Crisp text over the stream with 4:4:4 chroma

Small text smears because most streams send a quarter of the colour detail. Where Punktfunk sends full 4:4:4 chroma, and how to turn it on.

Games look sharp, but small text and thin UI lines come out blurry with coloured fringes. That is chroma subsampling, not bitrate.

Most streams use 4:2:0: full brightness detail, one colour sample per 2×2 pixels. 4:4:4 keeps every colour sample. It costs bandwidth, so it's off by default: use it for desktop work and small HUD text, not fast action.

Where it works

• Codec: HEVC or PyroWave. AV1 and H.264 stay 4:2:0.
• Host: HEVC 4:4:4 needs an NVIDIA GPU. PyroWave does it on any GPU.
• Client: Linux, Windows and the Apple apps. For HEVC the client needs a GPU that decodes 4:4:4 in hardware; on a PC that means NVIDIA. Android has no 4:4:4.
• With HDR: a Windows host combines both. A Linux host drops HEVC to 4:2:0 for HDR; Linux PyroWave keeps 10-bit 4:4:4.

Turn it on

1. In the client's video settings, turn on Full chroma (4:4:4).
2. Leave Full color 4:4:4 on under Host → Settings → Video in the web console. It is on by default.
3. Reconnect. The stats overlay shows 4:4:4, or 4:4:4→4:2:0 when the host declined.

Per-GPU details: support matrix. For HDR, see HDR game streaming.