An example device for encoding high dynamic range (HDR) video data includes a memory configured to store video data; and one or more processors implemented in circuitry and configured to: calculate a histogram for an image of the video data, the image being expressed in a linear light format; encode values for the histogram of the image expressed in the linear light format; and encode the image. Data for the histogram may be expressed in an array of variables having a size of 210×18 bits. The device may encode codewords representing values for bins of the histogram, where the codewords may be selected from a set of codewords for a PQ10 format for HDR images. The bins of the histogram may represent non-equal width ranges.