iPlayer HLG/UHD HDR on Samsung’s J and K Series TVs

[ewanstancarr]

So, of the nigh on 400 TVs supported in BBC iplayer for the Blue Planet II  HLG episodes none are from Samsung. Oh joy. 

...

Moderator edit: Original thread title was "Blue Planet 2 HLG - No Samsung". With the OP's permission, the title was changed on 12/03/2018 to accurately reflect the dominant theme of the thread as it has progressed. If the reader would like to know more about the HLG format, please check out the BBC's page and FAQ's on it here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/projects/high-dynamic-range Thank you, AntS.

[crashcris]

Futher to my last comment. Please Samsung, If I am wrong in my conclusions then please tell me so and why I am wrong as well as your version of the truth as to why you "have no plans at this time to enable the UHD Version of BBC i-Player on 2014, 2015 & 2016 UHD TV or UHD BD Players".

Just saying you have no plans is a slap in the face to your customers!

[crashcris]

I really think Samsung are not willing to pay the licensing fee for the latest app for our sets. Google "Why you could be dumb to buy a 'Smart' TV: Manufacturers abandon support for sets that are only a few years old". I know it's an article from 2014 but the information is still relevant today.

[mrtickle]

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@crashcris wrote:

OK, I think I've worked out the answer to my question. I don't think it's a case of 2016 and older TVs not being able to receive the 4k iplayer HLG, I think it's a case of Samsung NOT BEING WILLING TO PAY THE LICENSING FEE to the BBC to allow individual models to carry the new service.

I come to this conclusion from an article I found in the Guardian concerning last year's sets. Do a Google search for

"Missing iPlayer means your Samsung TV isn’t so smart".

there's the line "It did admit it had a licensing issue with the BBC for this range of TVs, which it is addressing, starting with the bigger models". Considering this article from last year is concerning the bog standard iplayer not having the app because of a licensing issue, I think it's highly likely that something like this is what's holding our sets from being able to receive the new 4k iplayer.

I may be wrong but I get the feeling that Samsung are hoping to not have to fork out for the correct licensing fee for 2014/15/16 sets. I don't know all the different codings for all the sets they've produced over these years but I get the impression Samsung would have to purchase the licensing for each model and would rather leave us early adopters high and dry to save some money. Never buying Samsung again if this turns out to be correct.

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You could be on to something h.e.r.e. [EDIT: I DID NOT SWEAR but apparently H-E-R-E is a swearword?!?!]. Not sure that the DVB-DASH protocol would mean a payment to the BBC, but it would perhaps mean a payment to someone.

btw: https://www.dvb.org/standards/dvb_dash

NB the date on the Blue book - only 15 Nov 2017.

Let's hope the real reason is that "they weren't ready", they actually do have plans and are furiously adding it behind the scenes.

[hdmi]

Looks like BBC have put ball in Samsung's court, removed even 2017 models

Here's quote from BBC

"If Samsung update their firmware in this timeframe, we can make the series available on these devices too."

[amokuk]

I have no idea about fee's for dvb-dash but HLG is free from the BBC.

[ewanstancarr]

Maybe all explained ***** http://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/Editorial/Featured-Articles/MPEG-DASH-Royalties-What-We-Know-...

That said for a company of Samsungs size I would have thought this would be small fry 

[crashcris]

So, am I right?

[amokuk]

I dont think this can be the case. maybe it is maybe it isnt.  We will never get a straight answer from Samsung if it is because the damage to their brand would be quite large. The reason im dubious are these two clauses,

6.    DASH Players on Smart TVs/OTT devices are DASH Clients. This gives rise to a royalty that the hardware vendor pays.

MPEG LA response: Correct – player in OS, browser, or a standalone player not associated with an app.

9.    I have a Netflix account and apps on six devices. These are all DASH Initiators, and Netflix owes six royalties.

MPEG LA response: Correct

So netflix is already a DASH initiator and gets played via a DASH player in a samsung smarttv. This would suggest that they already pay the royalty. 

[ManiacBart]

I bought a 2016 Samsung KS TV on the basis that HLG support would be added so I'm not at all impressed by this.

The article from 2 days ago at 18/12/17 from John Archer at https://www.whathifi.com/advice/hybrid-log-gamma-explained-new-hdr-tv-broadcast-format says Samsung will update the 2016 TV's to support HLG so conflicting information *****!

I have tweeted John and asked him to look into.

[Pete1234]

Interesting link. So who actually provides the iPlayer app for smart tvs? 

Clause 7. 

    7.    Apps on Smart TVs/OTT devices. These are DASH Initiators, giving rise to a royalty payable by the app seller.

If this is a licensing issue, how come the likes of Hisense can manage to pay the bill but a company the size of Samsung is not able to?

Ironic that Samsung claim to support HLG for broadcast but not iplayer which uses DVB-DASH (Digital Video Broadcast) highly likely that BBC and other broadcasters will standardise on this  for VOD which as others have remarked is the direction TV is going.

I'd like to ask the question again Samsung - is there a technical blocker for providing support for this service to your TVs pre 2017?