Screen lost brightness since last update

[sagieinav]

I own the Pro version, and since the last update (I've jumped a few versions I think), the image in my screen is much darker.

To be precise, I've updated like a few days ago and it worked fine since then. Only today did the issue start.

I can't get it to be the way it was before, no matter what I've tried. I'm using BetterDisplay's Image Adjustments to adjust the image. Haven't changed anything, besides updating the app. Before the update it worked perfectly, I had a beautiful image. Now it seems to lack lots of brightness.

I'll attach my configuration here:

Color profile: SRGB IEC61966-2.1

And here my app settings:

My monitor is an Ultrawide 1440p, 165Hz LG. I'll try to list the things I've tried:

• Reset BetterDisplay's Image adjustments.
• Adjust BetterDisplay's Image adjustments to something different than what I originally had.
• Play with BetterDisplay's Hardware adjustments.
• Reset BetterDisplay's Hardware adjustments.
• Verify and change the display's hardware adjustments (it's the same as before. brightness is at 100% btw).
• Factory reset the display.
• Disable DDC Control in BetterDisplay.
• Resetting the BetterDisplay app's settings.

Also worth noting, I've posted issue #3549 in the past. This still occurs to me sometimes. TLDR; Sometimes when connecting my MacBook to my monitor, the image is very dark. The only fix is to lower the refresh rate, to be able to enable HDR, then disable HDR and the problem is fixed. Then I just set the refresh rate back to 120-160 dynamic.

The issue I have now is quite similar in terms of what happens to the image, but less severe, and I can't get it fixed. The image is only like half-way(?) darker as what it gets with issue #3549, but it seems to be permanent.

Thanks in advance.

[waydabber]

Hi there,

• Does this happen when BetterDisplay is not running?
• Are you using any other apps that manage the display's brightness or colors (like flux, MonitorControl etc)?
• If you turn off "Enable color table adjustments" for the display under the display's settings (in the Video Control Settings section), does that fix the issue?

[waydabber]

+1: are you using a custom color profile?

[sagieinav]

Hi there,

• Does this happen when BetterDisplay is not running?
• Are you using any other apps that manage the display's brightness or colors (like flux, MonitorControl etc)?
• If you turn off "Enable color table adjustments" for the display under the display's settings (in the Video Control Settings section), does that fix the issue?

• It doesn't happen when BetterDisplay is not running, nor when "Enable color table adjustments" is turned off. In both cases, the screen is brighter.
• I'm not using any other apps to manage my display
• My color profile as i've mentioned is "SRGB IEC61966-2.1". Don't think its custom. Just standard SRGB.

The thing is; before the issue started, using BetterDisplay's image adjustments actually made my display's image brighter and look much better. Now, with the same color table adjustments, the image does look better and calibrated the same way as before, but it's somehow darker. Like the screen is dull and lacks brightness.

[waydabber]

Hmm. If it does not happen with "Enable color table adjustments" turned off, then it has something to do with the color table. Can you try using the display's factory color profile (instead of the SRGB profile)? Although both should work. Does the app run only in one instance (if it is in a multi-user environment)? If you set every image adjustment slider to the default value and restart the app, do you see any change in how the image looks like?

[sagieinav]

Hmm. If it does not happen with "Enable color table adjustments" turned off, then it has something to do with the color table. Can you try using the display's factory color profile (instead of the SRGB profile)? Although both should work. Does the app run only in one instance (if it is in a multi-user environment)? If you set every image adjustment slider to the default value and restart the app, do you see any change in how the image looks like?

Yes, I've tried resetting to the display's factory color profile. Actually its called 'LG ULTRAWIDE' but I'm pretty sure it's just SRGB, as the image looks identical to me.

Yes, the app runs in one instance.

And no, I see no change in the image when setting the sliders to default.

Is it possible that the mapping of the app's color table adjustments has changed in the last few updates or something like that?

It there a deeper app reset I can perform? I've the done the basic app reset from the app's settings.

[waydabber]

So by simply starting the app, even without any color table adjustments (all set to neutral/default) you have different colors? That is indeed weird.

No, color table adjustments did not change in the last few updates. If you downgrade the app to a previous version do you have this issue?

Yes, you can reset the app under Settings/Application/Advanced.../Reset App Settings...

You can also reset all display settings (requires reboot) under Settings/Displays/Overview/Additional settings.../Reset All Display System Settings... (if you are running v3.5.3).

[sagieinav]

So by simply starting the app, even without any color table adjustments (all set to neutral/default) you have different colors? That is indeed weird.

No, color table adjustments did not change in the last few updates. If you downgrade the app to a previous version do you have this issue?

Yes, you can reset the app under Settings/Application/Advanced.../Reset App Settings...

You can also reset all display settings (requires reboot) under Settings/Displays/Overview/Additional settings.../Reset All Display System Settings... (if you are running v3.5.3).

No. Perhaps I wasn't clear. When color table adjustments is off/set to default - the image DOES NOT change when opening the app. The image is stock. There isn't an issue.

What's the difference between the regular app settings reset and the 'all display system settings' reset?

[waydabber]

The regular just resets the app like it was installed anew. The system settings reset removes display configuration and layout data from macOS so displays will act like they were connected the first time to the Mac.