How to turn off HDR on your Xiaomi TV: 3 proven ways

Xiaomi’s High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode is designed to improve picture quality by expanding the dynamic range of brightness and contrast. However, this effect is not always met with expectations: some users complain of excessive brightness, unnatural colors or screen flickering when viewing content, especially for owners of budget models of the Mi TV 4A/4S, where hardware support for HDR is often implemented with compromises.

In this article, we will discuss three working methods for disabling HDR on Xiaomi TVs (including Android TV and PatchWall models), and explain why the mode sometimes turns on automatically and how to prevent it. If you encounter problems like highlighting black areas or distorted colors in games / movies, our instructions will help you return the natural picture.

Why HDR Can Get In The Way: 5 Common Problems

Before we go to shutdown, it’s worth understanding where HDR really spoils the experience.

• 🔦 Too bright in dark scenes (such as horror movies or night scenes).
• 🎨 Unnatural color reproduction: the skin of the actors looks plastic, the grass is acid green.
• 🎮 Lags in games due to additional image processing (relevant for Mi Box S and Mi) TV Stick).
• 📺 Artifacts when viewed SDR-content (ordinary films/series without any HDR).
• 🔌 Automatic switching between HDR/SDR, smack-down.

Important: on some Xiaomi models (e.g. Mi TV Q1E or Redmi Smart TV X), HDR is forced to turn on when connecting devices via HDMI 2.0/2.1 (gaming consoles, Blu-ray players), in which case disconnection via the menu may not work - additional manipulations will be required.

Method 1: Disable HDR through basic TV settings

The easiest method is to use the built-in menu. The instructions are suitable for most Xiaomi models on Android TV (including Mi TV 4X, Mi TV 5, Redmi TV A65, etc.).

1. Turn on the TV and press the Settings button on the remote.
2. Go to Display and Sound (or Display & Sound in English firmware).
3. Select the Picture item.
4. Scroll down to the HDR or Dynamic Contrast option.
5. Switch the slider to the position Off (Off).

If the HDR item is not on this menu, try an alternative route:

1. Open the settings → Device → Display.
2. Select Picture Mode (Picture Mode).
3. Set Standard or Movie mode – they usually turn off HDR automatically.

Attention! On some PatchWall firmware (e.g. Mi TV 4A 32), the HDR option may be hidden, in which case try resetting the image to factory settings:

⚠️ Warning: Reset will return all the settings (brightness, contrast, color temperature) to the default values. Write down the current settings if you want to restore them later.

Method 2: Disconnection HDR specific HDMI-port

If HDR It is automatically enabled when you connect external devices (for example, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X or other devices). NVIDIA Shield, you can turn it off selectively for one port. This is useful if you want to save it. HDR for movies, but not for games.

Instructions:

1. Connect the device to the desired HDMI-port.
2. Open Settings → Display and Sound → HDMI.
3. Select the port to which the device is connected (e.g. HDMI 1 (ARC)).
4. Find the format option HDMI (HDMI Format) or Mode HDMI.
5. Set the standard instead of extended.

If your model doesn’t have an HDMI format option, try disabling HDMI-CEC (HDMI Device Management Function), which sometimes prevents automatic switching to HDR:

1. Go to Settings → Device → HDMI-CEC.
2. Turn off the HDMI (HDMI Control) option.

💡

If after the shutdown HDR on HDMI-port the picture became dull, check the settings of the color space on the connected device (for example, in PlayStation 5 select the color space). RGB Limited instead of Automatic).

Method 3: Forced HDR Disabling through Engineering Menu

If standard methods don't work, you can use a hidden engineering menu, which is suitable for power users and requires caution - incorrect settings can degrade image quality.

Instructions for Xiaomi TVs on Android TV:

1. Turn on the TV and go to the main screen.
2. On the remote, press sequentially: Back → Back → Down → Down → Left → Right → Left → Right → Up → Up → Up (analogue of the Contra code for Android smartphones).
3. The Developer Options menu will open.
4. Find the Display section and select HDR Mode.
5. Set the Disabled or Force SDR value.
6. Save the settings and restart the TV.

⚠️ Attention: There are options in the engineering menu that affect how the TV works (e.g. Factory Reset or Calibration). HDR Mode, if you are not sure of the consequences.

For PatchWall models (such as Mi TV 4X 55), the code may be different.

1. On the main screen, click: Menu → Up → Up → Down → Down → Left → Left → Right → Right → OK
2. In the menu, look for Picture Advanced Settings.
3. Turn off the Auto HDR and Dynamic Tone Mapping options.

Additional settings to improve SDR-picture

After disabling the HDR image may appear dull or not contrasting enough, to return a natural picture, we recommend adjusting the following settings:

• 🌓 Brightness: Set to level 45-55 (depending on the lighting in the room).
• 🎨 Contrast: Optimal value — 80-90 (It can burn the light areas above).
• 🔍 Sharpness: Don't put it higher 30-40 — It adds artifacts.
• 🌈 Color Temperature: Choose Warm for natural skin tones.
• 🔄 Image mode: Use Movie for movies or Game for consoles.

You can use YouTube test videos to calibrate it (see for queries like "SDR calibration test pattern").

• Black level (should be deep, without gray tint).
• Gradients of gray (should not be "strip").
• Color stripes (red, green, blue should be saturated, but not screaming).

💡

If your TV supports Dolby Vision, turning it off can further improve your performance. SDR-This technology often conflicts with brightness settings, especially on Xiaomi's budget models.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When you turn off HDR, you often have typical problems, and here's how to solve them:

1. HDR turns on itself after the reboot. Reason: In some PatchWall firmware, the factory reset returns HDR. The solution is to update the software or turn off the automatic format definition in the HDMI menu.
2. No option. HDR Reason: On older models (Mi) TV 3S, Mi TV 4A 2018) HDR It's controlled through dynamic contrast.
3. After HDR was turned off, HDMI sound was lost. Cause: Some receivers and soundbars require HDMI 2.0 with HDR support to transmit sound. The solution is to use optical output (S/PDIF) or check the audio settings in the HDMI menu.
4. Artifacts remain in games. Reason: Game consoles can be forced to send HDR-The solution is in the console settings (e.g, PS5) Turn off Output in HDR.

If none of these methods helped, check:

• 📋 Firmware version (update through Settings) → On TV. → Updating the system).
• 🔌 Cable HDMI (Use a certified High Speed or Ultra High Speed).
• 🖥️ Signal source (e.g., in Windows) 10/11 turn off HDR in Parameters → System system → Display).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions