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Do Apple TV 4K settings override television settings?

With color calibration, match content/frame rate, Dolby Vision, etc. settings available on Apple TV 4K, do they override my picture settings on my TV? I have a lot of picture settings on my LG C2 OLED TV. I painstakingly go through all of them, but after tweaking all of them, I'm faced with deciding which ATV settings to work with. Especially confused about whether or not to use the color calibration tool on ATV or use picture settings on the television.


Maybe I need to understand how the two work together so I can know which settings predominate. Any help or links to helpful sources/videos would be appreciated.

Posted on Nov 23, 2022 10:15 AM

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Posted on Nov 28, 2022 2:40 PM

Yes. Thank you. So, for my understanding, if I have Match Content/Rate ON, and stream movies from the big houses, then the format menu doesn't really matter (except, for ATV menu screen). Right? My TV supports 4K@120, Dolby, so if a streamed movie is in that format, then I could have the ATV Format menu set as low as, say, 420P SDR and it won't show the movie at that resolution, right? It'll still show it at the format from the source (4K@120, Dolby)?

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Nov 28, 2022 2:40 PM in response to Urquhart1244

Yes. Thank you. So, for my understanding, if I have Match Content/Rate ON, and stream movies from the big houses, then the format menu doesn't really matter (except, for ATV menu screen). Right? My TV supports 4K@120, Dolby, so if a streamed movie is in that format, then I could have the ATV Format menu set as low as, say, 420P SDR and it won't show the movie at that resolution, right? It'll still show it at the format from the source (4K@120, Dolby)?

Nov 23, 2022 4:37 PM in response to jerryfromcommerce

Apple TV will not override any TV settings. No external device can. Apple TV can only set what it will output over HDMI. It is up to the TV how to take that HDMI signal as TV-input.

  • Color calibration measures the output, and then tweaks the colors to match (SDR) calibration standards. It will only work for content from Apple TV — the TV itself is not affected. You will be presented with a before-and-after comparison to visually judge the difference. Then decide if you want it or not. Recommended for TVs that have not been calibrated in any other way. A calibration professional can probably do a better job, but Apple’s method is available to anyone for free, and most often an improvement.
  • Match Dynamic Range will show SDR content as SDR, and HDR content as HDR, instead of forcing all content to the same dynamic range. The switch between SDR and HDR may cause a short no-image moment, as the TV adjusts, e.g. at the start and end of a movie.
  • Match Frame Rate will send e.g. 24 fps content in the source as a 24 Hz stream over HDMI (instead of the default 50 Hz or 60 Hz). Your TV will do additional frame repeats or interpolation, as many TVs will refresh the pixels at e.g. 100/120 Hz for image stability. The switch from one frame rate to another may cause a short no-image moment, as the TV adjusts.
  • Dolby Vision is currently the best consumer HDR standard available. Use it if it is available to you. If you like the Apple TV home screen interface and other non-video content better in SDR, then that is okay, as the Match Dynamic Range setting will still give HDR/Dolby Vision for HDR/Dolby Vision content, based on the video source.
  • I would recommend Apple TV video setting HDMI Output as YCbCr, and Chroma as 4:2:0 (for HDMI 2.0 port on either side. For HDMI 2.1 on both sides any chroma setting will do).

Nov 26, 2022 12:46 AM in response to jerryfromcommerce

why does the Apple TV even have a Format drop down menu?

Apple TV should detect the TV capabilities during setup, making the default settings close to optimal for many users. I can think of a few edge cases when you would want more options, but often there is no need to change after initial setup, if nothing else changes. It is also beneficial to see the current settings as confirmation that you get what you wanted to get, or reversely detect what is off when troubleshooting.

Nov 24, 2022 3:37 AM in response to jerryfromcommerce

Color Calibration: exaggerated example but this will help me... if I set the TV to only red color washout, then I calibrate with ATV calibration tool, then I watch something from ATV (say an Apple TV+ movie, or YouTube TV, etc), will the picture be correct because I used the calibration tool, or will I see all red?

If the TV has been set to give a somewhat reddish tint, then the calibration will try to compensate for that, simplistically put as removing some red from the video signal.


if I turn [Match Dynamic Range] off and then watch a movie filmed NOT in HDR 4K/Dolby Vision, does Apple TV present in the quality of Dolby since the drop-down menu above this option is set to Dolby Vision? What will ATV upscale it to? Cuz that drop down at the top says Dolby Vision.

In the MDR:Off setting, Apple TV will use the dynamic range as set in video Format. That will trigger a “best we can do” conversion when non-matching and “upscaling”, which you may not like or perhaps you do — but not “as intended” by the content creator.


Match Frame Rate set to "on": frame rates come in as they were filmed got it. But is this different from refresh rates? I'm confused here. Is this option for fps or Hz? ... Because my TV is 120Hz. So what will happen? (I feel like I'm confused about this one). I might be mixing up fps vs. refresh??? And then if I turn this off, what will the refresh rates be if my LG is spec'd at 120Hz?

Yeah, that is confusing, as fps and Hz are used interchangeably - and they sometimes mean the same thing for progressive video. If your TV says 120 Hz, then that is the refresh rate of the screen, which will most often be higher than the maximum input it will allow for. (Marketing 101: higher numbers as perceived as better, so if input is maxed at 60 Hz and and the screen is 120 Hz, then only mention the latter.)

If you turn it off, then all content will be rendered at the Hz setting in Format, so probably 60 Hz. For example, a 24 fps movie will be upscaled to 60 Hz by Apple TV, and then further upscaled to 120 Hz in the TV. With the Match Frame Rate setting On, a 24 fps movie will be send as 24 Hz by Apple TV, and then the TV will upscale to 120 Hz in one go. The difference is rounding inaccuracy if done in two steps. Some users may be perceptible to the difference, as frames could appear to be alternating a bit longer or shorter.


why did you suggest those settings over 4.2.2? I thought 4.2.2 was better.

All streaming video is encoded as 4:2:0, so 4:2:2 will be the exact same video quality at 133% the HDMI bandwidth use. 4:4:4 will be the exact same quality at 200% the HDMI bandwidth use — no real gain. At HDMI 2.0 bandwidth limitations, that may matter for feature support, e.g. the resolution/dynamic range/frame rate combination can’t all be maxed out at the same time, to stay under the limit. With HDMI 2.1 there is plenty of bandwidth available, so it doesn’t matter then.

Nov 23, 2022 7:31 PM in response to Urquhart1244

Thank you. Can I get clarification on a couple of things? Here are some givens for this discussion: I have an LG C2 Dolby Vision TV. Specs say 4K @120. I use certified 2.1 HDMI cables for Apple TV hookup (and my Dolby Atmos compatible sound bar system -- eARC into TV).


Color Calibration: exaggerated example but this will help me... if I set the TV to only red color washout, then I calibrate with ATV calibration tool, then I watch something from ATV (say an Apple TV+ movie, or YouTube TV, etc), will the picture be correct because I used the calibration tool, or will I see all red?


Match Content: So, if I turn this on, and watch a movie or TV show whose source is streaming in 4K/Dolby Vision, I'll get that presented to me. Got it.


But if I turn this off and then watch a movie filmed NOT in HDR 4K/Dolby Vision (or even SDR), does Apple TV present in the quality of Dolby since the drop-down menu above this option is set to Dolby Vision? What will ATV upscale it to? Cuz that drop down at the top says Dolby Vision.


Match Frame Rate set to "on": frame rates come in as they were filmed got it. But is this different from refresh rates? I'm confused here. Is this option for fps or Hz? ... Because my TV is 120Hz. So what will happen? (I feel like I'm confused about this one). I might be mixing up fps vs. refresh??? And then if I turn this off, what will the refresh rates be if my LG is spec'd at 120Hz?


"I would recommend Apple TV video setting HDMI Output as YCbCr, and Chroma as 4:2:0". Something prevents me from even having the option to run 4.2.0 vs 4.2.2. Maybe it's because of the TV's Dolby specs or the HDMI cables being 2.1's??? I don't know. But it's not an option. And I don't think I can change YCbCr either as I haven't seen them since I got this new ATV and TV combo. My older TV and AppleTV set up still give me those options. but, why did you suggest those settings over 4.2.2? I thought 4.2.2 was better.


Thank you.

Nov 25, 2022 10:20 PM in response to Urquhart1244

Thank you. This is all interesting and helpful. This question might have an obvious answer after you answer it, but why does the Apple TV even have a Format drop down menu? I mean, if I buy a Dolby capable tv (or even a 4K tv), wouldn't I want that good quality picture anyway? Why does Apple think we want the option to make it any less than what the TV is capable of?

Nov 26, 2022 9:22 PM in response to Urquhart1244

Ok. And finally... My sound bar has HDMI in and out (arc). My TV has the arc HDMI as well. Should I hook the Apple TV up to the sound bar and use ARC technology with the TV? Or will the sound bar limit, in any way, the quality? I actually have it set up this way now, and all seems pretty good. But I'm just curious about the technology in all this.

Nov 27, 2022 3:34 AM in response to jerryfromcommerce

It depends a bit on the specifications of the TV and of the soundbar, and which component has a feature bottleneck, if any, but the way you have it sounds pretty good. Either way could be good.


Apple TV →[HDMI]→ TV →[HDMI-ARC/eARC]→ soundbar

good if the TV has eARC, else audio might be limited

Apple TV →[HDMI]→ soundbar →[HDMI-ARC/eARC]→ TV

needs good [HDMI 2.0/2.1] video passthrough on the soundbar, with support for DV

Nov 28, 2022 7:48 AM in response to Urquhart1244

I still don't understand why the Apple TV Format menu is necessary if I turn Match Content and Rate to "ON". The way I'm understanding this is that if match is set to on for both, and I watch a movie that says it's Dolby Vision, 4K, and even Dolby Atmos..., then the Apple TV will just allow it to pass through to my TV as it is formatted from whatever source is providing the movie. And since my TV is 4K Dolby...etc, I'm going to see and hear in the intended formats. So I don't understand the concept/purpose of the Format menu on the ATV. If I can understand the Format menu's purpose, then I'll be able to apply that understanding to a variety of TV specs and set ups.

Nov 29, 2022 8:53 AM in response to Urquhart1244

I finally had my "AHA" moment here.


I'm confusing resolution with HDR and even refresh/frame rate too. I think I get it. My TV is 4k/120Hz, Dolby CAPABLE.


With Match on, we're talking HDR/SDR, and frame rate (24fps). Resolution is not a factor here. Yes/No?


Format menu left at 4K will basically be a pass-through with this TV if the source is 4K. If the source is 1080p or 720p, then -- if I understand --ATV will try to upscale to give me the 4K resolution, but the HDR part of it will be whatever the source provides (unless I turn Match off). Yes/No?


I will need to look at these more separately from now on:

Resolution 4K, 1080p, 720p...

Screen refresh rate @120, @60

Frame rate (24fps, 60 fps)...

HDR/HDR10+/SDR/Dolby Vision/Color Depth...


One last thing (I hope ;) -- Why does the Dolby Vision option in the ATV Format menu say Dolby@60? I thought the "@60" part would refer to the resolution and not the Dolby/HDR part.


Thank you!


Nov 29, 2022 10:22 AM in response to jerryfromcommerce

With Match on, we're talking HDR/SDR, and frame rate (24fps). Resolution is not a factor here. Yes/No?

Correct.


ATV will […] give me the 4K resolution, but the HDR part of it will be whatever the source provides (unless I turn Match off). Yes/No?

Correct.


Why does the Dolby Vision option in the ATV Format menu say Dolby@60? I thought the "@60" part would refer to the resolution and not the Dolby/HDR part.

@60 signifies 60 Hz (60 fps). Not the resolution (4K). The setting tries to combine several video properties in one setting (resolution + dynamic range + frame rate).

60 Hz is appropriate for NTSC countries, and 50 Hz is appropriate for PAL/SECAM countries, as that matches the broadcast frame rate and AC outlet frequency and thus usually the native frequency of the most common TVs there, although many modern TVs can do both now. The differences are historical for analog TV reasons.

Do Apple TV 4K settings override television settings?

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