While using Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime to stream HDR content or using local video player(such as Mx Player Pro or VLC) to watch HDR content, it has low brightness and is dull looking.
1. When watching HDR content on the streaming apps mentioned above or downloaded HDR content using Mx Player Pro or VLC, for example: On a scale of 1 to 15, the brightness looks to be cap at around 5. Above 5 the screen flickers but doesn't get any bright. If you go below 5 you start seeing the screen to dim.
2. After looking at many reddit posts and Samsung Community pages, this problem was pointed out by many people: I have discovered that when watching HDR content if you shine a flash light onto the front camera the device gets bright as its supposed to be in HDR even though adaptive/auto brightness is off. Then eventually dims back.
So this clearly shows that it's a problem with adaptive/auto brightness messing up with HDR preventing it from reaching max brightness. SDR looks very bright and doesn't have the adaptive brightness problem.
I have compared my phone to another S23 Ultra and it has the same issue as mine. Also compared to a Note 10+ and had no issues playing HDR on Netflix and video player correctly. The Note 10+ gets way way brighter in HDR than my S23 which shouldn't be possible specs wise. This could be a region specific or international version problem. Again I repeat this issue isn't exclusive to me but many people are facing it. You should be able to find Samsung Community pages for India region pointing out those issues.
Note: Not to test this issue with YouTube because YouTube app doesn't control the device brightness as compared to any video player or streaming apps. So YouTube is brighter, but even in YouTube when watching HDR Content, the flash light trick works proving further about this adaptive brightness problem in HDR content then again dims back.
Please fix this problem in future firmware updates. A lot of people are having this problem. Thank you.
They won't, S21 series owners are having the same issues and has not been fixed yet.
When asking for help, they will either throw some random troubleshooting at you that you have tried a million times already.
They don't care, even when mention that this isn't exclusive to one person but rather an international variant problem. They do not even try diagnosing the issue. If this was a US variant problem it would have been fixed instantly.
All we can do is keep calling out this issue by creating more and more community ages like this and error reporting on Samsung Member app.
