HDR Settings Checklist
Quick answer: use the HDR version of an accurate picture mode, keep Peak Brightness enabled for HDR, leave the white point on a D65-targeting preset, turn off unnecessary processing, and choose tone-mapping, Dolby Vision, and HGiG options based on the source.
- For HDR movies and shows, start with Filmmaker, Movie, Cinema, Custom, or Professional mode.
- For HDR10, decide whether the TV should tone map normally or follow a more fixed curve.
- For Dolby Vision, choose the accurate Dark/Bright mode that fits your room.
- For games, use HGiG when the console and game calibration screens are handling the tone map.
This page is the practical setup guide for HDR TV settings. For the behavior behind those choices, see how HDR tone mapping works.
What still carries over
Some of the earlier work still matters.
Room setup still matters. HDR benefits from a dim, controlled room just as SDR does. In some ways, it benefits even more. HDR can produce brighter highlights, but dark detail is still fragile. Ambient light still reflects off the screen, raises the apparent black floor, and reduces perceived contrast. A bright room can make HDR look dull, gray, or underwhelming even if the TV is set correctly.
Picture mode philosophy still matters. Use the HDR version of a content-respecting mode: Filmmaker, Movie, Cinema, Custom, Professional, or the equivalent on your TV. Most modern TVs store SDR and HDR picture modes separately. When HDR content starts, the TV usually switches into a separate HDR version of the selected mode.
Processing choices still matter. Motion interpolation, edge enhancement, noise reduction, color enhancement, AI picture modes, dynamic contrast, eco dimming, and other processing layers should generally be off for accurate HDR film and television playback. Filmmaker Mode often handles this, but it is still worth checking.
Color temperature still matters. HDR still uses D65 as the white point. The signal may be wider in brightness and color, but white is still white. Use the D65-targeting preset in HDR just as you do in SDR, usually Warm, Warm 2, Expert, or whatever your TV's accurate mode selects by default.
The basic goal is the same:
Use the accurate mode.
Control the room.
Disable unnecessary processing.
Keep the white point at D65.
Then handle the HDR-specific settings.
What does not carry over directly
Some SDR settings do not apply to HDR in the same way.
Gamma is the clearest example.
SDR uses gamma or BT.1886. HDR does not. HDR uses PQ or HLG. If HDR looks wrong, changing SDR gamma is not the answer. Your TV may gray out the gamma menu during HDR playback, or it may show a control that behaves differently from the SDR version.
SDR contrast patterns do not set HDR peak brightness. SDR white level is about preserving near-white detail around the SDR signal's reference range. PQ HDR can describe absolute luminance values far beyond what the display can produce, and the TV's tone mapper decides how to fit those values into the panel's actual range.
SDR black-level work also does not automatically solve HDR near-black behavior. HDMI range still matters, and the room still matters, but HDR black detail depends on the HDR mode, EOTF tracking, tone mapping, panel behavior, and sometimes format-specific processing.
Color decoding also changes context. SDR is normally Rec. 709. HDR is usually carried in a Rec. 2020 container, with much real content mastered within or near P3. The same "use Auto color space" rule still applies, but the TV is now managing a wider color pipeline.
The practical advice is simple:
Do not copy SDR settings blindly into HDR.
Let the TV switch into its HDR mode.
Use the accurate HDR picture preset.
Then adjust only the HDR-specific controls that matter.
Confirm HDR is actually engaged
Before changing settings, confirm the TV is really receiving HDR.
This sounds obvious, but it is a common failure point.
When HDR content starts, most TVs show a small HDR, HDR10, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, or HLG icon. The picture mode menu may also change. You may see separate HDR picture modes appear. Some settings may become unavailable. Peak brightness options may change.
If none of that happens, the TV may still be playing SDR.
Check the source device. Make sure HDR output is enabled. Check the streaming app. Check the title itself. Not every "4K" stream is HDR. Not every device supports HDR in every app. Not every HDMI port has the same capabilities. Some TVs require an enhanced HDMI mode, deep color mode, or HDMI signal format setting for HDR to work on external devices.
Also check the chain.
A streaming box connected to a receiver connected to a TV requires all three devices to pass HDR correctly. A soundbar or older receiver can block HDR even if the TV and player both support it. A weak cable can cause dropouts or force lower bandwidth modes.
The first HDR setting is not in the picture menu.
It is making sure HDR is reaching the TV in the first place.
HDR picture mode
For HDR movies and shows, start with the HDR version of the same accurate mode you used for SDR.
That is usually Filmmaker Mode, Movie, Cinema, Custom, Professional, or Calibrated.
Do not use Vivid or Dynamic as the HDR starting point. Those modes often exaggerate brightness, color, contrast, and tone mapping. They may look impressive for a few seconds, but they are not designed to preserve the grade.
HDR Filmmaker Mode or HDR Cinema is usually the right starting point for HDR10 and HLG. Dolby Vision uses its own Dolby Vision modes, covered later.
Game consoles should use HDR Game Mode or the most accurate HDR Game variant. PC use may need PC Mode or a full-chroma mode. Sports and casual bright-room viewing may justify a brighter compromise mode, but that is a viewing preference rather than the reference setup.
Remember that TVs often store modes separately:
SDR has its own mode.
HDR10 has its own mode.
Dolby Vision has its own mode.
Game HDR has its own mode.
Built-in apps may have separate settings from HDMI devices.
Each one should be checked once.
HDR peak brightness
HDR needs brightness headroom.
That does not mean every scene should be blinding. It means the TV should be allowed to use its available brightness when the content calls for bright highlights.
In SDR, you can often reduce Backlight, OLED Light, or Pixel Brightness for dim-room comfort. SDR is mastered around a much lower reference white, and modern TVs usually have more than enough brightness for SDR.
HDR is different.
Small highlights are one of the main things HDR adds: reflections, sparks, lamps, fire, sunlight, metal, glass, lightning, stars, and bright edges that sit above the normal picture level. If the TV's HDR peak brightness is artificially limited, those highlights lose impact.
So in HDR, the peak-brightness setting should usually be High, Max, or the setting your accurate HDR mode uses by default.
The names vary:
Peak Brightness
Peak Luminance
HDR Brightness
OLED Pixel Brightness
Panel Brightness
Backlight
Brightness Booster
HDR Effect
Contrast Enhancer
Be careful with names. Some settings genuinely allow the panel to use its HDR headroom. Others are enhancement modes that distort the picture. Peak Brightness or Panel Brightness is usually appropriate. Contrast Enhancer or HDR Effect may not be.
The practical rule:
Let the panel use its HDR brightness.
Do not turn on fake contrast processing just because it sounds HDR-related.
For HDR, energy-saving features should usually be off. Eco modes, ambient dimming, and power-saving limits can cap brightness and make HDR look weak. That is fine for casual viewing or power saving, but it is not the reference setup.
There is one legitimate reason to reduce HDR peak brightness: comfort. If you are watching late at night in a very dark room and full HDR highlights feel uncomfortable, a dimmer HDR mode is a valid personal choice. Just understand the tradeoff. You are reducing HDR impact for comfort.
That is preference, not calibration.
Tone mapping
Tone mapping is the heart of HDR playback.
The HDR signal may ask for brightness your TV cannot produce. A movie may contain highlights mastered for 1,000, 4,000, or even higher nit targets. Your TV has its own real limits. Tone mapping is the process that translates the signal into what the panel can actually show.
Every HDR TV tone-maps.
The question is how.
HDR10 carries static metadata. The TV gets information about the title as a whole, but not scene-by-scene instructions.
HDR10+ and Dolby Vision carry dynamic metadata. The TV gets more detailed guidance that can change by scene or frame.
HLG works differently again and is designed for broadcast-style HDR.
The user-facing setting most people encounter is called something like:
Dynamic Tone Mapping
HDR Dynamic Tone Mapping
Active HDR
Dynamic HDR
Tone Mapping
HDR Tone Mapping
Gradation Preferred / Brightness Preferred
HDR Optimizer
This setting is often most relevant to HDR10.
Dynamic tone mapping for HDR10
For HDR10 content, dynamic tone mapping means the TV analyzes the image and adjusts tone mapping scene by scene or frame by frame, even though the HDR10 signal itself only carries static metadata.
This can help.
On many TVs, dynamic tone mapping makes HDR10 look brighter, more open, and more impactful. Dark scenes may look less compressed. Bright scenes may retain more visible detail. A midrange TV may benefit because the TV is adapting more actively to each scene rather than following one conservative curve.
But dynamic tone mapping is not automatically more accurate.
It is the TV making its own judgment. It may lift scenes the colorist intended to keep dark. It may make the image brighter than reference. It may trade highlight detail for overall impact. It may change the relationship between shots.
So the right recommendation is not simply "turn it on."
The right recommendation is:
For strict accuracy, start with Dynamic Tone Mapping off, or with the most reference-oriented tone-mapping option.
For practical viewing on many consumer TVs, try Dynamic Tone Mapping on and compare.
Use it if HDR10 otherwise looks too dim, too conservative, or less satisfying on your display.
Leave it off if it over-brightens the image, clips highlights, or makes the picture look less natural.
This is a real choice.
Dynamic tone mapping is often useful, but it is not free.
Dolby Vision and HDR10+
Dolby Vision and HDR10+ already include dynamic metadata.
That means the TV is receiving scene-aware or frame-aware information from the content itself. In those formats, a separate TV dynamic tone-mapping option may be unavailable, ignored, or handled differently.
Do not assume an extra dynamic tone-mapping switch improves Dolby Vision or HDR10+.
In Dolby Vision, the tone mapping is part of the Dolby Vision pipeline. The content carries Dolby Vision metadata, and the TV or player maps the image according to the Dolby Vision implementation and display capabilities.
In HDR10+, the TV uses HDR10+ dynamic metadata along with its own tone-mapping behavior.
If the TV gives you extra enhancement options inside those modes, treat them carefully. Some may be room-adaptive. Some may be detail enhancement. Some may be manufacturer processing layered on top of the format. For accuracy, use the format's reference-oriented mode first.
Let Dolby Vision be Dolby Vision.
Let HDR10+ be HDR10+.
Do not add extra processing unless you have a specific reason.
Dolby Vision Dark, Bright, and IQ
Dolby Vision usually has its own picture modes.
Common names include:
Dolby Vision Dark
Dolby Vision Bright
Dolby Vision Cinema
Dolby Vision Cinema Home
Dolby Vision IQ
Dolby Vision Vivid
The two important ones are Dark and Bright.
Dolby Vision Dark is usually the dim-room accuracy choice. Use it for movie-style viewing in a controlled room. It is meant to stay closer to the reference presentation.
Dolby Vision Bright is meant for brighter rooms. It lifts or adapts the image so it remains visible when ambient light is working against the picture. It can be more practical in a living room during the day, but it is usually less reference-like in a dark room.
Dolby Vision IQ uses the TV's ambient light sensor and Dolby Vision metadata to adjust the picture for room conditions. This can be helpful if your viewing environment changes constantly and you do not want to switch modes manually.
The practical advice:
Use Dolby Vision Dark in a dim room.
Use Dolby Vision Bright or Dolby Vision IQ in a bright or changing room.
Avoid Dolby Vision Vivid for accurate viewing.
If Dolby Vision looks too dark, first confirm you are not using Dark in a bright room. If it looks too lifted or less cinematic, confirm you are not using Bright or IQ in a fully dim room.
The mode should match the room.
HLG
HLG is the HDR format most associated with broadcast.
It does not behave like PQ HDR. It was designed to be more compatible with live production and broadcast workflows. You are most likely to see it in live HDR sports, public-service broadcaster UHD channels, camera footage, and some online uploads.
Most TVs handle HLG automatically.
There may not be many user controls specific to HLG. The TV detects the HLG signal and applies its HLG processing. Use the accurate HDR picture mode, keep processing restrained, and avoid forcing SDR gamma thinking onto it.
If HLG looks wrong, the cause is usually not a gamma setting. It may be the broadcast, the app, the source device, the TV's HLG implementation, or the room.
For most viewers, HLG setup is simple:
Use the accurate HDR mode.
Let the TV detect HLG.
Do not over-process it.
HDR gaming
HDR gaming has its own rules.
Movies are finished images. The TV receives the finished signal and tone-maps it.
Games are rendered in real time. The console or PC can potentially know the display's HDR capabilities and render within them. That makes gaming HDR a different problem.
Use HDR Game Mode for HDR gaming.
Game Mode reduces input lag. It also changes the TV's processing path. On modern TVs, HDR Game Mode can still look very good, and many sets offer accurate HDR Game variants. Use those when available.
Do not use Filmmaker Mode for gaming if it adds input lag. The picture may be accurate, but the game will feel less responsive.
HGiG
HGiG stands for HDR Gaming Interest Group.
It is not an HDR format like HDR10 or Dolby Vision. It is a set of best-practice recommendations for HDR games, consoles, and displays.
The goal is to avoid double tone mapping and preserve gradation in the display's usable HDR range.
In a good HGiG-style setup, the TV exposes or communicates its HDR capability. The console calibration screen lets you define the display's clipping point. The game then uses that information so important highlights and gameplay elements stay within the range the display can show. The TV, in HGiG mode, avoids applying an aggressive second tone map on top.
The practical setup is usually:
Enable the TV's HDR Game Mode.
Enable HGiG, if the TV offers it.
Run the console's HDR calibration while HGiG is active.
Use the game's own HDR calibration if provided.
Do not calibrate the console with Dynamic Tone Mapping on if your goal is HGiG accuracy, because the TV may keep moving the target while you are trying to find it.
PlayStation and Xbox both include HDR calibration screens. Use them. The setup is not perfect across every game, but it gives compatible games a better target.
For games that support HDR well, HGiG is usually the most controlled approach.
For games with poor HDR implementation, Dynamic Tone Mapping may look better. That is a preference choice. Some games are simply badly tuned, and no system-level setting fixes all of them.
For film and television, HGiG does not matter.
HDR on PC
PC HDR is its own mess.
Windows, GPUs, monitors, games, browsers, and video apps do not all handle HDR the same way. Some games use the operating system HDR calibration. Some use their own. Some ignore both. Desktop SDR content can look wrong when forced into HDR mode. Some apps tone-map video correctly; others do not.
If you use a TV as a PC display, keep this separate from movie HDR setup.
Use PC Mode or the TV's full-chroma input setting.
Make sure RGB range matches between the PC and TV.
Use the operating system's HDR calibration tool if available.
Calibrate games individually when they offer HDR controls.
Do not judge the TV's movie HDR performance from the Windows desktop.
For many users, the best PC practice is to leave HDR off on the desktop and enable it for HDR games or HDR video only when needed. This depends on the operating system, GPU, TV, and usage.
HDR on PC can be excellent.
It just has more ways to go wrong.
The limits of by-eye HDR calibration
HDR is harder to calibrate by eye than SDR.
With SDR, you can do useful by-eye work. PLUGE sets black level. White clipping patterns set SDR contrast. Warm/D65 presets get close to the right white point. Gamma can be chosen for the room.
HDR does not give you the same simple thresholds.
PQ tracking, highlight rolloff, tone mapping, color volume, near-black handling, and peak brightness all require measurement to evaluate precisely. A pattern may show one behavior, but real content may reveal another. A TV may follow PQ accurately up to a certain brightness, then roll off. Another may deliberately over-brighten midtones. Another may preserve highlights but dim the scene.
Most of that is not adjustable by eye.
For most viewers, HDR setup is about correct mode selection and avoiding obvious mistakes:
Use the accurate HDR mode.
Allow HDR peak brightness.
Turn off eco dimming.
Choose tone mapping deliberately.
Use Dolby Vision Dark or Bright based on the room.
Use HGiG for compatible gaming.
Confirm HDR is actually engaged.
That gets most of the practical benefit.
True HDR calibration requires a meter, HDR test patterns, and knowledge of the TV's HDR processing. It is possible, but it is beyond basic by-eye setup.
What correct HDR looks like
Correct HDR is not just "brighter SDR."
It should have more range.
Specular highlights should stand out. Reflections, lamps, fire, sunlight, metal, glass, lightning, and bright practical lights should feel like they have headroom above the rest of the image.
Dark scenes should still have texture. HDR does not mean crushed black. The best HDR images often combine deep shadows with small bright highlights, and both ends need to survive.
Color should feel richer where the content uses wider color, but not garish. Skin should still look natural. Grass should not become neon unless the grade intends it. Red should not turn into a flat glowing block.
The image should feel more dimensional. A good HDR scene has depth because bright objects, midtones, and shadows occupy different parts of a larger brightness range.
But correct HDR can still be subtle.
Not every HDR scene is full of fireworks. Some HDR grades are restrained. Some movies use HDR mainly for highlight detail and tonal smoothness. A dark film may still be dark. A muted film may still be muted.
HDR is capability, not constant spectacle.
Troubleshooting HDR
If HDR does not look meaningfully better than SDR, check the basics.
Confirm the TV is actually receiving HDR.
Check the source device's HDR output setting.
Check the app and title.
Check that the HDMI input supports enhanced bandwidth.
Check the receiver or soundbar in the chain.
Check that the TV is in an HDR picture mode.
Check that HDR Peak Brightness is not set low.
Disable Eco Mode and power-saving dimming.
Use a dimmer room.
If Dolby Vision looks wrong, check whether you are using Dark, Bright, IQ, or Vivid.
If HDR10 looks too dark, compare Dynamic Tone Mapping off and on.
If HDR10 looks too bright or unnatural, turn Dynamic Tone Mapping off.
If games look clipped, enable HGiG and redo console calibration.
If games look dull, check the game's own HDR settings.
If PC HDR looks bad, separate desktop HDR issues from video HDR issues.
If only one show looks bad, it may be the grade, the stream, or the app.
Also be realistic about the TV.
Some entry-level TVs accept HDR signals but cannot display convincing HDR. They may have limited brightness, limited local dimming, limited color volume, or poor tone mapping. They are technically HDR-compatible, but the visible improvement over SDR may be small.
No setting can turn weak HDR hardware into strong HDR hardware.
A practical HDR checklist
For HDR movies and shows:
Use HDR Filmmaker, Movie, Cinema, Custom, or the accurate HDR mode.
Use a dim room when possible.
Keep D65/Warm color temperature.
Leave Color Space on Auto or source-following.
Turn off motion smoothing, edge enhancement, noise reduction, color enhancement, dynamic contrast, and eco dimming.
Set HDR Peak Brightness or equivalent to High/Max unless comfort requires otherwise.
For HDR10, compare Dynamic Tone Mapping off and on.
For strict accuracy, prefer the reference-oriented tone-mapping option.
For practical impact on dimmer TVs, Dynamic Tone Mapping may be useful.
For Dolby Vision:
Use Dolby Vision Dark in a dim room.
Use Dolby Vision Bright or IQ in a bright or changing room.
Avoid Dolby Vision Vivid for accuracy.
For HDR10+:
Use the accurate HDR10+ mode.
Let the dynamic metadata do its work.
Avoid extra enhancement unless needed.
For HLG:
Use the accurate HDR mode.
Let the TV detect HLG.
For HDR gaming:
Use HDR Game Mode.
Use HGiG when supported.
Run console HDR calibration after enabling HGiG.
Adjust in-game HDR settings when provided.
Avoid double tone mapping when accuracy matters.
For PC HDR:
Use PC Mode or full-chroma settings.
Match RGB range.
Use OS and game HDR calibration tools.
Do not judge movie HDR from the desktop.
What not to do
Do not use SDR gamma settings to fix HDR.
Do not use SDR contrast clipping patterns to set HDR peak brightness.
Do not lower HDR peak brightness because SDR was too bright.
Do not leave Eco Mode on and then wonder why HDR looks weak.
Do not assume Dynamic Tone Mapping is always more accurate.
Do not assume Dynamic Tone Mapping is always bad.
Do not use Dolby Vision Bright in a dark room and call it reference.
Do not use Dolby Vision Dark in a sunlit room and call HDR broken.
Do not calibrate console HDR with a moving dynamic tone-mapping target if you intend to use HGiG.
Do not use Vivid mode as an HDR shortcut.
Do not expect an entry-level HDR TV to look like a premium HDR TV just because both accept the same HDR signal.
Where this leaves us
HDR setup is less about sliders and more about choosing the right pipeline.
SDR calibration lets you set black level, white level, color temperature, gamma, and color decoding with relatively simple tools. HDR depends more heavily on the TV's tone mapper, peak brightness, local dimming or pixel-level light control, color volume, metadata handling, and format support.
You still have important choices.
Use the right HDR mode.
Let the panel use its brightness.
Keep the room controlled.
Use dynamic tone mapping deliberately.
Use Dolby Vision modes based on the room.
Use HGiG for gaming when supported.
Avoid unnecessary processing.
After that, the TV is doing the hard work.
That is the honest limit of by-eye HDR setup. You can choose the right conditions and the right modes. You can avoid obvious mistakes. You can compare the major tone-mapping options. But you cannot fully hand-calibrate PQ tracking, color volume, and highlight rolloff by eye.
For most viewers, that is fine.
A good HDR TV in the right mode, in a controlled room, with peak brightness enabled and the right format mode selected, will deliver most of what it is capable of.
The final piece in the calibration arc is verification: using familiar reference content, test patterns, and a short checklist to confirm that everything - SDR and HDR - has landed where it should.
Next: Verification and Reference Checks Finish the calibration arc with familiar reference scenes, test patterns, and a practical checklist for confirming SDR and HDR behavior.