AppleTV 4K (2020) not showing 4K on streaming services

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AppleTV 4K (2020) not showing 4K on streaming services

I am confused by 4K services on TWO AppleTV 4Ks, both of which are exhibiting the exact same symptoms. Maybe one of the geniuses out there can help.

I bought two AppleTV 4Ks in late 2019 attached to late-generation (2018 & 2020) Samsung TVs, 55"-65". I am able to successfully stream content from multiple sources including Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, etc.

When I bring up Netflix using the built-in app on the TV, it shows content (for example, "The Queen's Gambit') as available in 4K HDR, which is what I would expect from a 4K TV.

But when I bring up Netflix using the AppleTV app, the same show does NOT show 4K HDR. It only shows Dolby Vision. (But Samsung does not support Dolby Vision, to my disappointment.)

All TVs and AppleTVs are on the same Wifi network, with 100Mbs upstream connection. I am able to stream multiple 4K streams simultaneously (through different TVs) without problem.

I have done a "Check HDMI connection" test in Settings->Video and Audio and it says I'm OK.

So: (a) both TVs play 4K Netflix via native (built-in) apps; (b) both TVs FAIL to support 4K Netflix when playing through the AppleTV 4Ks; (c) Wifi and HDMI cables appear to be good.

One more point: When the AppleTV screensaver comes on, the TV reports it is in 4K mode (3840x2160, HDR, UHD). This seems to indicate that the TV is receiving 4K from the AppleTV. Can I trust this? How do I know the TV isn't upscaling from HD to 4K internally?

The fundamental question is: Is this an AppleTV problem, a Samsung problem, or a Netflix problem?

Consider me, as Jimmy Page would say, dazed and confused.

Peter

Apple TV 4K, tvOS 15

Posted on Oct 25, 2021 6:59 AM

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Answer 1

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Urquhart1244

Community+ 2024

Level 10

142,974 points

Oct 26, 2021 7:42 AM in response to Peter Jones4

there are a number of things which can hose up an otherwise pristine data stream.

Sure, but do you have any concrete indication that such might be happening?

Is one HDMI input on my TV better for streaming than another?

Some TVs have a mix of HDMI ports to various standards, e.g. HDMI-1 and HDMI-2 to HDMI 2.0 specification and HDMI-3 and HDMI-4 to HDMI 1.4 specification. See you TV manual. You’ll want to use the HDMI 2.0/HDMI 2.1 ports for 4K content.

The ARC/eARC port should probably be used for the connection to an external audio system, if you use that.

Is my HDMI cable going wonky,

Only if it was mistreated by sharp bends, (pet) nibbling, melting, electrical surges, using it as a rope, etc.

or did I pick one up with too low a bandwidth to support a 4K stream?

There are currently 4 bandwidth ratings for HDMI cables: 5/10/18/48 Gbps. Get 18 Gbps certified HDMI cables for 4K HDR content, or if devices on both ends have at least HDMI 2.0 ports. Get 48 Gbps certified HDMI cables if devices on both ends have HDMI 2.1 ports. Then the HDMI cable won’t be the limiting factor.

Is my AppleTV misconfigured? What does "4:4:4" chroma mean, anyway?

All streaming video is encoded with 4:2:0 chroma. Higher chroma setting won’t give you better video, it just doubles HDMI bandwidth use by repeating color values for each pixel. Bandwidth that could have been used for other video properties (resolution, Hz, dynamic range). My advise is to set Apple TV to 4:2:0 chroma regardless. Chroma subsampling - Wikipedia

And does it matter to me watching Battlestar Galactica <grin>?

Ron Moore's BSG is 1080p SDR, so 4K HDR is meaningless for that. Still amazing immersive storytelling.

At what point does the AppleTV say, "this setup is so hosed up there's no point in asking for 4K, so I won't"?

The Netflix app would automatically scale down to a lower bitrate stream to preserve an uninterrupted playback, if needed and if possible. For other apps, you may see the rotating spinner icon indicating buffering when the playback catches up on the incoming stream.

Is it lazy Netflix programming or is it a misconfigured installation?

Probably neither. Netflix Support should be able to confirm, though.

One final thought: what is the streaming data rate that I should see when in 4K mode?

It depends on the content provider a bit, but Netflix uses roughly these data rates:

HD: up to 3 GB/h = 6.7 Mbps (5 Mbps minimum recommended)

4K: up to 7 GB/h = 15.6 Mbps

4K HDR: up to 11 GB/h = 25 Mbps

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Answer 2

Oct 25, 2021 9:28 AM in response to Peter Jones4

But when I bring up Netflix using the AppleTV app, the same show does NOT show 4K HDR. It only shows Dolby Vision. (But Samsung does not support Dolby Vision, to my disappointment.)

The Netflix app on Samsung might have slight differences compared to the Netflix app on Apple TV. In both cases is the app made by Netflix. Different programmers, different creation dates, different interface insights (notice more different symbols). The Apple TV box is able to request Dolby Vision or HDR10 or SDR, so the Netflix app shows Dolby Vision as maximum available. I can only assume that 4K is implied by Netflix for Dolby Vision-available content.

So: (a) both TVs play 4K Netflix via native (built-in) apps; (b) both TVs FAIL to support 4K Netflix when playing through the AppleTV 4Ks; (c) Wifi and HDMI cables appear to be good.

Why do you doubt it? Just because you don’t see a badge for it in the app? You can ask Netflix to add more badges for the doubters.

The badge doesn’t specify in either case what will be streamed. Just what’s (maximum) available to your device. E.g. a bad network connection may cause a temporary quality drop/video features drop, to bring the content using less bandwidth.

One more point: When the AppleTV screensaver comes on, the TV reports it is in 4K mode (3840x2160, HDR, UHD). This seems to indicate that the TV is receiving 4K from the AppleTV. Can I trust this? How do I know the TV isn't upscaling from HD to 4K internally?

The overlay with stream specification is from your TV, not inserted in the video signal by the Apple TV box. The TV detects that.

The Apple TV box sets its own output signal. If that is set to 4K HDR (HDR10), 60 Hz, then that is what the Apple TV box will output over the HDMI cable. That might be upscaled by the Apple TV box, if the source video isn’t 4K.

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Answer 3

Peter Jones4 Author

Level 1

102 points

Oct 25, 2021 2:22 PM in response to Urquhart1244

The Netflix app on Samsung might have slight differences compared to the Netflix app on Apple TV.

Very true, and I hadn't thought about that. No doubt Netflix wrote them both, with some guidance from Apple. I'm going to have to talk to Netflix to get the ground truth. <grimace>

Why do you doubt it? Just because you don’t see a badge for it in the app? You can ask Netflix to add more badges for the doubters.

I have doubts because I know there are a number of things which can hose up an otherwise pristine data stream. Is one HDMI input on my TV better for streaming than another? Is my HDMI cable going wonky, or did I pick one up with too low a bandwidth to support a 4K stream? Is my AppleTV misconfigured? Is my router misconfigured? What does "4:4:4" chroma mean, anyway? And does it matter to me watching Battlestar Galactica <grin>? At what point does the AppleTV say, "this setup is so hosed up there's no point in asking for 4K, so I won't"?

The Apple TV box sets its own output signal. If that is set to 4K HDR (HDR10), 60 Hz, then that is what the Apple TV box will output over the HDMI cable. That might be upscaled by the Apple TV box, if the source video isn’t 4K.

Yes, sir, my point exactly. Upscaling may occur in the AppleTV box, but I know it occurs in the TV if the input isn't 4K. While it's good, I'm paying for 4K data streams and I don't know if I'm getting them, and I don't know how to know if I'm getting them. If I use the native app in the TV, there is a clear indication that 4K is available. On the AppleTV, there isn't. That's the challenge. Is it lazy Netflix programming or is it a misconfigured installation?

One final thought: what is the streaming data rate that I should see when in 4K mode? My wifi system is an Eero which allows me to see data going to/from individually connected devices on my network. I turned on "Our Planet" on Netflix (lots of color, lots of movement) and the AppleTV shows a receive data rate of 15-20Mb/s. Then I switched over to "Downton Abbey" (HD, not 4K) and I got receive data rates of 3-5Mb/s. This implies that I am receiving 4K data stream for "Our Planet." Is this a realistic analysis?

Thanks for your thoughts!

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