High Dynamic Range (HDR) is excellent for watching programs with high quality video. However, some TVs don't always maximize the full potential of HDR. For one thing, the lighting in the immediate area can have a huge effect on image quality. Maybe your space is too bright during the day or there's too much glare in your room – both can affect what's on screen.
If you're looking for steps on how to do this, you've come to the right place. This article shares practical tips for doing just that. The good news is that the secret really lies in accessing the secret menu and a few tweaks.
How to Disable HDR on a TCL TV
Owners of a TCL TV can watch content in HDR if their streaming service or the program itself is available in HDR. Devices that play HDR content extend the contrast and color gamut of the video, creating a more immersive image. As the name suggests, High Dynamic Range creates a much wider contrast between the light and dark parts of what's on screen.
Take modern LCD screens as an example. They can reach 300 nits when playing normal content (SDR). On the other hand, HDR content can be as bright as 1 nits, depending on the capabilities of the TV.
However, you will experience HDR issues with the TV's default backlight and maximum contrast settings. To make matters worse, some TVs even darken the image to compensate for the lack of HDR features.
This is why disabling HDR can actually improve image quality.
Yes, it is possible to disable HDR by changing the secret menu options. Just follow the steps below to do it on your TCL TV:
- Turn on your TCL TV.
- Access the secret menu by entering the following sequence: Home (five times), back (1x), down (1x), fast forward (1x), down (1x), back (1x).
- Go to the "Change HDR mode" section in the menu on the right.
- Select "Disable HDR".
If the code from step 1 didn't work, try the following: Home (five times), fast rewind (1x), pause (1x), fast forward (1x), pause (1x), fast rewind ( 1x).
Note that TCL TV models may have different codes to access the secret menu. If the code above does not work, try entering your TV model and the keyword "secret menu" into Google to find the correct one.
After disabling HDR, you will stream content in SDR instead of HDR.
Alternative solutions
If you can't access the secret menu for some reason, or your TV doesn't allow you to turn off HDR, you can always change your picture settings.
You can start by setting the backlight to maximum. The backlight will reduce the difference between dark and bright elements without overwhelming shadow detail like the brightness would.
Also, you can adjust the local dimming or adjust the gamma setting to 2,0 to brighten up the image a bit.
If you are using the TV in Cinema or Movie mode, switch to Standard mode instead.
How to Disable HDR on TCL Android TV
TCL TVs run on Roku or Android. The steps to disable HDR for both versions involve navigating to the secret menu. However, the codes to get there are different.
You can disable HDR on your Android TCL TV device by following the steps below:
- Start your TCL TV.
- Press the following buttons on your remote: Home (5 times), back (1x), play (1x), forward (1x), play (1x), back (1x) in sequence.
- You will be greeted by the secret menu. There will be a side menu on the right. You want to access the "Change HDR mode" section by using the right arrow on your remote and pressing "OK".
- A new window will appear asking you to select the HDR mode. Select the “Disable HDR” mode.
Alternative solutions
If you are unhappy with the quality of your picture and cannot turn off HDR (not possible with some models), you can try changing the picture settings.
The first thing you can do is increase the backlight. Just go to picture settings and turn on "Backlight". Note that this is separate from "Brightness", which you'll want to keep at the default level. Changing the brightness can affect shadow detail.
Alternatively, you can adjust local dimming. You want to open your settings and try different local dimming settings. Also, you can change the gamma setting to 2.0 (or lower) to brighten up your image.
Alternatively, you can change the picture preset. Movie or Cinema mode on most TVs is optimized for a dark room and can make the picture too dark during the day. Try using Standard mode instead.
Play around with the settings and find what works for your TV depending on the lighting conditions.
Disable HDR on a TCL TV
HDR video content on any TV, including TCL, can often be too dark, resulting in excessive glare when viewed in a brightly lit room. The easiest solution is to simply disable HDR. Luckily, the Secret Menu lets you do just that. Just make sure you enter the code accurately, go to HDR settings and turn it off. If you don't have access to the Secret Menu or find it impossible to turn off HDR for your TV, you can change your TV settings to compensate.
This article has provided you with step-by-step instructions on how to turn off your HDR using your TCL TV's secret menu. Hope you found what you were looking for.
Why did you want to disable HDR in the first place? Did the sequence code work on your TV? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
