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The Virtual Display Driver provides comprehensive HDR (High Dynamic Range) support through HDR10 static metadata, custom color primaries, and advanced color space configuration.

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HDR10 Static Metadata

HDR10 requires static metadata to describe the display’s luminance capabilities and content characteristics: 
<hdr_advanced>
    <hdr10_static_metadata>
        <enabled>true</enabled>
        <max_display_mastering_luminance>1000.0</max_display_mastering_luminance>
        <min_display_mastering_luminance>0.05</min_display_mastering_luminance>
        <max_content_light_level>1000</max_content_light_level>
        <max_frame_avg_light_level>400</max_frame_avg_light_level>
    </hdr10_static_metadata>
</hdr_advanced>

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HDR10 Parameters

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hdr10_static_metadata.enabled
boolean
default:"false"
Enable HDR10 support. Must be true to use any HDR features.
Requires compatible GPU and proper color configuration.
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max_display_mastering_luminance
float
default:"1000.0"
Maximum luminance of the mastering display in nits (cd/m²).Common values:
  • 1000.0 - Standard HDR displays
  • 4000.0 - High-end HDR displays
  • 10000.0 - Professional mastering displays
Valid range: 1.0 - 10000.0 nits
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min_display_mastering_luminance
float
default:"0.05"
Minimum luminance of the mastering display in nits (cd/m²).Common values:
  • 0.05 - Standard displays
  • 0.0001 - OLED displays with deep blacks
Valid range: 0.0001 - 1.0 nits
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max_content_light_level
integer
default:"1000"
Maximum light level of any single pixel in the content (MaxCLL) in nits.This represents the brightest pixel that will appear in the content.Valid range: 1 - 10000 nits
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max_frame_avg_light_level
integer
default:"400"
Maximum average light level across the entire frame (MaxFALL) in nits.Typically lower than MaxCLL since most of the frame is darker than peak highlights.Valid range: 1 - 10000 nits

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Color Depth Configuration

Configure bit depth for improved color accuracy: 
<colour>
    <SDR10bit>true</SDR10bit>
    <HDRPlus>false</HDRPlus>
    <ColourFormat>RGB</ColourFormat>
</colour>

<color_advanced>
    <bit_depth_management>
        <auto_select_from_color_space>false</auto_select_from_color_space>
        <force_bit_depth>10</force_bit_depth>
        <fp16_surface_support>true</fp16_surface_support>
    </bit_depth_management>
</color_advanced>

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Color Depth Parameters

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colour.SDR10bit
boolean
default:"false"
Enable 10-bit color depth for SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) content.Reduces color banding in gradients.
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colour.HDRPlus
boolean
default:"false"
Enable HDR+ support (requires HDR10 to be enabled).
Must enable hdr10_static_metadata.enabled first.
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colour.ColourFormat
string
default:"RGB"
Color format for video output.Valid values:
  • RGB - Full RGB (best for HDR)
  • YCbCr444 - 4:4:4 chroma subsampling (no quality loss)
  • YCbCr422 - 4:2:2 chroma subsampling (some quality loss)
  • YCbCr420 - 4:2:0 chroma subsampling (significant quality loss)
RGB is recommended for HDR content to preserve full color information.
​
bit_depth_management.force_bit_depth
integer
default:"8"
Force specific bit depth for color channels.Valid values:
  • 8 - Standard 8-bit (16.7 million colors)
  • 10 - 10-bit (1.07 billion colors, required for HDR)
  • 12 - 12-bit (68.7 billion colors, professional use)
10-bit or higher requires compatible GPU and display pipeline.
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bit_depth_management.fp16_surface_support
boolean
default:"true"
Enable 16-bit floating point surface support for improved color precision.Keep enabled for compatibility with modern rendering pipelines.

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Custom Color Primaries

Define custom color gamut using CIE 1931 chromaticity coordinates: 
<color_primaries>
    <enabled>true</enabled>
    <!-- DCI-P3 color space example -->
    <red_x>0.680</red_x>
    <red_y>0.320</red_y>
    <green_x>0.265</green_x>
    <green_y>0.690</green_y>
    <blue_x>0.150</blue_x>
    <blue_y>0.060</blue_y>
    <white_x>0.3127</white_x>  <!-- D65 white point -->
    <white_y>0.3290</white_y>
</color_primaries>

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Color Primary Parameters

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color_primaries.enabled
boolean
default:"false"
Enable custom color primaries instead of using the standard sRGB color space.
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red_x
float
default:"0.640"
CIE x coordinate for red primary.Valid range: 0.0 - 1.0
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red_y
float
default:"0.330"
CIE y coordinate for red primary.Valid range: 0.0 - 1.0
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green_x
float
default:"0.300"
CIE x coordinate for green primary.Valid range: 0.0 - 1.0
​
green_y
float
default:"0.600"
CIE y coordinate for green primary.Valid range: 0.0 - 1.0
​
blue_x
float
default:"0.150"
CIE x coordinate for blue primary.Valid range: 0.0 - 1.0
​
blue_y
float
default:"0.060"
CIE y coordinate for blue primary.Valid range: 0.0 - 1.0
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white_x
float
default:"0.3127"
CIE x coordinate for white point (typically D65).Valid range: 0.0 - 1.0
​
white_y
float
default:"0.3290"
CIE y coordinate for white point (typically D65).Valid range: 0.0 - 1.0

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Color Space Presets

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sRGB (Default)

<color_primaries>
    <enabled>false</enabled>  <!-- Use sRGB defaults -->
    <red_x>0.640</red_x>
    <red_y>0.330</red_y>
    <green_x>0.300</green_x>
    <green_y>0.600</green_y>
    <blue_x>0.150</blue_x>
    <blue_y>0.060</blue_y>
    <white_x>0.3127</white_x>
    <white_y>0.3290</white_y>
</color_primaries>
Standard sRGB color space. Safe default for most applications.

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DCI-P3

<color_primaries>
    <enabled>true</enabled>
    <red_x>0.680</red_x>
    <red_y>0.320</red_y>
    <green_x>0.265</green_x>
    <green_y>0.690</green_y>
    <blue_x>0.150</blue_x>
    <blue_y>0.060</blue_y>
    <white_x>0.3127</white_x>
    <white_y>0.3290</white_y>
</color_primaries>
Wider color gamut used in digital cinema and modern displays.

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Rec. 2020 (BT.2020)

<color_primaries>
    <enabled>true</enabled>
    <red_x>0.708</red_x>
    <red_y>0.292</red_y>
    <green_x>0.170</green_x>
    <green_y>0.797</green_y>
    <blue_x>0.131</blue_x>
    <blue_y>0.046</blue_y>
    <white_x>0.3127</white_x>
    <white_y>0.3290</white_y>
</color_primaries>
Ultra-wide color gamut for UHD/HDR content. Standard for 4K/8K broadcasting.

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Gamma Correction

Configure gamma curve for tone mapping: 
<color_space>
    <enabled>true</enabled>
    <gamma_correction>2.2</gamma_correction>
    <primary_color_space>sRGB</primary_color_space>
    <enable_matrix_transform>false</enable_matrix_transform>
</color_space>
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color_space.enabled
boolean
default:"false"
Enable advanced gamma correction.
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color_space.gamma_correction
float
default:"2.2"
Gamma correction value.Common values:
  • 2.2 - Standard sRGB gamma
  • 2.4 - Rec. 709/BT.1886 gamma
  • 1.0 - Linear (no gamma correction)
​
color_space.primary_color_space
string
default:"sRGB"
Primary color space identifier.Valid values: sRGB, DCI-P3, Rec2020

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Complete HDR Configuration Example

Full HDR10 setup for 4K content creation: 
<!-- Enable HDR10 -->
<hdr_advanced>
    <hdr10_static_metadata>
        <enabled>true</enabled>
        <max_display_mastering_luminance>1000.0</max_display_mastering_luminance>
        <min_display_mastering_luminance>0.05</min_display_mastering_luminance>
        <max_content_light_level>1000</max_content_light_level>
        <max_frame_avg_light_level>400</max_frame_avg_light_level>
    </hdr10_static_metadata>
    
    <!-- Use Rec. 2020 color primaries -->
    <color_primaries>
        <enabled>true</enabled>
        <red_x>0.708</red_x>
        <red_y>0.292</red_y>
        <green_x>0.170</green_x>
        <green_y>0.797</green_y>
        <blue_x>0.131</blue_x>
        <blue_y>0.046</blue_y>
        <white_x>0.3127</white_x>
        <white_y>0.3290</white_y>
    </color_primaries>
    
    <!-- Configure gamma for HDR -->
    <color_space>
        <enabled>true</enabled>
        <gamma_correction>2.4</gamma_correction>
        <primary_color_space>Rec2020</primary_color_space>
        <enable_matrix_transform>false</enable_matrix_transform>
    </color_space>
</hdr_advanced>

<!-- 10-bit color depth -->
<colour>
    <SDR10bit>true</SDR10bit>
    <HDRPlus>true</HDRPlus>
    <ColourFormat>RGB</ColourFormat>
</colour>

<color_advanced>
    <bit_depth_management>
        <auto_select_from_color_space>false</auto_select_from_color_space>
        <force_bit_depth>10</force_bit_depth>
        <fp16_surface_support>true</fp16_surface_support>
    </bit_depth_management>
    <color_format_extended>
        <sdr_white_level>80.0</sdr_white_level>
    </color_format_extended>
</color_advanced>

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EDID HDR Capabilities

When using EDID integration, HDR capabilities can also be specified in monitor_profile.xml: 
<HDRCapabilities>
    <HDR10Supported>true</HDR10Supported>
    <DolbyVisionSupported>false</DolbyVisionSupported>
    <HDR10PlusSupported>false</HDR10PlusSupported>
    <MaxLuminance>1670.838</MaxLuminance>
    <MinLuminance>10.615</MinLuminance>
</HDRCapabilities>
EDID HDR capabilities work in conjunction with vdd_settings.xml. See EDID Integration for details.

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Troubleshooting

Checklist:
  • hdr10_static_metadata.enabled is true
  • force_bit_depth is 10 or higher
  • ColourFormat is set to RGB
  • GPU supports HDR output
  • Windows HDR settings are enabled
Possible causes:
  • Incorrect color primaries
  • Wrong gamma correction
  • Bit depth mismatch
Solution: Verify color space matches your workflow (sRGB for most applications).
Possible causes:
  • Incorrect luminance metadata
  • Wrong MaxCLL/MaxFALL values
Solution: Adjust max_display_mastering_luminance and max_content_light_level to match your content.

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Best Practices

1

Start with standard values

Use the defaults (1000 nits max, 0.05 nits min) for initial setup.
2

Match your workflow

  • sRGB for web/general use
  • DCI-P3 for content creation
  • Rec. 2020 for professional HDR video
3

Enable 10-bit minimum

HDR requires at least 10-bit color depth to avoid banding.
4

Test HDR content

Verify HDR is working with test patterns or known HDR content.

EDID Integration

Configure HDR via EDID profiles

Color Formats

Overview of color configuration

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