park's wildlife than you can safely or legally get in person.
Thanks to modern technology, it's never been easier to enjoy the world's first national park anytime, even from the comfort and convenience of your own home.
A few tips for the best viewing experience
Even if your devices are HDR capable, they may not be HDR-ready. Make sure you've installed all system and app updates, and on some devices make sure to turn your brightness all the way up.
Next, make sure you're using an HDR-ready streaming service. YouTube has supported HDR content for several years now, but make sure your devices indicate you are watching the HDR version of the video. This may require going directly to YouTube on your web browser, or the YouTube app on your TV or phone to view the full HDR video.
If viewing on a web browser, YouTube will indicate along the settings bar that the stream is HDR. Google Chrome is best because, well YouTube is owned by Google. TVs generally flash an HDR notification or badge; phones can be trickier. While the YouTube mobile app definitely supports HDR on compatible devices, sometimes the app doesn't register HDR content.
You'll know for sure by the quality of the image. If everything is working, you'll get to enjoy remarkable detail across your screen. Highlights and shadows alike will be crisp and full of detail. If highlights are bleached out or shadow detail crushed, then you might still be an update or setting change away.
Also, if you haven't had your TV calibrated, try changing your display default to HDR cinematic of filmmaker mode. Default modes tend to over-saturate and mess with color balance. You may have a crisp image with lots of great detail in the highlights and shadows, but the image might appear too blue, too yellow — or colors may be unnaturally saturated.
Finally, as you enjoy this intimate look into the secret and not-so-secret world of Yellowstone National Park, ponder the value of wildness. Roughly 80% of the earth's land has been altered by humans, and many fear wildness itself, like so many creatures, is on the path to extinction.
Let the beauty of Yellowstone inspire you to protect wildness. After all, what if Yellowstone and its full system of wildlife hadn't been preserved? Current generations would have inherited a far poorer existence.
There's a largely unknown wealth of natural beauty out there, and it can't survive without help from people like you.
