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Overview

The HDRswitch-VDD.ps1 script provides an automated way to toggle HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode on the Virtual Display Driver. It detects the current color depth and switches between standard (8-bit) and HDR (10-bit) color modes.

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Features

  • Automatic HDR detection: Checks current bits per color channel
  • Intelligent toggling: Switches between 8-bit and 10-bit+ color modes
  • Automatic elevation: Self-elevates to Administrator privileges
  • Dependency management: Automatically installs required PowerShell modules

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Requirements

This script requires Administrator privileges and will automatically request elevation through UAC if not already running as Administrator.
  • Virtual Display Driver must be installed and enabled
  • PowerShell 5.1 or later
  • Internet connection (for first run to install dependencies)
  • Required PowerShell modules (automatically installed):
    • DisplayConfig v1.1.1
    • MonitorConfig v1.0.3
  • HDR-capable Virtual Display Driver version

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Parameters

This script takes no parameters. It automatically detects the current HDR state and toggles it.

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Usage Examples

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Toggle HDR

.\HDRswitch-VDD.ps1
This will:
  • If HDR is enabled (10-bit color): Disable HDR (switch to 8-bit)
  • If HDR is disabled (8-bit color): Enable HDR (switch to 10-bit)

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Run from Command Prompt

powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\HDRswitch-VDD.ps1

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Create Desktop Shortcut for HDR Toggle

  1. Right-click desktop → “New” → “Shortcut”
  2. Target: 
    powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:\Path\To\HDRswitch-VDD.ps1"
  3. Name: “Toggle VDD HDR”
  4. Right-click shortcut → Properties → Advanced
  5. Check “Run as administrator”

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How It Works

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1. Self-Elevation

First checks for Administrator privileges: 
if (-Not ([Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal] [Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()).IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole] 'Administrator')) {
    # Relaunch with elevation
    Start-Process -FilePath PowerShell.exe -Verb Runas -ArgumentList $CommandLine
    Exit
}

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2. Dependency Installation

Sources the set-dependencies.ps1 script to install/import required modules:
  • DisplayConfig - For display configuration management
  • MonitorConfig - For monitor-specific settings

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3. Display Identification

Finds the Virtual Display Driver: 
$disp = Get-DisplayInfo | Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -eq "VDD by MTT" }

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4. Color Depth Detection

Checks the current bits per color channel: 
$bpcc = Get-DisplayColorInfo -DisplayId $disp.DisplayId | 
    Select-Object BitsPerColorChannel | 
    Select-Object -ExpandProperty BitsPerColorChannel
Possible values:
  • 8 bits: Standard color mode (SDR)
  • 10 bits or higher: HDR mode enabled

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5. HDR Toggle Logic

if ($bpcc -gt 8) {
    # Currently in HDR mode - disable it
    Disable-DisplayAdvancedColor -DisplayId $disp
} 
elseif ($bpcc -lt 10) {
    # Currently in SDR mode - enable HDR
    Enable-DisplayAdvancedColor -DisplayId $disp
}

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Script Source

Here’s the complete script: 
# Self-elevate the script if required
if (-Not ([Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal] [Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()).IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole] 'Administrator')) {
    if ([int](Get-CimInstance -Class Win32_OperatingSystem | Select-Object -ExpandProperty BuildNumber) -ge 6000) {
        $CommandLine = "-File `"" + $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path + "`" " + $MyInvocation.UnboundArguments
        Start-Process -FilePath PowerShell.exe -Verb Runas -ArgumentList $CommandLine
        Exit
    }
}

# Install dependencies if required
. "$PSScriptRoot\set-dependencies.ps1"

# Getting the correct display
$disp = Get-DisplayInfo | Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -eq "VDD by MTT" }

$bpcc = Get-DisplayColorInfo -DisplayId $disp.DisplayId | 
    Select-Object BitsPerColorChannel | 
    Select-Object -ExpandProperty BitsPerColorChannel
 
if ($bpcc -is [int]) {
    if ($bpcc -gt 8) {
        Disable-DisplayAdvancedColor -DisplayId $disp
        break
    }
    if ($bpcc -lt 10) {
        Enable-DisplayAdvancedColor -DisplayId $disp
        break
    }
}
else { 
    write-error "Something went wrong in identifying the Colormode of the display." 
    break 
}

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Understanding HDR

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What is HDR?

HDR (High Dynamic Range) provides:
  • Wider color gamut: More colors than standard (SDR)
  • Higher brightness range: Better contrast between light and dark
  • Better color accuracy: 10-bit or higher color depth vs 8-bit

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Bits Per Color Channel

BitsColor ModeColors per ChannelTotal Colors
8-bitSDR256~16.7 million
10-bitHDR1,024~1.07 billion
12-bitDeep HDR4,096~68.7 billion

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When to Use HDR

Enable HDR for:
  • Video playback with HDR content
  • HDR gaming
  • Photo/video editing with HDR support
  • Streaming services with HDR (Netflix, YouTube, etc.)
Disable HDR for:
  • Better compatibility with older applications
  • Reduced resource usage
  • Some games that don’t support HDR properly
  • When colors appear washed out

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Troubleshooting

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Error: “Display not found”

Cause: Virtual Display Driver is not installed or enabled. Solution: 
# Check driver status
.\virtual-driver-manager.ps1 -Action status

# Enable if disabled
.\virtual-driver-manager.ps1 -Action enable

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Error: “Something went wrong in identifying the Colormode”

Possible causes:
  • Display is in an error state
  • DisplayConfig module failed to get color info
  • Display is not properly initialized
Solutions: 
# Try toggling the driver
.\toggle-VDD.ps1
Start-Sleep -Seconds 2
.\toggle-VDD.ps1

# Check display info manually
Get-DisplayInfo | Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -eq "VDD by MTT" } | Format-List

# Check color info
$disp = Get-DisplayInfo | Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -eq "VDD by MTT" }
Get-DisplayColorInfo -DisplayId $disp.DisplayId | Format-List

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HDR Doesn’t Enable/Disable

Possible causes:
  • Driver version doesn’t support HDR
  • System doesn’t have HDR support
  • Display settings preventing toggle
Solutions: 
# Verify driver version supports HDR
# Look for "HDR" in friendly name:
Get-PnpDevice | Where-Object { $_.FriendlyName -like "*HDR*" }

# Check if display supports advanced color
$disp = Get-DisplayInfo | Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -eq "VDD by MTT" }
Get-DisplayColorInfo -DisplayId $disp.DisplayId

# Update to latest driver version
.\virtual-driver-manager.ps1 -Action install -DriverVersion latest

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Module Installation Issues

If the script can’t install required modules: 
# Manually install modules
Install-Module -Name DisplayConfig -RequiredVersion 1.1.1 -Scope CurrentUser -Force
Install-Module -Name MonitorConfig -RequiredVersion 1.0.3 -Scope CurrentUser -Force

# Verify installation
Get-Module -ListAvailable DisplayConfig, MonitorConfig

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Script Requires set-dependencies.ps1

Ensure both files are in the same directory: 
Community Scripts/
├── HDRswitch-VDD.ps1
└── set-dependencies.ps1

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Checking Current HDR Status

To check if HDR is currently enabled without toggling: 
# Import required module
Import-Module DisplayConfig

# Get display
$disp = Get-DisplayInfo | Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -eq "VDD by MTT" }

# Get color depth
$colorInfo = Get-DisplayColorInfo -DisplayId $disp.DisplayId
$bpcc = $colorInfo.BitsPerColorChannel

if ($bpcc -gt 8) {
    Write-Host "HDR is ENABLED ($bpcc-bit color)"
} else {
    Write-Host "HDR is DISABLED ($bpcc-bit color)"
}

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Automation Examples

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Enable HDR for Specific Application

Create a launcher that enables HDR before starting an application: 
# enable-hdr-and-launch.ps1
param([string]$AppPath)

# Get current HDR state
$disp = Get-DisplayInfo | Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -eq "VDD by MTT" }
$bpcc = Get-DisplayColorInfo -DisplayId $disp.DisplayId | Select-Object -ExpandProperty BitsPerColorChannel

# Enable HDR if not already enabled
if ($bpcc -le 8) {
    Write-Host "Enabling HDR..."
    & "$PSScriptRoot\HDRswitch-VDD.ps1"
    Start-Sleep -Seconds 1
}

# Launch application
Write-Host "Launching $AppPath"
Start-Process $AppPath
Usage: 
.\enable-hdr-and-launch.ps1 "C:\Games\MyHDRGame.exe"

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Batch File Toggle

Create hdr-toggle.bat: 
@echo off
echo Toggling HDR on Virtual Display Driver...
powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "%~dp0HDRswitch-VDD.ps1"
pause

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Task Scheduler - Auto-enable HDR at Login

$action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "powershell.exe" `
    -Argument "-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File C:\Scripts\enable-hdr.ps1"

$trigger = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -AtLogOn

$principal = New-ScheduledTaskPrincipal -UserId $env:USERNAME -RunLevel Highest

Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName "Enable VDD HDR at Logon" `
    -Action $action `
    -Trigger $trigger `
    -Principal $principal
Create enable-hdr.ps1: 
# Only enable if currently disabled
$disp = Get-DisplayInfo | Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -eq "VDD by MTT" }
$bpcc = Get-DisplayColorInfo -DisplayId $disp.DisplayId | Select-Object -ExpandProperty BitsPerColorChannel

if ($bpcc -le 8) {
    Enable-DisplayAdvancedColor -DisplayId $disp
}

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