How to test whether dark shades are crushed

Dark parts of a photo or video can look like one solid black area, with details disappearing into the shadows. This is often called crushed blacks: nearby dark shades look identical even though they should be different.

Use the Display Test to examine how your screen shows dark colors, then check the settings and viewing conditions that can hide shadow detail. The test shows what reaches your screen in the browser. It cannot measure the panel's exact black level or calibrate it for you.

Test dark shades on your display

1. Open the Display Test on the screen you want to check. If you use more than one display, open it on the one showing the problem.
2. Open the color test and look for a dark grayscale pattern or a series of near-black shades. If the test offers color choices, use neutral grays rather than tinted colors. If it does not show a range of dark shades, use a dark grayscale image or test pattern you trust, and treat the browser test as a check of the display rather than a precise calibration tool.
3. View the pattern at a normal distance in a dim room. Keep the room dark enough to see shadow detail, but do not test in total darkness if that makes the screen uncomfortable to view.
4. Look at the darkest patches in order. Check whether you can tell each shade apart from the one beside it, especially just above black. Avoid changing settings while you are judging the first result.
5. Repeat the check after changing one display setting at a time. That makes it easier to see whether brightness, contrast, HDR, or a picture preset caused the change.

For a fair comparison, use the display at its usual resolution and do not zoom the browser page. If you are checking a laptop screen, keep the lid at a normal viewing angle. Some panels change their dark appearance when you look from above or below.

What the result means

You can distinguish several shades near black

The display is showing at least some shadow detail in the conditions you tested. If a particular movie or photo still looks black, the source may have been made with very dark tones, compressed during export, or shown with different video settings. Check another dark image before assuming the monitor is at fault.

The darkest shades look the same, but lighter grays differ

The display is losing detail near black. A brightness or contrast setting, an HDR mode, a video range mismatch, or a panel's limited shadow performance may be responsible. Try the fixes below, changing one thing at a time.

Almost every shade looks black

Check the screen's brightness and picture mode first. If the screen is connected to a computer or another device by HDMI, the display and source may also disagree about the range of black and white levels. A mismatch can make dark tones disappear or make blacks look gray.

The pattern looks different in different parts of the screen

Uneven viewing angles, local dimming, or panel uniformity may affect the result. Move your head slightly and view the screen straight on. If the dark areas remain uneven in the same places, compare the display with another screen before deciding whether the panel needs service.

How to fix crushed dark shades

1. Raise the screen brightness slightly. Use the monitor's physical controls or your laptop's brightness setting. Change it in small steps and recheck the same dark pattern. Brightness that is too low can hide near-black detail, but turning it up too far can make blacks look gray.
2. Return contrast and picture mode to a neutral setting. In the monitor's on-screen menu, try a standard or neutral picture preset. Reduce excessive contrast, and turn off features with names such as dynamic contrast, black enhancement, or shadow boost while testing. These can change dark detail from scene to scene.
3. Check Night Light or color-shifting features. On Windows 11, open Settings › System › Display and turn off Night light while comparing. On macOS, open System Settings › Displays and temporarily turn off Night Shift if it is enabled. These features mainly change color, but removing them gives you a more consistent visual check.
4. Try turning HDR off temporarily. On Windows 11, open Settings › System › Display › HDR and switch off HDR for the display if the option is available. On macOS, open System Settings › Displays, select the display, and turn off HDR if that control appears. Recheck the same pattern, then restore HDR if you prefer it for normal use.
5. Check the black level or input range. For a monitor connected over HDMI, look in its on-screen menu for Black Level, HDMI Black Level, or a similar setting. Use Auto if available, or make sure the display and computer use matching video ranges. The names and choices vary by monitor, so do not change an unfamiliar value without noting its original setting.
6. Compare another source or display. Show the same pattern on a second screen or connect the original display to another device. If the problem follows the source, check its graphics or video settings. If it stays with one screen after you reset its picture settings, the panel may have limited shadow detail or a fault.

When it may be the display

A browser test cannot determine whether a screen meets a professional calibration standard, and it cannot separate every panel limitation from a software setting. A dark room, viewing angle, HDR processing, and the browser's color handling all affect what you see.

If the same dark shades merge across several sources after you restore neutral picture settings, the screen may simply have poor shadow detail. If the image also has fixed dark patches, flickering, or sudden changes that appear in every app, contact the manufacturer or a repair shop. For a screen still under warranty, keep a photo of the pattern and note which settings you tested before requesting support.