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, lighting in the immediate area can have a huge effect on image quality. Maybe your space is too bright during the day or there is too much glare in your room; both can affect what appears on the screen.
If you’ve been 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 is accessing the secret menu and making some adjustments.
How to turn off HDR on a TCL TV
TCL TV owners can watch content in HDR if their streaming service or the show itself is available in HDR. Devices that play HDR content expand the contrast and color range of the video, creating a more immersive image. As the name suggests, high dynamic range creates a much wider contrast between bright and dark parts than what appears on the screen.
Take modern LCD screens as an example. They can be up to 300 nits bright when playing regular (SDR) content. On the other hand, HDR content can have a brightness of up to 1000 nits, depending on the capabilities of the TV.
However, you will have problems with HDR with the TV’s default maximum backlight and contrast settings. To make matters worse, some TVs even darken the picture to compensate for the lack of HDR features.
This is why turning off HDR can improve image quality.
Yes, it is possible to disable HDR by modifying the secret menu options. Simply 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), rewind (1x), down (1x), fast forward (1x), down (1x), rewind (1x).
- Navigate to the “Change HDR Mode” section in the right menu.
- Select “Disable HDR.”
If the code in Step 1 didn’t work, try the following: Start (five times), rewind (1x), pause (1x), fast forward (1x), pause (1x), rewind (1x).
Please note that TCL TV models may have different codes to enter the secret menu. If the above code doesn’t work, try entering your TV model and the keyword “secret menu” into Google to find the correct one.
Once you have disabled 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 the picture settings.
You can start by setting the backlight to maximum. The backlight will reduce the difference between dark and bright elements without crushing shadow details like the brightness would.
Additionally, you can adjust the local dimming or modify the gamma setting to 2.0 to brighten the image a bit.
If you are using the TV in Cinema or Movie mode, switch to Standard mode.
How to turn off HDR on a TCL Android TV
TCL TVs run Roku or Android. The steps to disable HDR in both versions involve navigating to the secret menu. However, the codes to get there are different.
You can disable HDR on your TCL TV Android device by following the steps below:
- Start your TCL TV.
- Press the following buttons on your remote control: Home (5 times), Rewind (1x), Play (1x), Forward (1x), Play (1x), Rewind (1x) in sequence.
- You will be welcomed by the secret menu. There will be a side menu on the right. You want to enter 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 HDR mode. Select “Disable HDR” mode.
Alternative solutions
If you are not satisfied with your image quality and cannot turn off HDR (impossible with some models), you can try modifying the image settings.
The first thing you can do is turn on the backlight. Simply navigate to Picture Settings and turn on “Backlight.” Note that this is separate from “Brightness”, which you will want to keep at the default level. Changing the brightness can affect shadow details.
Alternatively, you can adjust local dimming. You want to open your Settings and try different Local Dimming settings. Additionally, you can change the gamma setting to 2.0 (or less) to brighten the image.
Alternatively, you can modify the image preset. The 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 with the settings and find what works for your TV based on lighting conditions.
Turn off HDR on a TCL TV
HDR video content on any TV, including the TCL, can often be too dark, causing excessive glare when watching in a brightly lit room. The easiest solution is to simply disable HDR. Fortunately, the secret menu allows you to do just that. Just make sure you enter the code accurately, navigate to the HDR settings, and turn it off. If you don’t have access to the secret menu or find it impossible to turn off HDR on your TV, you can modify your TV settings to compensate.
This article provides you with step-by-step instructions on how to turn off your HDR using your TCL TV’s secret menu. Hopefully, you’ve found what you were looking for.
Why did you want to turn off HDR in the first place? Did the sequence code work on your TV? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
