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The Virtual Display Driver supports HDR10 (High Dynamic Range) through SMPTE ST.2086 static metadata, enabling wider color gamuts and higher brightness ranges for compatible applications.

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HDR10 Static Metadata

HDR10 support is configured in vdd_settings.xml under the hdr_advanced section: 
<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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Luminance Settings

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max_display_mastering_luminance
double
default:"1000.0"
Maximum display luminance in nits (cd/m²). Typical values:
  • SDR displays: 100-300 nits
  • HDR displays: 400-1000 nits
  • Professional HDR: 1000-4000 nits
​
min_display_mastering_luminance
double
default:"0.05"
Minimum display luminance in nits. Lower values provide better contrast:
  • Standard: 0.05-0.1 nits
  • High-end: 0.0001-0.01 nits
​
max_content_light_level
int
default:"1000"
Maximum brightness of any single pixel in nits (MaxCLL).
​
max_frame_avg_light_level
int
default:"400"
Maximum average brightness across entire frame in nits (MaxFALL).

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SMPTE ST.2086 Metadata Format

The driver converts XML configuration to SMPTE ST.2086 format internally:
  • Chromaticity coordinates: Scaled to 0-50000 range (from 0.0-1.0)
  • Luminance values: Scaled to 0.0001 cd/m² units
  • Content light levels: Direct nit values (0-65535 range)
// Internal conversion (Driver.cpp:851-866)
UINT16 ConvertChromaticityToSmpte(double edidValue) {
    return static_cast<UINT16>(edidValue * 50000.0);
}

UINT32 ConvertLuminanceToSmpte(double nits) {
    return static_cast<UINT32>(nits * 10000.0);
}

​
HDR Configuration Examples

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Standard HDR Display (1000 nits)

<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>

​
Professional HDR (4000 nits)

<hdr10_static_metadata>
  <enabled>true</enabled>
  <max_display_mastering_luminance>4000.0</max_display_mastering_luminance>
  <min_display_mastering_luminance>0.001</min_display_mastering_luminance>
  <max_content_light_level>4000</max_content_light_level>
  <max_frame_avg_light_level>1000</max_frame_avg_light_level>
</hdr10_static_metadata>

​
Conservative HDR (600 nits)

<hdr10_static_metadata>
  <enabled>true</enabled>
  <max_display_mastering_luminance>600.0</max_display_mastering_luminance>
  <min_display_mastering_luminance>0.1</min_display_mastering_luminance>
  <max_content_light_level>600</max_content_light_level>
  <max_frame_avg_light_level>300</max_frame_avg_light_level>
</hdr10_static_metadata>

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Color Depth Requirements

HDR10 requires at least 10-bit color depth. Configure in color_advanced section: 
<color_advanced>
  <bit_depth_management>
    <auto_select_from_color_space>true</auto_select_from_color_space>
    <force_bit_depth>10</force_bit_depth>
  </bit_depth_management>
</color_advanced>
The driver automatically selects bit depth based on color space:
  • Rec.2020: 10-bit (HDR)
  • DCI-P3: 10-bit (Wide gamut)
  • sRGB: 8-bit (SDR)

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EDID Integration

When using EDID profiles, HDR metadata is automatically extracted from monitor_profile.xml: 
<edid_integration>
  <enabled>true</enabled>
  <auto_configure_from_edid>true</auto_configure_from_edid>
</edid_integration>
The driver loads HDR capabilities from the EDID profile and converts them to SMPTE ST.2086 format. See Custom EDID for details.
HDR metadata is stored per-monitor in g_HdrMetadataStore (Driver.cpp:846) and applied during monitor initialization.

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Windows Version Requirements

HDR10 support requires:
  • Windows 10 version 1709 (Fall Creators Update) or later
  • IddCx version 1.2 or later
  • Compatible GPU with HDR support

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Verification

To verify HDR configuration:
  1. Enable logging in vdd_settings.xml:
<logging>
  <logging>true</logging>
  <debuglogging>true</debuglogging>
</logging>
  1. Check logs at C:\VirtualDisplayDriver\Logs\ for:
[INFO] Generated SMPTE ST.2086 HDR metadata from EDID profile:
  Red: (35400, 14600) → (0.708, 0.292)
  Max Luminance: 10000000 (1000.0 nits)
  1. Use Windows HDR settings to verify display is detected as HDR-capable

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Implementation Details

HDR metadata structure (Driver.cpp:826-843): 
struct VddHdrMetadata {
    UINT16 display_primaries_x[3];      // R, G, B (0-50000)
    UINT16 display_primaries_y[3];
    UINT16 white_point_x;
    UINT16 white_point_y;
    UINT32 max_display_mastering_luminance;  // 0.0001 cd/m² units
    UINT32 min_display_mastering_luminance;
    UINT16 max_content_light_level;
    UINT16 max_frame_avg_light_level;
    bool isValid;
};
  • Color Management - Configure color primaries, white point, and color space (Rec.2020 for HDR)
  • Custom EDID - Load HDR capabilities from EDID files

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Troubleshooting

HDR not detected:
  • Verify enabled is true in hdr10_static_metadata
  • Check bit depth is set to 10 or higher
  • Ensure color primaries are configured (see Color Management)
Colors look washed out:
  • Lower max_display_mastering_luminance to match your display
  • Adjust max_frame_avg_light_level for better tone mapping
Performance issues:
  • HDR requires more bandwidth; reduce resolution or refresh rate if needed
  • Use YCbCr422 color format instead of RGB for better compression

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