How to Band-aid Fix SDR Brightness Glitch on Windows

by Rian

HDR is all the hype in current generation of displays. I am genuinely looking forward to see more manufacturers and operating systems take advantage of it. It’s quite the standard on the entertainment side of the business. Smart TVs, streaming apps, and consoles are already equipped to handle HDR. I don’t see why it’s not more prevalent on PCs — not everyone works in professional capacity, let alone creative environment.

There is a glitch, likely already a known glitch, when a user enables HDR settings on Windows. With both HDR and Auto HDR on, when an application that was running on HDR from Auto HDR gracefully exits, it temporarily disables SDR brightness (i.e. brightness slider for SDR contents to match that of HDR contents). This effect usually comes and goes, like the screen is flickering.

The permanent fix to the problem is unlikely within reach of a mere user. But there is a band-aid fix available until the issue is officially resolved. More GUI approach is to readjust the SDR brightness slider; any changes will reapply the brightness, thereby fixing the problem. But that’s not exactly easily accessible. Instead, I recommend using Win + Ctrl + Shift + B to reset the graphics driver. It will quickly flash the screen with a beep, and the brightness glitch will be resolved.