How to Enable HDR Video Streaming on Windows 11?

Vigneshwaran Vijayakumar — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 17:34:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered while playing a Game or Streaming a Movie on Netflix or Amazon Prime, and your Windows 11 Display seem more dull than normal? It is because the High Dynamic Range Settings are turned off on Windows 11. When HDR is turned off, the Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) contents will look normal, however, HDR Contents will appear dull. Most of the Modern Day Streaming Services uses HDR as it enhances the Contrast, Brightness, and the Color range of Visuals. HDR Technology allows for Deeper blacks, Brighter whites, and a wide range of colors compared to the SDR. In this article, we will check out How to Enable HDR Video Streaming on Windows 11. Let’s get Started.

HDR Video Streaming Turned off on Windows 11 Vs HDR Video Streaming Turned on Windows 11

Difference between HDR Video Streaming on and off on Windows 11

Let’s check out how the output on a Windows 11 Display works when HDR Video Streaming is ON and OFF on Windows 11.

Feature	HDR Video Streaming Off	HDR Video Streaming ON
*Brightness & Contrast*	Standard	Higher Brightness, Deeper Blacks, and Vivid Highlights
*Color Depth*	8-bit (16.7 million colors)	10-bit or higher (over 1 billion colors)
*Content*	HDR Video Contents looks dull or washed out	HDR Videos display full dynamic range
*Video Details & Sharpness*	Less Detail in Dark & Bright Areas	More Details in Shadows and Highlights
*Energy Consumption*	Uses Less Battery (For Laptops)	Consumes More Power (For Laptops)

Turn on HDR Video Streaming on Windows 11 using Simple Steps

Open Windows Settings using the keyboard shortcut WinKey + I.
From the left pane, click on System.

System Settings

Under System Settings, the first option is Display. Click on Display.

Click on Display

You can find HDR under the Brightness & Color. Click HDR.

Select HDR

Now, we are in the HDR Settings. Toggle HDR Video Streaming ON to turn on HDR Video Streaming on Windows 11.

Toggle HDR Video Streaming ON

Once the option is on, then the display can play streaming HDR Videos when available.

HDR Video Streaming Turned on Windows 11

Calibrate and Adjust HDR Video Streaming Settings on Windows 11

Once the HDR Video Streaming Setting is on, we can calibrate to find a good balance between the details and the vividness. Here are the steps.

Under Display Calibration for HDR Video, Click Calibrate.

Click Calibrate

Now, you can adjust the slider until there’s a good balance between the details in the windows on the buildings and the details in the snow on the mountain.

Calibrate your Display

Once you find a good balance, you can close the full screen video.

Collapse the Full Screen Video

If you would like to restore the default Calibration Settings, then you can click Restore Default.

Restore Default Calibration Settings

Battery Options for HDR Video Streaming on Windows 11

HDR Video Streaming provides better display output but at the cost of power consumption. You can choose the behaviour of HDR Video Content on Batter Power for Laptops.

You can choose between Optimize for Battery Life and Optimize for Image Quality depending on your requirements. This Setting is applicable for Laptops on Battery Power.

Battery option for Calibration Settings

Popular HDR Formats

HDR10
Dolby Vision
HDR10+
HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma)

HDR10 is the most common format used for Gaming and Streaming. Dolby Vision is an advanced HDR Format with Dynamic Metadata Support, and up-to 12 bit color. HDR10+ is nothing but Samsung’s take on HDR10 with Dynamic Meta Data. For Live Broadcasts, HLG is used.

Interesting Facts: Static Metadata use the same brightness, and color settings for the entire video, on the other hand, Dynamic Metadata adjusts brightness, contrast, and colors frame by frame for more realistic Settings.

Take Away

With Modern Displays supporting higher resolution, and higher refresh rates, optimizing HDR on Windows 11 can improve the viewing experience to a greater extent. With the above article, you can enable HDR Video Streaming on Windows 11 and enjoy a immerse viewing experience. If you have any queries, kindly let us know in the comment section. For more interesting articles, stay tuned to Winsides.com. Happy Computing! Peace out!

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