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Possible Fix for Too-Dark Netflix Videos on Samsung TVs

(Topic created on: 02-06-2020 03:29 PM)
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100pat
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Sadly, the answer is to switch your device to SDR. You can sit in a pitch black room and mess with settings all you want - that won’t fix it. 

This means that you have to notice, or know, that the video you want to watch will be streamed  in Dolby Vision HDR and change a setting every time (then change it back - what a pain!) to accommodate this. 

 

a) *EDIT* THE INFORMATION IN a) BELOW IS WRONG. I HAVE LEFT IT IN PLACE SO AS NOT TO CONFUSE PEOPLE WHO SUBSEQUENTLY RE-READ IT.  IT APPEARS THAT, FOR MORE MODERN TELLYS AT LEAST, THE OPTION ("INPUT SIGNAL PLUS" IN SETTINGS/ GENERAL/ EXTERNAL DEVICE MANAGER) FOR TOGGLING BETWEEN HDR AND SDR ONLY FUNCTIONS IF YOU ARE WATCHING VIA AN EXTERNAL DEVICE SUCH AS AN APPLE-TV OR A FIRESTICK.  IF YOU ARE USING THE TELLY'S OWN SMART NETFLIX APP THERE APPEARS TO BE NO OPTION TO TOGGLE BETWEEN HDR AND SDR. 

a) If watching via the Netflix smart app on the Samsung HDR telly itself, turn off the HDR settings in the telly’s General/ External Device Manager settings which set the input ports for HDR. Usually called HDMI UHD Colour or Input Signal Plus. (EDIT: NO, THAT WON'T WORK. )

Now the Netflix Dolby Vision HDR video will still play in 4k/UHD but only in SDR. (And only in 8-bit) But, at least, you can see it without having to sit in the coal cellar. 

 (May cause unwanted changes to other devices connected to the TV)

Remember to turn those settings back on again for non-HDR Netflix videos and for all Amazon etc. videos.

 

b) If watching via an AppleTV 4k connected to a Samsung HDR TV the following are usually the best Video settings in the AppeTV for everything except Netflix HDR videos. I recommend using them all the time:

- 4K SDR (Yes, SDR!) in 50Hz (UK) or 60Hz

- Chroma 420 (To enable 10-bit on most, not-super-expensive, Samsung tellys)

- Match Content > Range and Frame Rate both turned on. 

 

Now, to watch a Netflix Dolby Vision HDR video in SDR on a Samsung HDR TV, simply turn off Match Dynamic Range (only) in the Match Content setting referred to above. EDIT :SO LONG AS YOU HAVE SET YOUR APPLE-TV TO SDR AS I HAVE RECOMMENDED ABOVE. 

Now the Netflix Dolby Vision HDR video which you want to watch will still play in 4k/UHD but only in SDR. (And only in 8-bit)

Remember to turn that Range setting back on again for non-HDR Netflix videos and for all Amazon etc. videos.

EDIT: NOTE THAT, IF YOU ALTERNATIVELY ELECT TO TURN OFF HDR WHEN USING AN APPLE-TV BY USING THE "INPUT SIGNAL PLUS" SETTING IN YOUR SAMSUNG TV SETTINGS, THAT WILL WORK BUT THEN YOUR APPLE TV WILL SENSE THAT IT IS NO LONGER CONNECTED TO AN HDR TV AND WILL PROBABLY ALTER SEVERAL OF IT'S OWN SETTINGS. 

 

EXPLANATIONS:

Firstly, the “best” AppleTV settings shown above will allow SDR Videos and the Home Screen to display correctly and then, when you start to play any HDR video, the AppleTV automatically switches itself to output HDR ( and automatically back to SDR again, when done.) EDIT: UNLESS, OF COURSE, YOU HAVE TURNED OFF THE "MATCH RANGE" OPTION IN ORDER TO WATCH A NETFLIX DOLBY VISION VIDEO. 

 

Netflix outputs it’s HDR videos in Dolby Vision HDR format. Many brands of  telly display this OK but Samsung tellys are designed to use the rival HDR10+ format. Dolby Vision formatted videos display badly on Samsung TVs. Full stop!

Amazon Prime output their HDR videos in HDR10+ format so they display nicely on Samsung tellys. 

 

Netflix claim to output HDR in both Dolby Vision format and in vanilla HDR10 (without a +) format. Presumably, if we could get them to send HRD10 (without a +) format videos to our Samsung TVs that would fix the problem. But, I rang Netflix, and it seems (in a very vague conversation) that this is not possible unless our AppleTVs could somehow request it. 

 

Dolby Vision vs HDR10+. Who will win the battle to become the industry standard?

 

Note that this correct AFAIK on 08/10/2019 and may change in future. Those of us who just bought new Samsung TV sets will be keeping our fingers crossed!

EDIT: MY APOLOGIES FOR THE EDITS!

 

368 REPLIES 368
MMM5
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the moderators must laugh by reading our comments.
They know we bought s h i t for stream netflix or apple tv or amazon ...
HDR 10+ is already dead.
we ask to deactivate HDR? on our 2019 model bought recently ..?it's a joke...?
Samsung needs to fix their hdr and a moderator MUST respond to us.
I have a 4k HDR screen and I have to change the netflix plan for 1080p because the 4k option is of a quality to vomit.

it's just outrageous!

LetMeTurnOffHDR
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I think there are not even any moderators here....
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Ermax89
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I have an RU7470. Amazon prime 4K is unwatchable. Sometimes the HDR crushes in dark scenes and the screen goes fully black. I contacted Samsung chat support. Two different people told me that the TV is not capable of doing HDR from the apps but only from the HDMI. That sounds absolutely ridiculous. I contacted the support again but over the phone and they told me it can and that it's an Amazon problem. Samsung doesn't even know what the TV can or cannot do. I don't think it's true what the chat support told me but has anyone tried to watch HDR content through HDMI? Is it better? They also told me that the TV would look darker because the specs are not good enough to show that type of content correctly. But at the same time they don't let you turn the HDR off.  Samsung is a joke and I won't buy a Samsung product ever again.

LetMeTurnOffHDR
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This is Samsung in a nutshell. They dont help at all.
You can see a good workaround in this post:
@Ermax89 https://us.community.samsung.com/t5/4k-8k-and-Other-TVs/TURN-HDR-OFF/td-p/1232488

However, it requires you to purchase an extra device... Whats even the point of buying a smart tv then....
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Ermax89
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HDR is supposed to be a picture enhancement giving the tv more colour depth. If I have to turn the HDR off to enjoy the picture then there is no point. The 4K alone doesn't really make a big difference for me since the 4K scaling on a 43'' is good enough and I wouldn't spend more money for that. To be fair all the reviews on HDR are based on blue ray so I am wondering if the streaming of HDR content is just *****. It would be interesting if someone could test playing HDR content from a blue ray/PS/X box and show us what it looks like. It's weird that no-one is talking about this HDR scam, because that's what it is, a scam. 

LetMeTurnOffHDR
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Totally agree, this is a huge scan!
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ikramkhasim
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Watching season 3 of Dynasty and it's still *****. Thought they would have fixed the HDR issue by now. Snowpiercer looks just fine. 

LetMeTurnOffHDR
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What will it take to get some moderators to answer to this post...
Magpie90
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@ikramkhasim 

 

I've had a quick look at Dynasty to compare with Prime's The Man in The etc etc...Dynasty leaves it for dead!

Later seasons of The Man.... series 4 specifically are better but still below par.

I have just watched My Brilliant Friend on Netflix and the result was excellent. 

I called out the Samsung man to review my TV and he was at a total loss to explain the issue and couldn't offer much help although sympathetic. The killer was when he ran a picture test on the TV and it passed with flying colours...I give up.

If anyone on this forum wants to see what a true UHD 4K picture should look like then i suggest you punch UHD 4K into the Youtube search engine on your Sammy and revel in the glory of "true" 4K.

 

ikramkhasim
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@Magpie90 wrote:

@ikramkhasim 

 

I've had a quick look at Dynasty to compare with Prime's The Man in The etc etc...Dynasty leaves it for dead!

Later seasons of The Man.... series 4 specifically are better but still below par.

I have just watched My Brilliant Friend on Netflix and the result was excellent. 

I called out the Samsung man to review my TV and he was at a total loss to explain the issue and couldn't offer much help although sympathetic. The killer was when he ran a picture test on the TV and it passed with flying colours...I give up.

If anyone on this forum wants to see what a true UHD 4K picture should look like then i suggest you punch UHD 4K into the Youtube search engine on your Sammy and revel in the glory of "true" 4K.

 


YouTube HDR also is beautiful. I don't know what Netflix and Samsung are doing.