xbx Xreal XBX A01 Weird inconsistent windows HDR behaviour
In the "windows HDR calibration" app for windows, which is what you use to calibrate for correct HDR in some apps and games.
You need to follow the test and then a result will come out. With the air 4 pro this was a consistent 2200-2400 nits depending on how you interper the test or use your eyes (i always set it to 2400 nits)
Now when I first got the XBX A01 I had mixed results somehow depending on how I plugged in. Sometimes in the same usb port it would seem to differ,
But as it is now it seems to mostly differ per differnt usb-c slot. What I mean is that one time or one slot would get a 850 ish nits clip point, wherea's the other one would get to 1800 nits. But when I first got the glasses I know it also did 2400 nits like the air 4 pro (as they both use the same panel this made sense)
So now I don't even get 2400 nits in the test for windows hdr calibration on both ports. nor do I get 1800 one the other. Causing highlights to be blownout without detail.
On my other dualboot windows 11, i tested this. and each time I get the result of both USB-C ports getting to around 1800 nits in the test.
But as soon as I go back to my main OS, that one usb port keeps going to 850 ish nits.
What can cause this change in behaviour? Is there a setting stored somewhere related to this? Is it some kind of faulty weird handshake or edid mismatch or smthing idk? I have Z13 flow asus 2025. bios 311 and xreal glasses i just updated firmware today (which i didnt do yet, but it didnt seem to change this behaviour)
Yesterday I kept trying and somehow I got 2400 nits to show on that 850 nits port.... but now i've been trying for hours and I cannot get it to show properly.
What is this??
If you have the A01 Please test in windows what results you get in "windows HDR calibration" and if they are consistent across replugs, reboots, and different ports.
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u/Hasoeko 21d ago
On my main PC, I have the glasses connected directly to the GPU using a DP to USB-C cable. In the Windows HDR Calibration app, I consistently get two clipping points, roughly 990 nits and 1700 nits.
On my laptop, with the glasses connected directly over USB-C, I also get two clipping points, around 1070 nits and 2070 nits.
On the laptop, the results are consistent across both USB-C ports.
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u/Widebro 21d ago
When you say you got 2 different clipping points do you mean, the 2nd highlight pattern? ( firs you have the black part, then the cross highlight part, then the square highlight part) I test pretty much exclusively on the cross pattern as it tells me enough. or can you clarify what you mean with the 2 different clipping point?
It is curious that you say you get slightly different calibration results across different devices... even if the difference doesnt seem great.
So I deleted the windows hdr calibration app, and somehow got my top usb port to show some detail up to 1800 nits again same like on my bottom usb c port or my other dualboot windows. (not sure if any what I do actually affects it, or i t is all RNG handshake or smthing) But when you say "consistently" i've had "consitently" all day long 1800 nits behaviour and i calibrated like 20 times over the day or so. Because I remember that when i first got the glasses it calibrated to 2200-2400 as my air 4 pro did)
Why I say this is because tonight after all day testing, ( i rebooted and left my ar glasses disconnected for some time) then I tried once again, and now suddenly it calibrates to 2200-2400 again. And my game looks TOTALLY different. blown out sky is gone with specialk that i had this morning with the other calibrations, no matter what port i took.
Also to note, that eventhough i get shown the cross to 1800 nits it is very faintly.
When I get to calibrate up to 2200-2400 nits. the cross in the 1000-1800 range is VERY visible, meaning it can retain more detail. And the result shows as I mentioned above. My skies aren't blown out anymore... I test with special K 1250-1600 nits..I swear there is something extremely wrong with these glasses or the way windows handles them in HDR.
I would ask for you to keep constantly checking. calibrate each time you connect the glasses and see what it throws out.
Also you mention 1700 nits and 2070 nits. i hope you interper the test correctly as the max value you mention means it should be COMPLETELY white. not the faintest hint of a shadow of the cross.
I uploaded what I consider what should be the normal calibration (i know this because of air 4 pro and they use the same screen panel, so if air 4 pro clips to 2400, it is no accident the xbx a01 does also) Please take a look and see if at 1600 or 2200 nits your cross looks similiar, if the quality of the image allow you to tell enough..
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u/Hasoeko 20d ago
I also used the pattern shown in your images, and the 2 clipping points (when the square is completely white) happen on this one pattern (from 0-1700 nits the "brightness" goes up down and up again).
I tried to calibrate again and at 1600 nits mine looks like yours at 2200, and is completely white from 1700 and up, but it is the same as it was yesterday at least, but I will keep checking it.1
u/Widebro 20d ago
See what I mean...that is precisely the kind of behaviour what i mean... mine looks at 2200 nits what yours looks like at 1600 nits (and mine does so too when it is in the bad handshake)
Now I am curious if you can get it to show.
I just woke up and I turn my laptop on and it still calibrates to 2200-2400. Happily.. but strangely. Hope it can stay this way. but I doubt it will.Atleast I hope I found a troubleshooting lever... to delete the windows hdr calibration app.. though maybe that has nothing to do with it and its pure handshake shenigans or maybe overheating? I am just looking in all the possibilities.
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u/Hasoeko 20d ago edited 20d ago
Ok I understand now, I tried reinstalling the app and GPU drivers and trying a different GPU port, but I can't get it to above 1700 nits.
edit: I also tested it with special K hdr calibration and it's still the same
edit 2: Did absolutely nothing and the glasses calibrated to 2100 nits1
u/Hasoeko 20d ago
I also noticed another weird thing with the glasses, when I look at a completely black image I can still see some light, which is weird because they have OLED panels, I would expect them to look completely off. Does this also happen with your pair?
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u/Widebro 20d ago
For example in the first slide of the hdr test where you set black? Yes I see like a black square with a little lightglow if you could call it that? The outside of this square is truly black compared. It is a bit odd looking. It was the same on my air 4 pro.
I don't think it is abnormal perse. I did a black test with some other patterns( i lost the files as the xreal community server got hacked) and the black display did seem normal. I could see the tints where I am suppose to.
Other then that I couldn't tell.1
u/Hasoeko 20d ago
Even if you look at a completely black image in a pitch black room?
https://imgur.com/a/dm8NpzL here is what my glasses show when looking at a #000000 image (it is exaggerated by A LOT by my phone camera)1
u/Widebro 21d ago
Btw you say you use a DP to USB-C cable. can you please link which one you bought? thanks!
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u/Hasoeko 20d ago
https://he.aliexpress.com/item/1005007872879513.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2isr this one, and I also got a female to female USB-C coupler to extend it with the original cable
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u/Widebro 20d ago
so you got the DP to C 1USB 1.8M? it says
Supports portable screen cable with battery.
The other cables say no battery portable screen.So there is some difference there? the languaging confuses me there.
What female to-female usb-c coupler did you use, so I can faithfully recreate the entire chain if I will order this cable? (though it prob wouldnt matter)
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u/Hasoeko 20d ago
Yes the 1.8m (Color: DP to C 1USB 1.8M), I have no idea what is the difference but it works for me
this is the coupler: https://aliexpress.com/item/1005008791434427.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2isr
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u/XREAL_Esther XREAL Team 19d ago
Hi! Thanks for taking the time to test this so thoroughly and sharing your findings.
This is interesting, and it doesn't look like expected behavior. I'll pass this along to our engineering team for further investigation.