When I stream videos through my web browser, my OLED display suddenly looks like it has lost its deep blacks. The image becomes noticeably dull, and black backgrounds turn gray unless there is another window or overlay on top of the video. This only happens with browser streaming; locally played movies in VLC look normal. What could be causing this, and how can I fix it?
2 Answers
The streaming video may simply not be HDR, while your desktop is still configured for HDR. That mismatch can cause washed-out blacks and strange brightness changes. Test with HDR disabled, then compare a known HDR video with a regular one. If the problem only appears in the browser, updating the browser and checking its hardware-acceleration or HDR settings may also help.
This sounds like an HDR mode or tone-mapping problem. The browser or streaming service may be switching HDR off, or handling it incorrectly, which can make the whole image look like it has a gray filter over it. Netflix and some other services are particularly prone to this. Try disabling HDR in your display or operating-system settings and see whether the browser video returns to normal.
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