14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has implemented a new feature in Windows 10 Redstone 5 that automatically adjusts video brightness depending on the ambient light.
This is a feature that works just like the auto-brightness control on mobile phones. It uses the light sensor on your device to determine the amount of surrounding light, and then based on a predefined algorithm, it adjusts video brightness in order to improve image quality and make it possible to view objects on the screen even in direct sunlight.
“There’s a new viewing mode for you to try out, designed to improve the visibility of your video when you are in a very bright environment. This feature uses the light sensor on your device to detect your ambient light, and automatically adjusts your video accordingly,” Microsoft announces.
The feature needs to be turned on from Settings > Apps > Video playback > Adjust video based on lightning, and obviously requires a light sensor on your device to run it.
No sensor, no feature
If you follow the aforementioned path and there’s no option called Adjust video based on lightning, there’s a chance that your device does not have such hardware, in which case you won’t be able to experience this new behavior.
Microsoft explains in the release notes of Windows 10 build 17704 that it might happen that these sensors aren’t calibrated correctly and the video experience would be dramatically impacted. The company needs feedback to fix this behavior ahead of the launch of Redstone 5 in the fall to make sure everything works as expected for everyone.
Windows 10 Redstone 5 is projected to launch in the fall, so the Windows development team still has enough time to refine the experience with this new feature. Redstone 5 should be finalized in September, while the public rollout is projected to begin for systems across the world a month later.