Summary
- Flagship Android phones like Samsung Galaxy S24 can suffer from display issues, including poor HDR reproduction.
- Netflix might introduce an HDR toggle switch, allowing users to switch to SDR for a more typical experience.
- Opting for SDR over HDR can also save data and power, but we don’t have official confirmation or a timeline for Netflix’s new feature yet.
Most flagship Android phones today are designed to deliver a top-notch user experience, but hardware issues and software bugs are commonplace even on the best Android phones. The Samsung Galaxy S24 series was plagued with several display issues, including the poor reproduction of HDR content. Although most streaming services don’t offer HDR toggles, Netflix seems to be working on one, so you can stream in SDR if you prefer.
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The Galaxy S24 has been plagued by a bevy of display-related issues ranging from visible horizontal bars in the screen, non-uniform sub-pixel density at lower brightness levels, and washed out colors with very low brightness, especially when handling HDR content. The latter can be an annoyance because the display usually dims the highlights, making it even harder to discern activity in the darker scenes. Understandably, the option to revert to SDR for a more typical experience would be a welcome change.
Amazon Prime Video and HBO don’t have such an option, but reputable tipster and app researcher AssembleDebug took a closer look at the code for Netflix’s recent Android app beta (version 8.117.0 build 3 50695). Reporting the findings to Android Authority, the researcher mentioned the presence of two interesting code strings which hint at ongoing development of an HDR toggle switch in player controls.
Sticking to SDR could have other benefits too
Android Allow SDR/HDR Stream Selection
Additional Switch Button To Choice SDR/HDR Streams for Streaming
While Samsung users might be most relieved by this development, using SDR for a tried-and-tested content consumption experience can have several other benefits. It’s no surprise that HDR streams are more data-hungry, taking a toll on your internet connection as well as power consumption of the streaming hardware.
Your mileage with HDR might vary, but there’s sufficient evidence suggesting the dynamic range benefits might not outweigh the color grading effort outside professional cinematic applications. YouTube creators like Linus Sebastian of Linus Tech Tips also explained the challenges of shooting every video in HDR, in great detail.
While your mileage with HDR video may vary greatly depending on the hardware in use and the streaming service you rely on, there’s a strong argument for Netflix’s decision to work on a toggle to switch back to SDR if needed. The exact timeline for implementation still seems up in the air, though.
