Should HDR be on or off on TV? The Ultimate Guide

As a home theater calibrator with over 10 years of experience, High Dynamic Range (HDR) is one of the most impactful TV technologies I‘ve worked with. When implemented correctly, HDR can transform the viewing experience. But improper setup can also make your picture worse. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll equip you with expert-level knowledge to unleash your TV’s full HDR potential.

What is HDR and How Does it Work?

HDR, or High Dynamic Range, refers to video mastered with an expanded brightness range beyond standard dynamic range (SDR) content. It allows finer steps of luminance between the deepest shadows and brightest highlights.

On a technical level, HDR increases the bit depth from 8-bit video in SDR Blu-rays to 10-bit or 12-bit for HDR. This reduces color banding for smoother gradients. The increased bit depth along with a move to the wide color gamut BT.2020 (from BT.709 for HD SDR) enables HDR content to display over 1 billion colors compared to just 16 million on SDR.

Most critically, HDR significantly expands brightness. Standard displays top out at around 300-500 nits, while HDR TVs can reach 800, 1000 or even 2000 nits peak brightness. This enable details in specular highlights like sunlight glinting off glass or water to truly shine in HDR.

At the same time, 12-bit processing preserves details in the shadows, with black levels dropping down to around 0.0005 nits thanks to full array local dimming zones. This boost in dynamic range across the spectrum allows HDR images to pop with vivid highlights while still revealing nuanced textures in dark scenes.

According to Academy research, HDR can create picture quality similar to what the human eye sees in the real world. This leads to greater perceived depth, more natural colors, and an ultra-immersive viewing experience.

Should I Turn on HDR for All Content?

To enjoy the full benefits of HDR, I recommend only enabling it when you’re watching genuine HDR video mastered with a wide color gamut, 10-bit or 12-bit color depth, and higher nit values.

HDR movies and shows are available from 4K Blu-ray discs, streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+ and others. Gaming consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X also support HDR for compatible games.

For non-HDR standard dynamic range (SDR) content, keeping HDR turned off usually delivers the most accurate picture. SDR videos are mastered specifically for a smaller 109.7% BT.709 color space and 0-100 nit luminance range.

Forcing SDR content into HDR can oversaturate colors, lose detail in highlights, and make images appear too dark due to incorrect tone mapping.

There are some exceptions where using HDR modes with SDR material may be beneficial:

• HDR Upconversion Modes: Many newer TVs include special settings that upconvert SDR to pseudo-HDR. For example, Samsung‘s HDR+ mode uses tone mapping to expand colors and brightness. This can breathe some extra life into standard content, especially in bright rooms where the TV can take full advantage of its high nit count. But results will vary – on some TVs it may look more natural to leave SDR as is.

• Gaming HDR Modes: Consoles like the PS5 have system-level HDR settings. When enabled, all games are automatically upscaled to HDR. This can improve visuals for SDR games. But some may prefer the look of native SDR, so try both modes.

• Animation/Cartoons: Bright, colorful animated content may pop nicely when upscaled to HDR thanks to the wider gamut. Just take care to avoid oversaturation.

In general, I suggest toggling HDR on a per-app or per-input basis. That way, it only activates automatically for native HDR sources. This delivers the optimal picture without you having to constantly switch modes.

When Should I Turn off HDR?

There are certain situations where disabling HDR may improve the picture:

Too Much Ambient Light

HDR is designed to exploit the extremes of your TV‘s brightness range. This works best in darker viewing environments where black levels and shadow details are preserved.

If there is too much ambient light in your room, it can diminish your TV‘s contrast ratio capability. Since HDR relies on high dynamic range between lights and darks, this can make it seem too dim overall.

Turning off HDR prevents crushing of black levels, which may be preferable in bright living rooms or daylight viewing situations. Close curtains or calibrate at night to get the full HDR experience.

Low Quality HDR Material

Not all HDR content is created equal. If the video isn‘t professionally mastered or your TV lacks the specs to fully support it, HDR can seem worse than SDR.

Due to incorrect tone mapping, poor quality HDR can appear over-dark, lose highlight details, or have inaccurate colors. User-generated HDR videos shot on phones often fall into this category.

In these cases, disabling HDR may restore proper contrast and colors. Stick with high quality HDR from leading Hollywood studios and streaming producers for the full impact.

Underwhelming HDR TV

To fully realize the benefits of HDR, a television needs advanced display capabilities, including:

• High peak brightness – 1000 nits or more recommended
• Native contrast ratio of at least 20,000:1
• Deep blacks via local dimming zones
• Wide color gamut over 90% of DCI-P3
• 10-bit or 12-bit panel for billions of colors

Without these technical capabilities, HDR can seem dull and washed out. It may be preferable to disable it, letting the TV render SDR accurately instead. In my experience as a calibrator, entry-level HDR often disappoints compared to mid-range and high-end models. Invest in a premium HDR-ready TV to get the most out of the format.

How to Set Up HDR for Optimal Quality

If you have a high performance TV in a light-controlled room, here are my professional tips for configuring jaw-dropping HDR:

Picture Mode

Avoid dynamic or vivid modes which can be oversaturated. For the most accurate HDR, use Cinema or Filmmaker Mode picture presets. ISF Calibrated Dark/Bright Room modes are ideal for custom calibrated TVs.

Backlight/OLED Light

Crank this up to maximum for highest peak brightness and specular highlight detail. This setting controls the TV‘s overall light output capabilities.

Local Dimming

Turn on high or enable local dimming zones. This increases the contrast ratio for profoundly dark blacks adjacent to bright areas in HDR. Mid to high-end TVs really need local dimming to unlock the full HDR experience.

Brightness

Set this higher, around 70-80 for HDR compared to 50 for SDR. Don‘t confuse brightness with backlight – this adjusts black level balance. Boosting it prevents blacks from looking crushed while maintaining shadow visibility.

Gamma

A 2.2 gamma curve is ideal for HDR. Too high crushes blacks, too low makes the image fade away into milky whites.

Color/Tint

Depending on TV and mode, color and tint settings should be around 50-60 out of 100. High color can oversaturate in HDR‘s wide gamut.

Motion Settings

To prevent the "soap opera effect", disable motion interpolation. Turn off any video processing like noise reduction which can soften the pristine 4K HDR image.

HDMI & Cables

Use certified Ultra High Speed HDMI cables for 4K HDR signals. Older cables may drop or compress chroma resolution, causing color banding. Enable Enhanced HDMI formats on sources.

Following these best practices will unlock your TV‘s full visual potential for incredible HDR. Paired with a quality UHD Blu-ray player or streaming device, optimized HDR provides the ultimate home theater experience – images come alive with stunning clarity, contrast and color.

Let me know if you have any other questions! I’m always happy to share my insider HDR calibration knowledge to help enthusiasts get the most from their displays.