New Windows 10 build, display automatically darkens, refresh rate issues

Ouze

Distinguished
Oct 9, 2012
33
1
18,545
Hello all,

I just built a new PC to use in my living room. I'm having the weirdest damn issue. It's a Windows 10 PC, and it's a 970 GTX outputting via HDMI to my TV, which is a Samsung 4K UN60JU6400.

I noticed the first night when I was watching video on Twitch that it was really, really dark. I didn't want to adjust the TV because it works great for everything else - I've had the TV for a while. I did some googling and the refresh rate was mentioned. I checked that and it was set to 30hz. I changed it to 60, and it looked great... for about 2 minutes. The brightness again slowly crept down until it was too dark. I messed with the refresh rate again, and again, it looked great, and then it automatically got way too dark.

I don't have this issue at all when watching DirectTV or Netflix using the smart hub or well, in any other application on the TV.

I have no idea what to look at right now. Adaptive brightness is turned off, I'm using the most recent nVidia driver, I don't have any drivers installed for the TV. Any ideas?

 
Solution
I found out what the issue was - it was, in fact, the TV.

When I set the PC up, I also realized that I could change the HDMI input types, which I just thought was neat. I changed the input from "---" which is default to "PC". That changed the icon to a PC, which I thought was the end of it.

It turns out that the default picture mode for "PC" is "natural", which has some energy saving jazz. I haven't found a setting that doesn't somehow molest the default signal, but if you pick either "DVI PC" and "Dynamic" it looks better (but a bit cold) or "PC" and "Entertain" it looks OK. Either one of the last 2 options avoid the super annoying picture dimming within 2 minutes.

Anyway, that's what the solution is! If anyone can help me...

Ouze

Distinguished
Oct 9, 2012
33
1
18,545
I found out what the issue was - it was, in fact, the TV.

When I set the PC up, I also realized that I could change the HDMI input types, which I just thought was neat. I changed the input from "---" which is default to "PC". That changed the icon to a PC, which I thought was the end of it.

It turns out that the default picture mode for "PC" is "natural", which has some energy saving jazz. I haven't found a setting that doesn't somehow molest the default signal, but if you pick either "DVI PC" and "Dynamic" it looks better (but a bit cold) or "PC" and "Entertain" it looks OK. Either one of the last 2 options avoid the super annoying picture dimming within 2 minutes.

Anyway, that's what the solution is! If anyone can help me fine-tune it with whatever setting I actually want, that would be cool, but this is mostly resolved now.

 
Solution