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Apple TV 4K 2021 shows only HD video from all apps instead of 4K or UHD

I bought the most recent Apple TV 4K 2021 but to my disappointment, when I plugged it in all my video content from apps like amazon prime and Netflix is showing only in HD. Note that I also have the 2017 4K apple TV and when I plug it to the same HDMI port, it displays in 4K as expected on my TV.


I verified that the 2017 apple TV with the same HDMI cable/port and video settings shows 4K but somehow the new 2021 apple TV 4K displays video only in HD.


Literally, nothing is changed in terms of TV hardware, software, cables, ios video settings, just the apple TV hardware from 2021 which has a bug where it can play video only in HD though it is advertised as 4K hardware. See the pictures attached below so you know exactly what I am talking about.


How can I enable 4K on the new 2021 Apple TV? If not, I guess I just have to return the device.


Posted on May 21, 2021 4:29 PM

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Posted on May 26, 2021 6:01 AM

I have been dealing with this issue since Monday. I swapped in the new AppleTV 4K on my LG OLED for the previous gen on Friday, but I didn't notice the issue right away because I only watched AppleTV+, iTunes purchased content and Disney+ until Monday. Monday evening I went to watch the last episode of "Jupiter's Legacy" on Netflix and one screen had some pretty obscure dialog. I went to turn on the subtitles via the pull down menu so that I could play with the new "circular scrubbing" by rewinding and I saw that there was just an HD badge in the info pane instead of the Dolby Vision badge I was expecting.


Since then I have played with all of the settings on the AppleTV to get this "fixed" but with no positive results. I finally started testing a theory that the AppleTV is actually playing the 4K stream, just the badge isn't right because the stream still looked good to me and because the TV flashes up either the Dolby Vision or HDR label when the stream starts from Netflix or Prime even though the info pulldown only shows HD and no mention of HDR or DV. Because the AppleTV upscales to 4K, my TV always reports 4K even if it is a title that is only available in 1080p. So I switched the max resolution on the AppleTV to 1080p and when I did that the TV of course only reports 1080p, but the Netfilx app shows only an HD badge on the title page of a 4K title. When I switch the max resolution back to 4K the 4K label (or the Dolby Vision label) returns on the title page. In both cases the info pull down in the player only displays the HD badge even though the played stream looks much better with the max resolution set to 4K. This of course could be because the AppleTV is no longer upscaling, so I tried to think of some other test.


Then I had the idea of playing "The Expanse" and checking the TV info, because it is oddly enough filmed with HDR not Dolby Vision. The TV will report the HDR profile for HDR, HDR10, and HDR10+ content. The TV reports that, even though the pull down info in the Prime app only displays HD, the stream is playing HDR with the bt.2020 profile. This HDR profile is only applied to 4K or 8K streams. This makes me think that the Prime stream is actually 4K. Additionally, YouTube reports over its completely different info function that it is playing a 4K stream.


I have a theory (a bit of a stretch perhaps) that this is just a labeling problem in the info pull down with apps that still use the "old" video API on the AppleTV. The video player or API set has been updated to work in the new "circular scrubbing" gesture with the new AppleTV. Netflix and Prime can use this new gesture, but they still use the old info pull down and so are somehow affected by this bug (partial use of the latest API set). The AppleTV player uses a new API set that has the info displayed at the bottom of the screen by pressing the back button. This player (AppleTV+ or purchased content) does not seem to be affected by the bug. YouTube and Disney+ appear unaffected by this bug, but both use a completely different proprietary player that does not behave at all like the AppleTV+ player and also does not yet support the circular scrubbing.  


Hopefully this is indeed just a software issue. Whether it be with Apple or some of the various streamers that need to update their apps to correct this issue. Those affected will have to wait on more info from Apple (perhaps a software update) or an App update from affected streamers. 

151 replies

Jun 26, 2021 9:51 PM in response to jshalvorson

The 9to5mac guy is simply mimicking this thread. Even the screenshot posted is taken from this discussion. The 4K has only been fixed for labeling, the root problem is that it is still HD. I am an apple TV fan but this is just not acceptable. Lets wait for the 14.7 , only a matter of time before people realize its still a HD signal and not 4K

Jul 14, 2021 10:06 AM in response to sundeepch

My config:

tvos14.6

appletv 4k 2021 connected to tv with 4k capable hdmi port. 

Wired network connection 100 mb up+down. confirmed with speedtest op atv.


I have tried all combinations in video settings , incl all resolutions, always same result: max HD streaming in apps upscaled to 4k by ATV.

this is checked with xcode. 

What is working is that the screensavers are native 4k content according to xcode; I can also see TV switching also to 4k resolution and correct framerate.


I did not need xcode to prove it is not working; The difference is notable compared to f.i. the native apps on smart tv with 4k streaming. from start i believed that ATV created upscaled 4k output based on HD content. (only not for the screensavers).

Xcode just confirmed that.


i hoped next tvos versions solved the problem it did not.


The box is going back to the shop. Apple clearly did not solve the issues until now.




Jul 14, 2021 11:11 AM in response to sundeepch

Today is June 14, 2021 and I just got my new Apple 4K TV and I have this exact same problem and it is infuriating. Not only that, but every time I switch in and out of HDR or Dolby Vision from the Apple TV I get a black screen which lasts for a full five seconds, this thing is glitchy as all **** and I’m returning it today, what a waste of time

Jul 14, 2021 4:46 PM in response to MegyeriJ

No, it is not normal. I do not experience this issue at all on my Fire TV cube. The Fire cube is able to switch in and out and between HDR and Dolby Vision modes with less than one second of downtime. Also, not only does the Apple TV switch once which gives me a black screen for about four full seconds and then either the HDR or the Dolby Vision logo appears, then it does it again. The logo disappears, another four or five seconds of black screen, then the HDR or Dolby Vision logo reappears AGAIN before I can get back to the menu or my content. RIDICULOUS.

My TV is an LG C1 OLED. Should work flawlessly. I returned the Apple TV already, thinking about getting the previous version and hoping that I won’t have these issues.

Jul 14, 2021 4:47 PM in response to iPhone236545

No, it is not normal. I do not experience this issue at all on my Fire TV cube. The Fire cube is able to switch in and out and between HDR and Dolby Vision modes with less than one second of downtime. Also, not only does the Apple TV switch once which gives me a black screen for about four full seconds and then either the HDR or the Dolby Vision logo appears, then it does it again. The logo disappears, another four or five seconds of black screen, then the HDR or Dolby Vision logo reappears AGAIN before I can get back to the menu or my content. RIDICULOUS.

My TV is an LG C1 OLED. Should work flawlessly. I returned the Apple TV already, thinking about getting the previous version and hoping that I won’t have these issues.

Jul 14, 2021 5:07 PM in response to MegyeriJ

ok, tried xcode, the developer menu is misleading because of the 4K upscaling on TV and clearly this is a HD signal coming through the apple TV. I literally put together both my 4K TV side by side and can see only HD picture in apple TV 2021. Returning my second piece too, no further proof required. Apple TV 2021 can display only 1080p video and NOT 4K! End of story.

Jul 14, 2021 7:17 PM in response to sundeepch

So you have complete an utter faith in a badge that is mislabeled but you disregard the developer menu which is literally showing what is being processed and sent by the Apple TV 4K. The native resolution is clearly 4K. So in this side by side comparison did you do a proper pixel count and do you know how to do this pixel count? Also, do you realize that a lot of 4K titles and UHD blu-rays are not shot in true 4K but are also upscaled from the source material or the CGI is not true 4K but is also upscaled. Even better, some old movies that were shot on 35mm can be scanned into true 4K or even 6K but newer movies might be upscaled. So I’m sure your eagle eye can differentiate all of those movies that are not true 4K and have promptly returned them as well.

Jul 15, 2021 9:18 AM in response to sundeepch

I have a LG CX Oled and I just got the new Apple TV 4k (2021) and it wasnt giving me dolby vision output . Looked on the web and got nowhere. Changed HDMI cables I have two 2.1 cables and tried both and no go still. Tried different HDMI ports still no go . Went to the LG CX settings and went threw the video settings and found out you can't have Freesync setting on on the HDMI port that the apple tv is connected to. Turned off the Freesync and it started outputting Dolby Vision normally.

Apple TV 4K 2021 shows only HD video from all apps instead of 4K or UHD

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