Can I use a shortcut to switch to an HDR viewing setup?

Yes. First test a resolution, refresh rate and HDR combination on your display. Then create a shortcut that applies it. A manual viewing shortcut is useful when your comfortable desktop mode and preferred video mode differ.

For a connected 4K display that supports the requested mode, this CLI example selects native-sized LoDPI output and requests HDR:

betterdisplaycli set -name="Living Room TV" -resolution=3840x2160 -hiDPI=off -hdr=on

Replace the display name and resolution with your verified choices. BetterDisplay must be running, and enabling HDR through integration requires Pro. The mode must already be available. This example leaves the refresh rate unspecified, so check the resulting Display Mode, Refresh Rate and HDR state after running it.

To run it from the keyboard, put the command in a macOS Shortcuts Run Shell Script action and assign that shortcut a keyboard shortcut. Use the actual absolute path to your installed CLI executable. Create a separate return shortcut with your usual desktop settings. The viewing command does not save your previous settings for automatic restoration.

HiDPI and HDR can work together. Turning HiDPI off is one possible viewing choice, not an HDR requirement. If a particular scaled HDR combination is unavailable, compare a smaller HiDPI size or lower refresh rate as described in HDR and HiDPI modes.

Run the shortcut when you want the viewing setup. Opening a video player alone does not tell you whether its content needs HDR. See CLI examples for display selection and Shortcuts integration for running shell commands. For the scaling background, see how macOS scaling, HiDPI and LoDPI work.