How to Turn On or off HDR Video Streaming in Windows 11
- 9 steps
- Includes a restart or sign-out
HDR (high dynamic range) video streaming lets your Windows 11 display show brighter highlights and deeper shadows at the same time. This guide explains what HDR streaming needs, what can stop it from working, and how to turn it on or off in Settings.
To turn HDR video streaming on or off in Windows 11, open Settings by pressing Win+I, then go to System Display HDR (or Use HDR) and set the HDR video streaming toggle to On or Off. The change applies immediately. If a video app was already open, restart it so it picks up the new setting.
What is HDR Video?
HDR content offers better brightness and color capabilities compared to traditional content (sometimes called standard dynamic range [SDR] content). Standard video formats force a compromise. They capture either bright windows or dark shadows, but they can’t show detail in both at once.
HDR displays reproduce a wider range of color and light while keeping detail in the extreme tones. Visuals look more vivid and distinct. Bright areas shine with more intensity, and dark areas get deeper without losing shadow detail.
If one is missing, you get the normal SDR picture and nothing looks broken. It just looks flatter.
What You Need
Playback requires a Windows PC with a display that’s optimized for HDR video, plus HDR streaming turned on in Settings. The setting works the same way on Windows 11 Home and Pro, and you don’t need to restart the PC after changing it.
Check the specifications of your monitor or laptop panel if you aren’t sure it supports HDR. If it doesn’t, the HDR options in Settings may be missing or greyed out.
Important Things to Know
Several conditions can stop HDR video from playing even when the setting is on. Check these first if HDR doesn’t look right.
Display compatibility: Not every panel supports HDR video natively. If you move playback to a display that doesn’t support it, Windows falls back to standard dynamic range (SDR) streams once new content begins. To force playback on the HDR display, move the video window to that display and restart the video app.
Battery saver mode: When battery saver is on, Windows dims your display to save power, and that interferes with HDR playback. HDR needs peak screen brightness to render properly. Turn off the Lower screen brightness when using battery saver setting to restore full brightness.
Battery power: HDR playback draws a lot of power, so Windows turns off HDR streaming by default while a laptop runs on battery. To override this:
- Open Settings System Display HDR (the page may be named Use HDR).
- Expand Battery options.
- Check the Allow streaming HDR video on battery box, or the Allow HDR games, videos, and apps on battery box, depending on which one your build shows.
Expect shorter battery life once you allow this. Clear the check box again to go back to the default.
Full screen required: Video players running in a window can’t output HDR streams. Switch the player to full screen.
How to Turn On or Off HDR Video Streaming
- Open Settings by pressing
Win+I. The Settings window should appear. - Click System on the left side, and then click Display on the right side. You should see your display settings, including brightness and scale.
- Click HDR or Use HDR on the right side. The HDR page for the selected display should open. If this option is missing, the display may not support HDR.
- If you have multiple displays connected to your PC, choose the HDR-capable display you want to change in the Select a display to view or change its settings drop-down menu. The settings on the page update for that display.
- Set the HDR video streaming toggle to On (the default) or Off, depending on what you want. The toggle only appears if your display and hardware allow it. To undo the change later, come back to this page and flip the toggle the other way.
- Close Settings if you like. The change applies immediately. If a video app was already playing, restart it so it picks up the new setting.
On older builds, the battery options may look different or be missing.
Summary
HDR video streaming gives standard footage richer color depth and more dynamic lighting. To use it, you need compatible hardware and the toggle turned on in system settings. Go to Settings System Display HDR and enable the feature for the target monitor.
HDR playback uses extra battery power and needs the video player in full screen to work correctly. On a multi-monitor setup, play the video on the HDR-compatible display. If HDR still doesn't appear, check battery saver, the battery options and the display itself.
How to turn on use HDR in 🪟 Windows 11?
Open Settings, select System, then Display. Click HDR, and turn on the Use HDR switch. This only works if your display supports HDR. Windows also lists each connected monitor, so choose the right one first if you have more than one. If the switch is missing, HDR is not available on that screen.
How do I stop a video from being HDR?
You can't switch off HDR for one video, because the file itself is HDR. To get the standard picture everywhere, open Settings, go to System, then Display, and turn off Use HDR. HDR videos will then look standard range.
Should I enable auto HDR on 🪟 Windows 11 Reddit?
Enable Auto HDR if you own an HDR monitor and play older games, since it adds HDR-style brightness to games that never supported it. Results vary, and some games look washed out. If they do, turn it off for that game. Find the switch under Settings, System, Display, HDR.
What happens if I disable HDR?
Windows stops sending HDR signals, and HDR videos and games show the standard picture instead. Your files and apps are not affected. Brights look less intense and shadows may lose some depth, so the picture looks flatter. You can turn HDR back on at any time in Settings.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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