Why is Netflix darker than normal on my TV?
If your tv sceen looks darker than usual while watching Netflix, it may be that the display settings are incorrect or that power saving mode needs to be turned off.
Table of Contents
Causes
Power saving settings
Display settings
HDR compatibility
Power saving settings
Power saving mode is designed to optimize the power usage of your TV. It does this by lowering screen brightness, contrast, and saturation levels. While it will make your tv less power-hungry, it is also the dimmest of all modes available on your tv.
Display settings
It can also be that your tv’s display settings have been changed, and it is in ‘theatre’ mode. Theatre mode is optimized for dark rooms and has the lowest brightness in all display presets. Accidentally changing your TV’s display to theatre mode makes it look dimmer, especially in a well-lit room.
HDR compatibility
Netflix produces most of its content in HDR. Most lower-range TVs are not HDR compatible, so they will lower the brightness of the entire screen and increase the brightness in some well-lit scenes to try to replicate the effects of HDR. This can give you a relatively dim screen for the most part.
How do you fix Netflix that looks too dark on my TV?
When a TV creates a very dim image, it’s usually on power saving settings to decrease power usage, the picture mode is on “theatre mode,” which is dimmer than other modes, or the TV is in HDR mode, which is better than SDR but can be dimmer on lower quality TVs.
Quick fixes
- Turning off the power-saving setting
- Changing the display settings
- Switching to SDR
How to turn off power-saving settings
- Press the menu button to open the settings
- Select general
- Select eco solution
- Select power saving mode and disable it
How to change the display settings
- Press the menu button to open the settings
- Go to the picture/display settings
- Change the picture mode to vivid or dynamic
How to switch to SDR
- In Netflix, go to Settings.
- Select Display & Sounds.
- Select Display.
- Select Dynamic Range Settings.
- Select Disable HDR.
Replacement/Repair
If none of these tips work, there might be an issue with your TV’s LCD/LED panel that cannot be fixed with software tweaks. It would be wise to call customer support or get your TV checked by a professional
How to adjust Netflix brightness on your TV
Some TVs have ambient light mode detection that dims the screen when the room gets darker. This can, however, get in the way if you want to get the most brightness out of your TV.
Luckily these minor settings can be adjusted to give you a better experience.
Quick fixes
- Increasing your TVs backlight
- Tweaking your TVs gamma
- Turning off ambient light detection
How to increase your TVs backlight
- Press the menu button to open the settings
- Go to the picture/display settings
- Go to the backlight option
- Increase it until you’re content with your TVs brightness
How to tweak your TVs gamma
- Press the menu button to open the settings
- Go to the picture/display settings
- Change the gamma from 2.2 to 2.0
- increase the brightness and contrast according to your preference
How to turn off ambient light detection
- Press the menu button to open the settings
- Go to general and scroll down to “ambient light detection.”
- Turn “ambient light detection” off.
How to disable the Netflix brightness control on TV
Your TV may be auto-adjusting your Netflix brightness if it has auto ambient light detection. This can dim your screen unwillingly and interrupt your Netflix experience.
You can, however, turn off this setting on your TV so that it stays on the brightness level of your preference.
How to turn off ambient light detection
- Press the menu button to open the settings
- Go to general and scroll down to “ambient light detection.”
- Turn “ambient light detection” off.
How to turn off HDR playback to increase the brightness of Netflix videos
How great the HDR looks depends on the peak brightness of your TV and whether it can handle it. If your TV isn’t high-end or doesn’t have a super bright display, then enabling HDR can produce a worse image quality. That’s why HDR can be enabled and disabled inside the Netflix app for your TV.
How to switch to SDR
- In Netflix, go to Settings.
- Select Display & Sounds.
- Select Display.
- Select Dynamic Range Settings.
- Select Disable HDR.
Why is my Roku TV too dark while watching Netflix?
Your Roku TV may be producing a dimmer image if it is on ‘vivid’ mode. You could have unintentionally switched to this mode while exploring your TV setting.
First, try factory resetting your Roku TV with the steps below.
- Press home on your Roku remote and scroll down to settings
- Select System.
- Select Advanced system settings.
- Select Factory reset.
If factory resetting doesn’t work, then you can change the display mode of your TV by following the steps below:
- Press the menu button to open the settings
- Go to the picture/display settings
- Change the picture mode from ‘vivid’ to ‘movie.’
Why is my Samsung TV too dark while watching Netflix?
Your Samsung TV may be using ambient light detection to dim your screen when you’re in a darker environment. The TV also has HDR+ enabled by default which may produce a dimmer image, but you can easily turn these setting off and restore your TV’s brightness.
Ambient light detection can be convenient but also annoying sometimes.
You can disable this setting by following the steps below:
- Press the menu button to open the settings
- Go to general and scroll down to “ambient light detection.”
- Turn “ambient light detection” off
When HDR is turned on, the contrast between the dark parts of the screen and the bright parts can make it look too dark, especially in dimly lit rooms. In your Samsung TV, you can disable HDR, and this should significantly decrease this problem.
You can disable HDR by following the steps below:
- Open expert settings
- Go to the picture settings menu
- Find HDR+ mode and toggle it off
If you think your TVs brightness is still not as high as you want it to be, then you can manually increase the brightness of your content by following the steps below:
- Press the menu button to open the settings
- Go to the picture/display settings
- Go to the backlight option
- Increase it until you’re content with your TVs brightness
Why is my Hisense TV too dark while watching Netflix?
When a Hisense TV produces a dimmer screen, it is either because it is on eco-mode, which consumes less power, and dims the TV in darker environments, or that dynamic contrast is enabled, which dims the screen when darker scenes appear on the TV.
You can easily turn off eco mode on your Hisense TV by following the steps below:
- Go to settings
- Scroll down to the ‘power’ option
- Turn off the ‘low power mode.’ This also turns off ‘eco mode.’
If turning off eco mode doesn’t work, you can try disabling dynamic contrast by following the steps below.
- Go to settings
- Scroll down to the “picture” option
- Change the option from “dynamic” to “user” or “mild.”
How do I fix a Netflix black screen on my TV?
Netflix’s black screen is a recurring problem for many users that can easily be resolved. Some people experience only a black screen, while others can hear the content but not see the video.
Causes:
Whichever the case, if your TV displays a black screen when you open Netflix, its usually because of the following:
- faulty internet connection
- loose or unconnected cables
- your device or the app is responsive.
You can easily resolve the issue by trying out the 6 possible fixes for this fairly common problem listed below:
- Restarting your device
- Restarting the Netflix app
- Updating the Netflix app on your TV
- Check if the cables in your TV are plugged in correctly (HMDI/LAN)
- Check internet connection
- Resetting TV receiver