4K HDR Movies playing back in SDR

Thanks for the info.

It looks like that particular monitor is only 8-Bit+FRC, so you won’t be able to experience full 10-Bit HDR video.

In this case, I’d recommend forcing the Apple TV to output SDR, and you should be able to get the correct colors.

There’s a thread with some discussion on 8-Bit+FRC vs 10-Bit here.

I have already told you that I have not had any issues watching HDR content on this monitor, and only recently experienced this issue with Infuse.

I have tried it on my Samsung TV UE55JU6740 and it has the exact same problem, so clearly the issue is with Infuse?!

Another thing to keep in mind is this Samsung appears to only allow UHD color on a single HDMI port, and it needs to be specifically enabled.

so why then have I not had issues before?

I can’t say, but I’m just trying to make a few suggestions based on the info I found for your particular devices.

It would be interesting to know if it works on that specific HDMI port, with UHD color enabled.

Does the same problem happen with VLC? Banding is usually device specific in a display driver.

From proper playback of HDR content from an AppleTV the panel has to be a 10bit panel, UHD colour has to be enabled on the port, colour depth/black level should be set to low.

I have no bloody issues watching HDR from other sources on both my monitor and TV, so like I said the problem does not lie with my displays!

no banding in VLC, but playback is choppy and less than ideal

like I’ve already said, the banding is exactly the same as that you would get if you try to force HDR on SDR content. and I have no issues playing back HDR content from other sources on my displays, so please stop trying to diagnose it as that

I’m having this exact same problem. I’ve got a Vizio PQ65-F1. I noticed things broke as of around tvOS 12.2. I’ve updated to 6.0.7 and I have a single HDR10 video that seems to have resolved itself, but many others with the exact same issue unresolved. I don’t have this issue appear when playing content from the Plex app however. I have no problems getting the tv to switch over to HDR10. Full UHD Color is enabled on the input. Dynamic Range and Frame Rate matching are enabled, and I’ve done testing with them both disabled and the Apple TV set to HDR10 4:2:2. This isn’t an issue with switching…

Can you try switching to 4:2:0 Chroma to see if this makes a difference?

I actually misspoke. It was 4:2:0 chroma. I tried again with match dynamic range and frame rate off. I also reset video settings. I think my next step is going to be to migrate the other Apple TV 4K that I have connected to a non 4K/HDR tv.

Sure, give that a try and see how it goes.

If you have another HDMI cable, you might try that as well…just to see if it makes any difference. There have been a few cases in the past where cables are capable of passing the Apple TV HDR checks, but aren’t capable of full HDR bandwidth, which can lead to picture issues. If you are in the mood to buy a new cable, the Monoprice Certified Premium cables are great, and pretty darn cheap. https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=15427

FWIW, we’ve tested the sample you sent in here on a few different setups (LG C7, Sony 930e, Samsung NU8000) and it switches to HDR properly and has correct colors/black levels.

It looks like there is another user with a PQ65 who is experiencing the same issue, so I think it’s best to continue the conversation there.

That actually is the exact cable I have coming off the TV and into the Apple TV. I have been switching back and forth between that and using the expensive Belkin cables they sell at Apple. I have two of those with an LG SK10Y in between. Previously that was the only method for me to get Dolby Vision to work with the SK10Y in the middle. The Monoprice cables would never work. As I’m testing back and forth, I’m sitting with just the Monoprice cable and the SK10Y providing audio separately through ARC.

So, I’m not sure whether this was resolved in the new build or not, but it appears the one video I had problems with is not having the issue anymore. Only when I pause do I see the issue I had. I do have two or three that appear fine as well and look visibly similar to how they appear if I run them through the Plex app on the Apple TV or via the TV itself. I do have one video that for certain is not fixed and continues to show this black crush. I’ve gone through MediaInfo and can see no issues or problems with the file. I’m wondering whether it makes any sense to remix the MKV to MP4 for further testing.

finally had time to take some pics of the issue

also, in the thumbnail preview of Infuse it displays the image/color correctly, but only the thumbnail

Are any of these videos MP4? If so, can you try playing them through the tvOS ‘Computers’ app to see if the same issue is present there?

You can also try the Sony demo found at the link below, which will work in both Computers and Infuse.

Note: To use this sample in the Computers app, simply add it to your iTunes library on a Mac/PC.

nope they are all x265 HEVC MKVs

will test out the Sony demo

EDIT: tested the Sony demo and the banding issue doesn’t show for both Infuse and Computers. maybe an issue with how Infuse decodes x265/HEVC?

any update on this?

took another pic of the issue: Avengers: Infinity War 4k 10-bit HDR - Imgur

the thumbnail seems to show the correct dynamic range?