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Apple TV Menu - 4K Dolby Vision vs. 4K SDR

purdnost

purdnost

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 2, 2018
497
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I read somewhere that it’s recommended to select “4K SDR” video format in Apple TV settings for a brighter, more colorful display. While setting up my new Apple TV today, I selected “4K Dolby Vision” and I actually quite like the slightly softer, less vivid look, so I’m keeping the setting for now (content matching is enabled). It’s especially easy on the eyes at night, or in a dark room.

Does anyone else feel the same way?
 
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I have had it set to Dolby Vision for the interface on my Apple TV 4K since I first set it up with my LG OLED 4K HDTV. I tried SDR and did not like it at all. I like the softer colors as well since most of my viewing is at night.
 
Only thing to bare in mind is that for any streaming services that don’t support dynamic range matching then you’ll get a fake/forced Dolby Vision applied to any SDR content.
 
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If I set it to HDR 4K the Apple TV forces all content in apps such as Hulu and air played videos to be HDR on the tv, even non hdr, which can cause content to look wrong. If I set it as 4K SDR but enable content matching it plays SDR normally and switches to HDR when it detects a true hdr source. Much better.
The Apple TV 4K was introduced years ago but most apps still don’t support forcing down the hdr setting to sdr when it’s older content, however it works perfectly when it’s set to SDR but content matching is enabled to force content up when it actually is new.
 
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The only problem is if you want to view HDR videos on YouTube as it needs to be set to HDR/DV.
 
With Dolby Vision enabled and Match Dynamic Range enabled as well, the SDR content has always played in SDR for me. This goes for Hulu, Showtime, Amazon Prime Video, amongst others.
 
MacManiac76 said:
With Dolby Vision enabled and Match Dynamic Range enabled as well, the SDR content has always played in SDR for me. This goes for Hulu, Showtime, Amazon Prime Video, amongst others.
Click to expand...
You sure? On my television it shows HDR in the corner when it switches to hdr from sdr, but doesn’t show anything if it continues to be in hdr.
The only way to confirm the Apple TV is forcing the sdr content to hdr (besides exaggerated colors) is to open the setting in the tv and seeing that it’s in hdr mode on sdr content. If you didn’t do that you’d think the Apple tv was displaying content correctly.

The incorrect color profile in sdr might not even matter to you. It might be preferable. All settings should be adjusted to personal preference. But in the HDR setting the Apple TV forces sdr content in many apps to a incorrect color profile that can cause content to look very different than intended. This is why as the OP mentioned most publications recommend you use the 4K SDR with content matching enabled as opposed to 4K HDR. It has nothing to do with how the Home Screen looks, it visually affects how the device shows content that you stream.
 
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I burnt in news logos on my lg oled. I left it in dolb vision all the time. I heard this is a big no no for oled. I’m sticking to sdr.
 
Pug72 said:
The only problem is if you want to view HDR videos on YouTube as it needs to be set to HDR/DV.
Click to expand...
you aren't getting what you think you are there.

if you do it that way, your're watching an HDR file that's been downscaled to SDR by YouTube, streamed to you, played in SDR, and then the aTV up converts that image to HDR. So you're getting a double processed simulated HDR. You can't make something from nothing, so all of the extra detail that HDR normally brings will not be there.

Apparently the brand new aTV4k will truly playback in HDR, so you don't get the multi processing.

if you do "stats for nerds" look at color - BT709 is SDR, bt2020 is HDR
if you see 709, but your TV is saying HDR, then it's simulated HDR.
 
If you have the new tv in HDR mode how do you know the HDR videos are truly in HDR?

waw74 said:
you aren't getting what you think you are there.

if you do it that way, your're watching an HDR file that's been downscaled to SDR by YouTube, streamed to you, played in SDR, and then the aTV up converts that image to HDR. So you're getting a double processed simulated HDR. You can't make something from nothing, so all of the extra detail that HDR normally brings will not be there.

Apparently the brand new aTV4k will truly playback in HDR, so you don't get the multi processing.

if you do "stats for nerds" look at color - BT709 is SDR, bt2020 is HDR
if you see 709, but your TV is saying HDR, then it's simulated HDR.
Click to expand...
 
I cannot see this 4K Dolby Vision option on my TV in settings? Just 4K HDR 60. Is this because my TV isn’t compatible or…?
 
acorntoy said:
You sure? On my television it shows HDR in the corner when it switches to hdr from sdr, but doesn’t show anything if it continues to be in hdr.
The only way to confirm the Apple TV is forcing the sdr content to hdr (besides exaggerated colors) is to open the setting in the tv and seeing that it’s in hdr mode on sdr content. If you didn’t do that you’d think the Apple tv was displaying content correctly.
Click to expand...

Yes I checked in my TV’s settings to confirm it is in SDR mode and not DV/HDR mode when viewing SDR content. I double checked this by viewing a few TV shows and movies that I know are SDR and my TV displayed them correctly in SDR verified in the TV’s picture settings. It is quite obvious on my LG OLED TV if something is SDR, but being incorrectly displayed in DV/HDR. LG has a couple screen maintenance processes called Pixel Refresher and Screen Shift on my OLED TV that has totally eliminated any screen burn-in after 3+ years of daily prolonged usage.
 
waw74 said:
you aren't getting what you think you are there.

if you do it that way, your're watching an HDR file that's been downscaled to SDR by YouTube, streamed to you, played in SDR, and then the aTV up converts that image to HDR. So you're getting a double processed simulated HDR. You can't make something from nothing, so all of the extra detail that HDR normally brings will not be there.

Apparently the brand new aTV4k will truly playback in HDR, so you don't get the multi processing.

if you do "stats for nerds" look at color - BT709 is SDR, bt2020 is HDR
if you see 709, but your TV is saying HDR, then it's simulated HDR.
Click to expand...
So you are saying even though I have the brand new ATV4K set to match content, the fact I have the UI set to DV or HDR, it's outputting simulated HDR.

Then you say the 'brand new aTV4k will truly playback in HDR, so you don't get the multi processing.'

🧐
 
The ATV YouTube app does not support HDR period. If you put the ATV in HDR it won't be true HDR. The YouTube app in my LG TV does support HDR.
 
Pug72 said:
So you are saying even though I have the brand new ATV4K set to match content, the fact I have the UI set to DV or HDR, it's outputting simulated HDR.

Then you say the 'brand new aTV4k will truly playback in HDR, so you don't get the multi processing.'

🧐
Click to expand...
Yes, yes he does.

For a better understanding of this you should read the thread started by @richard371. Cp. https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...hdr-at-all-on-even-the-latest-atv-4k.2297266/

It's Google's fault (or intented result) and has nothing to do with the ATV 4K, be it the model from 2017 or 2021. I'm baffled that this issue hasn't been widely criticized before, I only started looking into this yesterday when my ATV 4K 2021 arrived and the image quality was far worse than even YouTube can do.
 
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So, I’m better leaving the video settings at 4K SDR with content matching on to switch to Dolby Vision or HDR when available rather than leaving the setting on 4K Dolby Vision which may force some content to be HDR when it’s not?

My setup is an LG CX OLED
2021 Apple TV
Apple TV+
HBO Max
Netflix
Hulu
Amazon Prime Video

Interesting that Apple TV, on initial setup, encourages everyone to activate Dolby Vision, and I believe content matching is off by default.
 
One other thing I just realized is that with 4K SDR enabled on Apple TV, Apple screensavers are not displayed in Dolby Vision.
 
purdnost said:
So, I’m better leaving the video settings at 4K SDR with content matching on to switch to Dolby Vision or HDR when available rather than leaving the setting on 4K Dolby Vision which may force some content to be HDR when it’s not?

My setup is an LG CX OLED
2021 Apple TV
Apple TV+
HBO Max
Netflix
Hulu
Amazon Prime Video

Interesting that Apple TV, on initial setup, encourages everyone to activate Dolby Vision, and I believe content matching is off by default.
Click to expand...

I think the only reason to do it, if I’m understanding correctly, is because SDR content is not displayed appropriately, but force upscaled to HDR, even with matching activated. I could be wrong, so feel free to correct me everyone.

If the actual show/movie/whatever is displayed wrong, that’s one thing, but if it’s just the app menus, then I think I could live with that.
 
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purdnost said:
So, I’m better leaving the video settings at 4K SDR with content matching on to switch to Dolby Vision or HDR when available rather than leaving the setting on 4K Dolby Vision which may force some content to be HDR when it’s not?

My setup is an LG CX OLED
2021 Apple TV
Apple TV+
HBO Max
Netflix
Hulu
Amazon Prime Video

Interesting that Apple TV, on initial setup, encourages everyone to activate Dolby Vision, and I believe content matching is off by default.
Click to expand...
I'm curious about this as well, as this is my exact setup. Us SDR, not Dolby Vision?

Also, the LG CX keeps telling me "Please control with Magic Remote" on the upper right-hand side of the screen. If anyone has any information on stopping this message from popping up, that would be appreciated.
 
NARadyk said:
I cannot see this 4K Dolby Vision option on my TV in settings? Just 4K HDR 60. Is this because my TV isn’t compatible or…?
Click to expand...
Same here. I only have the option of 4K HDR or 4K SDR.

I have the Samsung JS9000 SUHD TV from 2015 so it probably doesn’t support Dolby vision?
 
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