Brightness

BetterDisplay can change brightness in three ways. Hardware brightness adjusts a setting supplied by the display or its controller. Software brightness changes the output image. Combined brightness brings both methods into one control, so you can use a single slider through their available ranges.

The difference matters when you reach a limit. If a monitor is still too bright at its lowest useful hardware setting, software dimming can darken the image further without lowering that hardware setting again. In the other direction, brightness upscaling depends on available HDR headroom and configuration.

A neutral point marks the unadjusted level of a control; it is not a promise of a particular measured brightness. Percentages describe a position within the control's range. Nits describe luminance, and their mapping depends on the display information and configured ranges.

The active controller, HDR mode and per-display preferences determine which methods you can use. Sliders explains their labels, boundaries and everyday operation.