HDR Broken Win 11?

[AdityaSaraf]

So the other day I decided to download Assassins Creed Odyssey, because I wanted to test out the HDR on my "HDAren't" Monitor (Samsung Odyssey G5 27" 1440p 165hz HDR500). I had used HDR to watch some movies and play some F1 2023 before this, but heard Odyssey had a great implementation of HDR, and wanted to test it out. So I install the game, I had the Windows Use HDR setting on with a color profile set for my monitor. I turned on HDR in the game and it looked all blown up. So I turned off HDR in game, changed my preset game mode on the monitor and restarted the game. This time the HDR option was unavailable.

 

I went into windows display settings and there I found that Use HDR was also turned off. I even noticed that I wasn't getting the 165hz option in the Windows settings or NVidia control Panel. It says that my monitor supports the Use HDR function, but whenever I go to turn it on it instantly bounces right back and turns itself off. I'm confused on what's going wrong with my system. I tried updating drivers, restarting the PC, unplugging and replugging in the DP cable, all to no avail. 

[ThankGodItsFriday]

HDR in Windows is very temperamental. It's probably still supported, but implementation in Windows 11 is still poor. Unfortunately, I have no proper solution to your issue, other than maybe try a different monitor with HDR support, but I just thought I'd sympathize with you.

[Alex Atkin UK]

16 minutes ago, AdityaSaraf said:

So the other day I decided to download Assassins Creed Odyssey, because I wanted to test out the HDR on my "HDAren't" Monitor (Samsung Odyssey G5 27" 1440p 165hz HDR500). I had used HDR to watch some movies and play some F1 2023 before this, but heard Odyssey had a great implementation of HDR, and wanted to test it out. So I install the game, I had the Windows Use HDR setting on with a color profile set for my monitor. I turned on HDR in the game and it looked all blown up. So I turned off HDR in game, changed my preset game mode on the monitor and restarted the game. This time the HDR option was unavailable.

 

I went into windows display settings and there I found that Use HDR was also turned off. I even noticed that I wasn't getting the 165hz option in the Windows settings or NVidia control Panel. It says that my monitor supports the Use HDR function, but whenever I go to turn it on it instantly bounces right back and turns itself off. I'm confused on what's going wrong with my system. I tried updating drivers, restarting the PC, unplugging and replugging in the DP cable, all to no avail. 

In my experience, I ALWAYS have to reboot Windows after turning on HDR.  I sometimes still then have to re-launch the game after turning on HDR in the game (depends on the game).

 

Also the colours being blown out is exactly what happens on HDRarent monitors and as such it makes sense it would be worse on a game with good HDR than one that barely uses it, as its trying to represent contrast changes much wider than it can display.

[BetteBalterZen]

I have used HDR a lot in Windows 11, and on 5 different monitors and with 2 different PCs - all worked perfectly as intended. Never had to restart or do any weird shenanigans to make HDR work. 

I have used HDR on: 
Samsung Odyssey CRG9

Samsung Odyssey G9
Samsung Odyssey Neo G7
Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 G95NC 
LG CX (OLED TV) 

How I use HDR: 
First I turn on HDR in Windows settings (to put the monitor into HDR mode). Then I download the HDR Calibration tool from Microsoft Store and use it to create a profile for all my monitors. Then, with HDR enabled in Windows, I simply start whatever game I wanna play. Then the first time I boot my game in HDR, I usually just have to go into the games settings and enable HDR. And there we go, simple as that, works everytime. 

If doing the same does not work, I would suspect the monitor you're using to have an old buggy / unstable firmware. I know Samsung loves pumping out fixes for their monitors long time after release. I see you have a G5 as well; try firmware update it. 

[BetteBalterZen]

2 hours ago, Alex Atkin UK said:

Also the colours being blown out is exactly what happens on HDRarent monitors and as such it makes sense it would be worse on a game with good HDR than one that barely uses it, as its trying to represent contrast changes much wider than it can display.

Not saying what you're saying here is incorrect, I'm just adding to it; 

Sure, I have seen bugs with HDR here and there (obviously). In my experience, when colors and/or contrast is blown out, that is because whatever game or video you're playing is rendering in HDR mode but your monitor somehow bugged out and are actually displaying in SDR mode. 

Displaying video or games in active HDR mode on a display in SDR mode with exactly do that, blow everything out like crazy, because so much of the spectrum is missing for displaying the HDR correctly (because the monitor actually is running in SDR). 

To fix this, simply disable and enable HDR again in Windows. 

[Doobeedoo]

Just don't use HDR with HDRn't monitor. Even with proper HDR monitors, like OLED there can be issues, just even having to on/off it fiddle for whatever content or game is annoying and broken at times. Windows looking crap in HDR and different monitor HDR modes needing to test which is better for what content. I feel until everyone starts having OLEDs issues will continue as most are on LCDs and fragmentation between displays capabilities to be taken into accound hence all the adjuatments between modes, sliders nonsense. From content standpoint it will improve as it will be known people have OLEDs and that will be the target. Another is Windows OS chain that will need to improve so basically we don't think is it on/off but just works.

[Stahlmann]

The Windows 11 HDR implementation works as intended. And to play HDR games, you need to have HDR enabled in Windows. The reason your monitor looks terrible in HDR is because Samsung, like most brands, doesn't care how good HDR looks on cheaper HDR monitors. All they do is crank up the saturation and brightness to get the most "wow" effect out of the user. More often than not, it just looks awful, and for that reason, you're probably better off just not using HDR on those monitors.

 

IF the implementation from the monitor side is good, there is no problem with having it enabled in Windows 24/7. That's what I do, and there are absolutely no problems with SDR content while HDR is enabled. But again, the monitor brand has to configure their end properly. Windows does exactly what it's supposed to. The way some monitors interpret the signal is the reason they look terrible.

[BetteBalterZen]

On 4/19/2024 at 5:05 PM, Stahlmann said:

Windows does exactly what it's supposed to. The way some monitors interpret the signal is the reason they look terrible.

So true... I remember the first time I enabled HDR with my OLED tv. I thought it did not enable because it still looked so "good" and normal in Windows. That day I learned how shitty almost all PC HDR monitors are