How to calibrate Built-in Display for HDR Video in Windows 11

What is HDR Video and Why Calibrate It?

Calibrating your built-in HDR display in Windows 11 ensures you see HDR videos as intended, with brighter brights and darker darks. This calibration process uses your display's capabilities to show more detail in both the lightest and darkest image areas, offering a better picture than regular video.

Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) video has limitations. SDR struggles to show both the brightest and darkest parts of a scene with full detail at the same time. For example, SDR cannot display intense sunlight and dark shadows with equal clarity, making it difficult to see details in either extreme.

High Dynamic Range (HDR) acts as an upgrade. HDR allows your screen to display a much wider spectrum of colors and brightness levels. This wider spectrum translates to more realistic and vibrant images.

• Brighter Brights: Think of sunlight, explosions, or bright lights – they can look much more intense and real.
• Darker Darks: Deep shadows in a night scene can be truly dark, adding depth without losing details within them.
• More Vivid Colors: HDR can show more colors, making them richer and more lifelike.
• Better Detail: You can often see details in both the very bright and very dark areas of the same picture at once, which SDR struggles with.

Display calibration fine-tunes your screen's HDR picture beyond its factory settings. You can control how your screen shows extreme bright and dark areas, allowing you to see every detail in bright scenes or dark areas. Calibration lets you decide the best balance for your viewing preferences.

How to Calibrate Your Built-in HDR Display

Let's get started. Follow these steps to calibrate your Windows 11 laptop's built-in screen for HDR video. These instructions are specifically for your laptop's integrated display.

Step 1Open Display Settings

Press Windows key + I to quickly open the Settings app.

Alternatively, click the Start button and then select the Settings gear icon.

Step 2Go to Display Settings

Within the Settings app, click on System in the left-hand navigation pane.

On the right-hand side, locate and click on Display.

Step 3Find the HDR Settings

The display calibration tool is only available when the "Use HDR" setting is turned off. If the "Use HDR" setting is currently on, you must disable the "Use HDR" setting temporarily to access the calibration tool, but you can turn the "Use HDR" setting back on later.

Step 4Select Your Built-in Display (If Needed)

If you have an external monitor connected, a menu may appear allowing you to select a display. Ensure your laptop's built-in screen is chosen from this list.

If you only see your laptop's built-in display, the HDR calibration option won't appear. This behavior is normal when your laptop is not connected to an external HDR monitor. You do not need to take any action because no calibration is required for your laptop's screen itself in this scenario.

Step 5Open the Calibration Tool

The HDR settings page in Windows 11 includes a "Display calibration for HDR video" section. Click the "Calibrate" button within this "Display calibration for HDR video" section to begin the calibration process.

Keep in mind, this "Calibrate" button only appears if "Use HDR" is off; otherwise, it will be grayed out or absent.

Step 6Calibrate Your Display

Now it's time to calibrate your display in Windows 11. The full-screen tool shows an image to help you balance bright and dark areas. Use the slider at the bottom to adjust how much detail shows in bright spots, like the sky, and dark spots, like shadows. Move the slider until the image looks best to your eyes.

This slider controls how bright the brightest parts of your HDR video appear. Move the HDR display calibration slider until the image looks its best to you for accurate HDR video playback.

• To show more detail in bright areas, move the slider to the right.
• To show more detail in dark areas, move the slider to the left.

To calibrate your built-in display for HDR video in Windows 11, carefully examine the image and observe how details change. Determine what looks most pleasing to your eyes. There is no single correct answer, as calibration depends on personal preference. You are instructing Windows on how to adjust brightness for specific areas of HDR content.

Step 7Exit the Calibration Tool

Once you're satisfied with the balance, look for an icon in the bottom-right corner of the full-screen image. It typically resembles a square or an "exit full screen" symbol. Click it to close the tool.

Step 8Turn HDR Back On (Optional but Recommended)

After you calibrate your HDR display in Windows 11, it's best to turn HDR back on to see the improvements. Go back to the same HDR settings page where you found the calibration tool. Simply switch the 'Use HDR' toggle to the 'On' position. If anything looks wrong after turning it back on, you can always redo the calibration.

Step 9Close Settings

That's it! You've successfully calibrated your built-in HDR display. You can now close the Settings window. Enjoy your improved HDR video experience!

Resetting Default HDR Calibration Settings

There might be times when you want to revert to the factory default settings for your HDR calibration. Perhaps you've made adjustments and are not satisfied, or you simply wish to start fresh. Windows provides an accessible way to reset your HDR calibration.

Step 1Open Display Settings

Press Windows key + I to open Settings, then navigate to System > Display.

Step 2Access HDR Settings

Click on the HDR or Use HDR option. Remember, the calibration button is only visible if "Use HDR" is turned off.

Step 3Select Your Built-in Display (If Needed)

If you have multiple screens connected, confirm that your laptop's built-in screen is selected.

Step 4Restore Defaults

You can reset your HDR calibration settings in Windows 11 to their original state by finding the 'Display calibration for HDR video' section. Click the 'Restore default' button within that section. This action reverts your display calibration to its factory state. You should then turn 'Use HDR' back on if you had previously enabled the 'Use HDR' setting.

This action will reset your HDR calibration settings to their original state, as they were when Windows was first set up or when your display drivers were last updated. You will then want to re-enable "Use HDR" if it was previously on.

Step 5Close Settings

The HDR calibration for your built-in display in Windows 11 has been reset to its default configuration. You can now close the Settings app to finish the process.

Summary

Calibrating your built-in HDR display in Windows 11 helps you get the best picture quality for HDR videos. By going to display settings, finding the HDR options, and using the calibration tool, you can adjust brightness and color. This involves turning HDR off briefly to use the tool and then adjusting a slider for bright and dark details.