How to configure HDR in Windows 10

Connecting our PC or laptop to a monitor or television is something more and more common, especially when we want to watch some content or enjoy a video game on the big screen. Now, the fact of connecting to a TV or monitor with high dynamic range or HDR, makes us enjoy higher quality images if our Windows 10 computer supports HDR and WCG wide color gamut. So you can configure HDR in Windows 10 to enjoy a better experience.

Today we can find a lot of applications and games compatible with HDR, even in the Microsoft Store, but to enjoy them with the highest possible image quality, we must have a screen that meets the corresponding hardware requirements and have it properly configured HDR in Windows 10.

In the case of the screen, we need one that has a resolution of at least 1080p and a minimum brightness of 300 nits . Now, in the case of our computer, we must have an integrated graphics that supports PlayReady hardware digital rights management for HDR content and have the necessary codecs installed for 10-bit video decoding.

What is HDR?

Although surely by now you already know what HDR is, the acronym stands for High Dynamic Range or High Dynamic Range. HDR is a technology that allows us to improve the quality of content by offering better colors and better contrast. The image is more realistic thanks to the fact that there are more differences between light and dark areas, the level of contrast is higher and thus the blacks are more black. It is a technology that allows us a billion more colors than on traditional screens and we can now enjoy it on televisions, mobile phones, computer screens … In addition, the available content is manyand we find them on streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney + or Apple TV + if we want to see series and movies with better quality than without them. You can also do it from the computer and we will explain how.

Configure HDR in Windows 10

If our equipment and the screen support HDR, then these are the steps to follow to configure it:

  • Type “Settings” in the search engine on the start bar of your computer
  • We open the Windows 10 Settings page
  • We enter the System
  • From here, open the section that indicates Screen .
  • If we have several screens connected to the equipment, we choose the one that supports HDR.
  • We select the Windows HD Color Settings option .
  • In Screen capabilities
  • Once in here, we make sure that the Use HDR option is activated .

Playing HDR content on our laptop can considerably reduce battery life, therefore, it is possible that the manufacturer of our equipment deactivates this option by default but that does not mean that it cannot be done or it is not a problem if you have it. plugged into the power. However, we can change the settings from the power options whenever we want. You can activate it to watch series and movies and deactivate it when you don’t need it. For it:

  1. We open the Windows 10 Settings page.
  2. We enter the System.
  3. We click on the option Screen.
  4. We selected a screen with the possibility of HDR on Multiple screens .
  5. Click on  Windows HD Color Settings .
  6. Inside  Battery Options , we uncheck the box  Do not allow HDR games and applications when running on battery .

If HDR is already activated when the laptop is plugged in, HDR will now remain activated if we unplug the equipment and it works on battery.

Most frequent problems when configuring HDR

It is not perfect and there are some problems that appear frequently on the Windows 10 computer or laptop. These are some of the most frequent and how we can solve them.

HDR does not appear on the screen or TV

In this case, what we have to do is make sure that the screen or television has HDR correctly activated. If necessary, we will have to consult the instructions of both devices to perform the check. In addition, it is convenient that we review the configuration in Windows 10 to verify that the Use HDR option is activated in Windows HD Color and that our equipment meets the hardware requirements to reproduce this type of content.

I can’t turn on the Use HDR option

If we are using a laptop, HDR-compatible equipment will make the default power settings disable HDR when we are using the battery. In this case, what we need to do is go to the system settings> Display> Windows HD Color Settings and within the battery options, uncheck the box Do not allow HDR games and applications when running on battery .

Use HDR button is not displayed

When we connect an external screen to our laptop, the first time the system itself will duplicate the desktop on both screens by default, however, HDR is not supported in this configuration. Therefore, in order to view HDR content, what we will have to do is expand the desktop between both screens. From the Configuration page > System> Screen , within Several screens we select the Extend these screens option .

Colors are not displaying correctly

We may find that the color is not displayed correctly and for example, stripes of color appear around vertical strokes. In this case, what we must do is make sure that we have properly updated the drivers of our graphics, if we use an HDMI connection and the screen supports HDR through the DisplayPort connection , we must try to use this connection to connect the equipment to the screen.

However, if our only option is HDMI, we can try to reduce the frame rate from Settings> System> Display> Advanced display settings and then enter Display adapter Properties. We select the Monitor tab and indicate 30 Hz as the screen refresh rate.

We can also try lowering the resolution . To do this, we go to Settings> System> Display> Advanced display settings and then we select Display adapter properties. In the Adapter tab we select Show all modes and within List all modes we choose a lower resolution and click OK to save the changes.

by Abdullah Sam
I’m a teacher, researcher and writer. I write about study subjects to improve the learning of college and university students. I write top Quality study notes Mostly, Tech, Games, Education, And Solutions/Tips and Tricks. I am a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence or virtue.

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