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TabS4 & fake HDR

(Topic created on: 27-05-2019 01:00 PM)
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ToonTonic
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As much as the Tab S4 is a nice looking tablet, the support for HDR is nothing short of pathetic & misleading.

 

HDR is only supported in the official Samsung video player and it's not really HDR. The brightness basically gets cranked up a bit.

 

Compare HDR video on a S8+, S9+ and Note 9 sat next to a Tab S4 and see for yourself. The difference is HUGE.

 

Further to this, every other app that on the previous devices mentioned above that supports HDR (YouTube, Prime, VLC, MX, Netflix) fails to output HDR on the TabS4. 

 

Interestingly Netflix does show the HDR logo before playback, but once again, compare it to other devices with true HDR support & the difference is massive.

 

As much as the TabS4 is a nice piece of hardware, it has some shortcomings. HDR in its current form should not be advertised as it is...because it's not really HDR.

 

Then there's the fact videos on YouTube can't be played above 1080p unless you like to watch videos that jerk around a lot.

 

Im not alone in this, XDA forums has an interesting chat on this same subject.

 

Would be nice for Samsung to comment, but I know that even if they did.....it would be a wasted effort.

So many Samsung products, so many problems...One day I will learn!
22 REPLIES 22
Balling
Pioneer
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It is not only that. "the idea of more light emission" means that you cannot control the brightness level manually (in the notification bar it is blocked, you cannot change brightness). It is done by the app reading metadata in the HDR file, so some parts of display are more bright than the other. The problem is that it works bad on youtube vanced (sometimes works, sometimes no). But in mx player you can see it. Just download one episode of Iron Fist 2 in hdr. And open in mx player. I will give a magnet for you)) About hue. It is not about hdr. If you have adaptive display in settings than any video in youtube will have color change. Just open any video in youtube app and than press on multiapp button, you will see that colors will change to dci p3 color gamut.
magnet:?xt=urn:btih:B9DE409647E72032D8D49EB56C391A175A2856A0&dn=Iron.Fist.S02.2018.WEBRip.2160p.HDR.MediaClub

Screenshot_20190421-193921_MX Player Pro.jpg

 

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Balling
Pioneer
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For example, this video https://youtu.be/NGXzT7Mp5lE because the video is rather old it shows bad hue change. Or try to see any family guy in youtube it will be even more obvious.
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Bartanda
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Just an fyi.  Android Pie is now on my Tab S4 and HDR is still not working in the official You Tube.  So Samsung have not fixed it.  I suspect they have no intention to, but just my opinion.

 

Cheers

 

 

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Balling
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By the way, does color in display have "natural" profile now? Like in galaxy s10?

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Bartanda
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Did you mean display mode? It has adaptive display, AMOLED cinema, AMOLED photo and basic. I have mine set to adaptive and there is a white balance slider under it that I hadn't notice until just now. I don't have an S10 to compare.
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Balling
Pioneer
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That is bad. So it is like on tab s5e(( S10 has vivid and natural profile (this one is automatic color managment) only. And without it you cannot really see all hdr, because only 10 bit color and another brightness function will work but color managment will not.

FYI, Samsung has nothing to do with youtube hdr. Youtube itself whitelists the devices. The main problem is that vp9 10 bit in hardware decoding is losing frames.

So, netflix IS working, for example. Because it is using h. 265.

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Bartanda
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Well it's very dissappointing. Feels like I've been lied to.  From what I've seen and read it seems the hardware just isn't up to it.  I tried the cracked You tube app and it drops a lot of frames.   I wonder how Samsung would respond to a warranty claim?

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Balling
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Nobody said that you will be able to HARDWARE decode 10 bit VP9 format, okay? Only H.265. Use netflix, that one is working good enough (though without wide gamut, but only galaxy s10 now supports wide gamut color managment and there are pratically no app which support it even though galaxy s10 support it).
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Cassidy007
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Since Pie, HDR is not working like it was working  on Oréo...  Samsung replace many GOOD applications for less quality applications , unfortunately our S4 tablet don't have the same value anymore...

Vous aimez la photographie ? Si OUI, cliquez ici : https://eu.community.samsung.com/t5/parlons-photographie/bd-p/photo-club-forum-fr
You like photography , if YES, Click here : https://eu.community.samsung.com/t5/photography-talk/bd-p/photo-club-forum-uk
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Bartanda
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Not attacking you here but consider this as a possible point of view (or rant).  I'm a consumer that has purchased a premium consumer device that is sold as having a glorious HDR screen capable of displaying HDR content. There were no caveats that excludes You Tube or maybe Netflix up to a particular resolution etc  listed on Samsungs website or mentioned by the sales reps.  Should an average consumer have to understand all the possible codecs and their seemingly infinite array wrappers or that a particular (mainstream) app requires an obscure decoder to work?  

 

I do realise that as a device ages and technology moves on then some content may not work going forward but how old is the Tab S4 vs how long has You Tube had HDR content?  I am also aware that Samsung is not alone in the tech world that rush to release half finished expensive devices to unsuspecting and maybe far to forgiving consumer.

 

I know, first world problems.   

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