HDR/HDR10/Dolby Vision MKVs look terrible. Which settings to use?

Platforms Mac
1

Greetings,

I’m on 2018 mac mini - mac OS 13.2.1 (22D68) along with Infuse Version 7.4.10 (7.4.4329) I’m guessing it is the pro version since I paid for a year with a month free trial. Nothing indicates it is the pro version other than it no longer prompts me to purchase pro.

My TV is a budget 4k 75U6H coming in at just under 700 nits. (Yeah I know). The 4k HDR video samples on Youtube using this Google TV’s app are good enough for me and would like to get the same from MKV files

I’m using a HDMI 2.0b Cable, Compatible with Dolby Vision 4K 60Hz HDR ARC 4:4:4 HDCP 2.2 - 22.28Gbps

The TV is set for enhanced HDMI and with this setting enabled, the mini recognizes the display as HDR capable. HDR is on in System Preferences.

Without infuse or anything else running - The signal from the mini to the TV

With HDR off in mac OS the signal to the TV is seen as 4k 60 - TV considers this Standard Mode
With HDR enabled in mac OS, the signal to the TV is seen as 4k 60 HDR 10 - TV considers this HDR Mode

The TV also has a Dolby Vision mode which is triggered when it receives a DV signal.

With HDR enabled in mac OS, Dolby Vision MKVs played through Infuse don’t send a Dolby Vision ‘signal’ to the display. The signal is still seen as HDR, the TV never enters DV mode.

Without HDR enabled in mac OS HDR/HDR10 and DV MKV’s do not send HDR/HDR10 and or DV signals to the display

4k HDR/HDR10/DV. MKV files played through Infuse don’t look much different if any compared to other players that do not officially support HDR/DV. I’ve tried El Media Player (paid version), VLC, IINA.

Here is what Media Info says about one of the files. https://pastebin.com/3msRaNnJ

I’ve tried other files and the thumbnails in the library indicate the MKVs are HDR and or DV

What are the correct settings I should use in mac OS as well as infuse to make sure it is color mapping or whatever properly and triggering HDR/DV?

I’m going to pick up a ULTRA HD 48GBs HDMI cable today just in case.

Please let me know if I can provide any additional information.

Thanks

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2

If you’re talking about the OS interface looking washed out, that is to be expected when you turn on HDR in macOS and use a non Apple HDR screen.

Cant provide anymore help regarding the file issue unfortunately, have you tried another HDR video file? Maybe just that file particular is faulty?

3

Thanks

Yes, I have other HDR and DV files. Some look better than others but still seem to be lacking. After closer inspection, I see where the video files are labeled as DV or HDR in the Infuse library thumbnails.

I’m going to update the OP, with some additional info.

4

Once 7.5 is available for macOS, please play your files again and report here. There have been many changes is this version.

5

@munpip214

I grabbed 7.5 and tried a another file

Version: 7.5.4381

https://pastebin.com/bfW4xrnT

Nothing has changed. There isn’t any indication I can see telling me Infuse is rendering the video in DV. The display never trips to DV mode and nothing within the Infuse video window tells me otherwise.

The thumbnail shows it as DV and the media info does as well. I will say however, with HDR off in mac OS this rip looked stunning. I’m starting to wonder if Infuse or mac OS is capable of rendering HDR/DV properly on a mini with an external display. If it is maybe I am doing it wrong but I can’t think of any other combinations of settings to try. I’ve even tried going down to 30hz.

6

I’m guessing that there is something either infuse or apple needs to work on to enable better HDR support on external displays

7

Is there a way to contact someone at Firecore to find out if these features only work with internal displays?

Err. I mean here on the forums? I’ve submitted a form through the contact page and was debating about hitting them up on Twitter.

Thanks

8

This is probably the best place. Can you get other apps to playback HDR?

9

On the mini? Well, different players will ‘play’ the files but with the same results as Infuse.

Even in Windows playing HDR / DV video files with software players, (not streaming from Plex) was dicey. The only solution that seemed to work and trigger different modes on (whichever 4k) display was MPC-BE along with madVR plug in. With mad VR plug in

For Windows leave HDR off in Windows OS, then when MPC-BE with madVR opened an HDR/DV MKV, boom, the display would switch to whatever mode.

10

Hello! I don’t mean to revive an old thread, but I had a similar situation and I was wondering if my files were playing in Dolby Vision correctly.

I am running a 2021 MacBook Pro M1 Pro with a 18GBps HDMI cable connected to a 2019 LG C9 OLED TV that is capable of Dolby Vision (DV).

When plugged into my laptop, the TV displays a HDR pop-up, but there are no indications of displaying DV when playing a DV file. After some research, I came across this article from Apple. Essentially stating that although more recent, higher-end MacBooks will display DV content on its built-in monitor and on Apple’s Pro Display XDR, any other external monitors will convert DV to HDR10.

I hope this helps people who were looking for answers.

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