I see a major issue on my s23ultra 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 should be possible specs wise. This could be a region specific or international version problem.
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.
Kindly complaint to Samsung customer support through Samsung Members App as error report also send log files Along with this error report for this issue and wait for next update may be fix it by Samsung team soon. If you like please accept as a solution it's help to others users also, click on 3dots in my reply section and click on accept solution. Thanks.
As long as it has been since the release of the s23 ultra and the initial complaint following the thread of complaints regarding this issue, hope is what we have lost as a community in the samsung team. Having bought a more than lakh rupees phone if I couldn't even stream HDR movies as intended, it's just saddening and frustratingly trust hindering against samsung. What can i say. Maybe we might have to root the phone and search for solution to manipulate the ambient sensor somehow in the future after updates take it's leave. If you know how to or have any other realistic solution please share as I am a movie buffoon and feel wasted and lost in this limitation that samsung intentionally created unliked other brands like apple who has amazing and bright HDR playback for local as well as streaming platforms despite of the ambient lighting conditions.
As per your query, we request you kindly share the log file. Also, share video clips and images for better understanding. This will help us to investigate further and resolve this issue.
Samsung Members Application (Open Samsung Members Application > Support> Tap on send feedback> Choose Composer> Select error report> select the appropriate issue category> Type your query and send.)
Note: To ensure relevant log information is included in the error report, submit the report within 3 minutes of encountering the bug or error, and do not terminate (swipe away) the Samsung Members application until you are notified that the report has been sent. This can take up to 5 minutes.
This issue had been there from the beginning. Samsung plays the part of a fool when someone raises this issue. They actually like they do not understand what people are saying. This is what happens when they still try to sell 8 bit cheap displays in S series while other companies give 10bit and 12bit proper displays which can handle better colours.
