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

(Topic created on: 31-01-2018 04:39 PM)
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ewanstancarr
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So, of the nigh on 400 TVs supported in BBC iplayer for the Blue Planet II  HLG episodes none are from Samsung. Oh joy. 

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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.

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Saverio571
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In Italy Sky will trasmit in 4k HLG F1 GP. But nobody know if models tv 2016 are compatible.

If Iplayer BBC are in HEVC is not present support for HLG on HDMI. I ask in US forum because they says that works.

Saverio Casadidio
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daleski75
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@Saverio571 wrote:

In Italy Sky will trasmit in 4k HLG F1 GP. But nobody know if models tv 2016 are compatible.

If Iplayer BBC are in HEVC is not present support for HLG on HDMI. I ask in US forum because they says that works.


Samsung may release HLG/HDR10+ in the states but that does not mean anywhere else will get it even if there is sufficient demand for it. 

Saverio571
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But in USA many people says thet HLG on HDMI works.

Saverio Casadidio
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daleski75
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@Saverio571 wrote:

But in USA many people says thet HLG on HDMI works.


Different firmware for that region.

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daleski75
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Still on my little twitter quest

 

Samsung has rescinded on their promises of HDR10+, broken HLG Support and won’t even add 4K SDR iPlayer, officially they have stopped all support of their 2016 FLAGSHIP TVs bit.ly/2FvKCo9 @TheRegister @BBCClick @Telegraph @guardian @T3dotcom @SamsungUK

 

https://twitter.com/Durkasmurk/status/958741148889120769

BAMozzy
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@paul1111 wrote:

@Saverio571 wrote:

that you know HLG support has been implemented on HDMI? In US forums they say it works. In many say they have tested it.


Just tested it on Iplayer and no does not work HLG or 4K. Might be mixed up with the VP9 which is Youtube and not HECV which is Iplayer.

Paul


The difference here though is that iPlayer - certainly the built in App - will not be updated to support either UHD or HLG. As such, its very difficult to test if HLG via iPlayer from an external device with the updated support for UHD/HLG will actually work. As a Sky customer, I can watch 'iPlayer' in UHD (at least if iPlayer has UHD content available on Sky) - not tried any other external devices - but Sky as yet haven't offered HDR at all.

 

For all I know, iPlayer HLG could work from an external device via HDMI or USB. Whether its the fact that Samsung are lying about Broadcast only as an excuse not to update iPlayer or not, I cannot honestly say. HEVC is supported as that's the method that Netflix and Amazon use for streaming but it does incur a licence cost. VP9 is open source though.

 

It may well be that Samsung were expected to meet the licence cost of the iPlayer on older TV's and therefore are NOT updating the App but that doesn't mean the TV won't play back HLG from external sources - whether its HEVC or VP9. What if broadcasters opted to use HEVC for broadcasting HLG, then Samsung would have to support that. HEVC stands for High Efficiency Video Coding and no doubt would need some form of compression to minimise the bandwidth and for Smsung to say its 'enabled for broadcasts' would lead me to believe that they would have to support HEVC and NOT just VP9. Youtube may well use VP9 but as we know, HDR was enabled on that app.

 

I assume that if the US are reporting that HLG is working via HDMI, then that would prove the point that the issue is 'exclusively' down to the lack of updating iPlayer - not so much the HEVC/VP9 - but the fact that for what ever reason, iPlayer itself is not going to be updated. It would be interesting to see if http://4kmedia.org/travelxp-4k-hdr-hlg-sample/ works as that uses HEVC.

 

Like I said though, HLG itself is uniform - i.e doesn't have multiple variations. You don't get HLGa or HLGb, there is no metadata to read and every HLG content will be the same. Delivery, as in compression of the file, can obviosly be different but if Samsung are assuring us it works for 'broadcast' then they must be confident that broadcasters, who are more likely to use HEVC, HLG content will work via HDMI.

daleski75
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@SamsungUK 2016 KS Owners giving you some much needed PR, TheRegister, BBCClick, Telegraph, Guardian, T3, HCCMag, WhichUK, TechRadar, GoodHouseMag, Verge, CNET, FlatPanelsHD, Engadget, GizModoUK, TrustedReviews, WhatHIFI, Pocketlint, WiredUK, AVForums, , BBCNews

CaptnSpaulding
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I think the Roku stick was on the list of supported devices on the Blue Planet trial - does anyone have one of these and able to confirm if this did play HLG through the HDMI/TV?

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paul1111
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@BAMozzy wrote:

@paul1111 wrote:

@Saverio571 wrote:

that you know HLG support has been implemented on HDMI? In US forums they say it works. In many say they have tested it.


Just tested it on Iplayer and no does not work HLG or 4K. Might be mixed up with the VP9 which is Youtube and not HECV which is Iplayer.

Paul


The difference here though is that iPlayer - certainly the built in App - will not be updated to support either UHD or HLG. As such, its very difficult to test if HLG via iPlayer from an external device with the updated support for UHD/HLG will actually work. As a Sky customer, I can watch 'iPlayer' in UHD (at least if iPlayer has UHD content available on Sky) - not tried any other external devices - but Sky as yet haven't offered HDR at all.

 

For all I know, iPlayer HLG could work from an external device via HDMI or USB. Whether its the fact that Samsung are lying about Broadcast only as an excuse not to update iPlayer or not, I cannot honestly say. HEVC is supported as that's the method that Netflix and Amazon use for streaming but it does incur a licence cost. VP9 is open source though.

 

It may well be that Samsung were expected to meet the licence cost of the iPlayer on older TV's and therefore are NOT updating the App but that doesn't mean the TV won't play back HLG from external sources - whether its HEVC or VP9. What if broadcasters opted to use HEVC for broadcasting HLG, then Samsung would have to support that. HEVC stands for High Efficiency Video Coding and no doubt would need some form of compression to minimise the bandwidth and for Smsung to say its 'enabled for broadcasts' would lead me to believe that they would have to support HEVC and NOT just VP9. Youtube may well use VP9 but as we know, HDR was enabled on that app.

 

I assume that if the US are reporting that HLG is working via HDMI, then that would prove the point that the issue is 'exclusively' down to the lack of updating iPlayer - not so much the HEVC/VP9 - but the fact that for what ever reason, iPlayer itself is not going to be updated. It would be interesting to see if http://4kmedia.org/travelxp-4k-hdr-hlg-sample/ works as that uses HEVC.

 

Like I said though, HLG itself is uniform - i.e doesn't have multiple variations. You don't get HLGa or HLGb, there is no metadata to read and every HLG content will be the same. Delivery, as in compression of the file, can obviosly be different but if Samsung are assuring us it works for 'broadcast' then they must be confident that broadcasters, who are more likely to use HEVC, HLG content will work via HDMI.


Hi tried the sample, KS9500 would not recognise it so used my Shield TV which will play HDR samples, but the HLG sample not switching to HDR mode which it did do with HLG samples from Youtube VP9, so HEVC is not enabled full stop.

 

Paul

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Saverio571
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But you tried with an external player (not iplayer BBC) on HDMI? 

Saverio Casadidio
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