Can’t enable HDR on Windows 11

[NickKz]

Hi, I have a Samsung 4K TV that supports HDR, which I have successfully used on my Mac Mini and Apple TV before — unfortunately when I try to use a windows 11 computer (a HP Z2 Mini G9) it says hdr is not supported under display capabilities

 

What am I doing wrong?  

 

[GuiltySpark_]

Go back a page, select Advanced display and send a screenshot. Also try another (better) HDMI cable. 

[ChrisLoudon]

3 minutes ago, NickKz said:

What am I doing wrong?

Hi buddy,

 

First of all, what GPU do you have?

 

Does your Samsung have special mode that needs enable on the HDMI port your PC is plugged into? My LG TVs require me to enable 'Deep Colour Mode' on the HDMI input(s) before it will work?

 

 

[ChrisLoudon]

1 minute ago, GuiltySpark_ said:

Go back a page

Yeh, see snipping. What does yours say?

 

[NickKz]

Hi I’ve got an Nvidia T400 and the onboard Intel GPU (Intel i5-12500).

 

Neither works.  Windows update says everything is up to date.

 

There is no toggle on the main display page, it just says HDR and brings you to the next page.

The same HDMI cable connects to an Apple TV 4K 60 Hz and HDR enables just fine along with 4:2:2 chroma.

 

i am using a DisplayPort to HDMI converter from cable matters as this computer has no hdmi ports, however cable matters assures me that HDR is supported and it should “just work” if the display supports it, which it does — as far as I know there is no setting on the tv needed to enable it, I don’t have to enable anything when using it with my Apple TV 

 

[ChrisLoudon]

1 minute ago, NickKz said:

The same HDMI cable connects to an Apple TV 4K 60 Hz and HDR enables just fine along with 4:2:2 chroma.

Hmmm

 

Set Nvidia Control Panel to 'default colour settings' in the 'Change Resolution' menu and see what happens

 

Should look something like this:

 

[GuiltySpark_]

15 minutes ago, ChrisLoudon said:

Yeh, see snipping. What does yours say?

 

Wrong page. Scroll down and look for advanced. Send screenshot. 

[NickKz]

2 hours ago, ChrisLoudon said:

Hmmm

 

Set Nvidia Control Panel to 'default colour settings' in the 'Change Resolution' menu and see what happens

 

Should look something like this:

 

Done.  What that did was changed the color to 8-bit.  Still can’t turn on HDR

 

I am going to hit CableMatters back up because I am thinking this is an issue with their converter — they specifically mention HDR in the Amazon listing but if you scroll down it says “Dolby vision” and no mention of Samsung or regular HDR10/10+…I can’t imagine why that would be a difference but that’s all I’ve got!  It’s either that or something is screwy with my Windows install.  
 

Side topic: Do Intel iGPUs not speak “native” hdmi?  

[GuiltySpark_]

10-bit and an HDMI to HDMI cable, no adapters. That was a critical piece of information you left out above. 

[NickKz]

34 minutes ago, GuiltySpark_ said:

10-bit and an HDMI to HDMI cable, no adapters. That was a critical piece of information you left out above. 

The color bit depth doesn’t seem to matter, I’ve tried every setting, and I mentioned I was using a DisplayPort to HDMI adapter in my second post.  This computer does not even have a single native HDMI port, unfortunately.
 

Also FYI, the MacMini and Apple TV 4K HDR both use DisplayPort -> HDMI adapters too…they’re just internal, and soldered to the inside of the main motherboards.  Both use Kinetic Technologies MCDP2920A4 IIRC.

[ChrisLoudon]

16 hours ago, NickKz said:

Also FYI, the MacMini and Apple TV 4K HDR both use DisplayPort -> HDMI adapters too…they’re just internal, and soldered to the inside of the main motherboards.  Both use Kinetic Technologies MCDP2920A4 IIRC.

Have you made any headway with this?

 

While I'm probably stating the obvious, I'm pretty sure your issue is with the DP > HDMI conversion.

 

I've had problems in the past with this but I can't recall what it was I lost when using a DP > HDMI cable. I was trying to get my 3080ti to output 4k120 + HDR + VRR to my C2 LG OLED using a DP > HDMI cable then with the only HDMI output, connect my Yamaha AVR (which is only HDMI 2.0) and I had no end of problems.

 

In the end I found an old GT1030 in my box of goodies to give me a 2nd HDMI output which solved it for me but for you, I really don't know what the solution is.

 

Do you have another GPU you can swap out the T400 with? At least something that has an HDMI port?

 

For piece of mind do you have an HDR PC display (NOT a TV) with a DP input? Not gonna fix anything but at least you'll know the problem is down to the TV / conversion.

[Grant M]

2 hours ago, ChrisLoudon said:

Have you made any headway with this?

 

While I'm probably stating the obvious, I'm pretty sure your issue is with the DP > HDMI conversion.

 

I've had problems in the past with this but I can't recall what it was I lost when using a DP > HDMI cable. I was trying to get my 3080ti to output 4k120 + HDR + VRR to my C2 LG OLED using a DP > HDMI cable then with the only HDMI output, connect my Yamaha AVR (which is only HDMI 2.0) and I had no end of problems.

 

In the end I found an old GT1030 in my box of goodies to give me a 2nd HDMI output which solved it for me but for you, I really don't know what the solution is.

 

Do you have another GPU you can swap out the T400 with? At least something that has an HDMI port?

 

For piece of mind do you have an HDR PC display (NOT a TV) with a DP input? Not gonna fix anything but at least you'll know the problem is down to the TV / conversion.

Hes right. The adapter conversion is most likely the issue. 2 different output types for different features. This is most likely the reason your not getting HDR support.

[NickKz]

I have encountered even more weirdness from testing these past couple days.  This is infuriating, btw.  My first windows computer in a long time and nothing is going right

 

Still waiting to hear back from engineers at cable matters, though the initial tech I emailed said HDR should work.
 

Unfortunately, this HP Z2 Mini G9 has a low profile double slot GPU form factor, and no pcie power connectors available, so finding another GPU to test with is going to be virtually impossible, for now.

 

I had planned on using the iGPU and selling the t400 in the long run.
 

With the iGPU I am having yet another issue with another monitor…I can’t enable 10-bit color unless HDR is also turned on.  With the t400 I can use 10-bit color with SDR.  Yes, the monitor has a 10-bit panel.  It’s a ProArt PA32UCK.  I opened up a case with Intel about that.  They said that you can use the Intel graphics control center to adjust the color bit depth, but ONLY for HDMI, not for DisplayPort (or Thunderbolt).  Which I don’t understand…  I guess that’s neither here nor there though, different problem

 

Since I have this all pulled apart anyway, I might as well test the cable matters adapter with my Asus monitor; that supports HDR over HDMI, it’s actually Dolby vision certified I think.  Although the Samsung tv isn’t using Dolby vision obviously, I don’t think that should make a difference (edit; apparently it does, see below post :().  That will at least let me know if this adapter actually does support HDR, though!

[NickKz]

Okay, so the Cable Matters adapter does indeed work with HDR with my Asus ProArt monitor over HDMI using the Nvidia t400.  I can do 12-bit color with Dolby Vision HDR at 4K/60 Hz.  
 

Using the same adapter with the iGPU, and HDR also works, at 8-bit only for some reason - 4K60Hz though!

 

HDR certification in Windows is “not found” for both of these strangely, though it is found to be Dolby vision certified when connected via thunderbolt.

 

Looks like this may actually be some kind of Samsung specific problem

 

Well that’s just great, I suppose that’s the end of this then, and there will be no way to make it work…sigh.

 

If anyone is aware of a DisplayPort host to HDMI display adapter that specifically works with Samsung TVs and supports 4K HDR, please share!

 

This specific TV is only 60Hz however it wouldn’t hurt to support 120Hz or even 8K for future proofing…

 

It’s too bad I can’t find an adapter that is using the same chip that Apple uses in their products, since I know for absolute certainty that it will work

[NickKz]

Solved, with the help of Cable Matters support.

 

The issue is that when Samsung TVs detect that the device is a “PC” they won’t send the HDR flags in the edid.

 

You have to go into the TV’s settings… 

 

Settings > General > External Device Manager > Input Signal Plus and make sure that it’s enabled on whatever HDMI port that you’re using.

 

Again, this is done automatically with the Apple TV & Macs…I didn’t even know this menu existed until now

 

After that’s done, if anyone else is new to HDR on Windows and reading this, you’ll want to grab the HDR calibration tool from the MS App Store, otherwise it will look like  

[Bagzie]

3 hours ago, NickKz said:

Solved, with the help of Cable Matters support.

 

The issue is that when Samsung TVs detect that the device is a “PC” they won’t send the HDR flags in the edid.

 

You have to go into the TV’s settings… 

 

Settings > General > External Device Manager > Input Signal Plus and make sure that it’s enabled on whatever HDMI port that you’re using.

 

Again, this is done automatically with the Apple TV & Macs…I didn’t even know this menu existed until now

 

After that’s done, if anyone else is new to HDR on Windows and reading this, you’ll want to grab the HDR calibration tool from the MS App Store, otherwise it will look like  

Maybe you can give @ChrisLoudon the credit he deserves by picking him as the solution since he mentioned this exact thing in the second response to your question?

[NickKz]

Sure, done.

My bad — I honestly didn’t think to even check, since literally no other devices have this problem, and it’s enabled automatically on every device imaginable — EXCEPT what the tv identifies as a “PC”

 

It also doesn’t really go by HDMI port, it goes by device — so even though I was using the same HDMI port as the Apple TV & M1 Mac Mini (which I have HDR working for both…) — and just swapping the cable, that doesn’t matter.
 

When the TV detects that the device on that port has changed to a “PC” — it will automatically turn off Input Signal Plus, and no full RGB or HDR for you.

 

Also when you turn it on, it will turn itself off again — if detects the device on that port has changed, even if you change it back to something you had previously connected.  
 

You’ll have to re-enable it every time

 

Fucking Samsung…