Why is content / Video via AppleTV app on an Apple TV so dark?

I could have told you this would have been the standard response of 1st tier support before you called.  That’s why you absolutely must request a senior advisor (though it will require some convincing if you don't have a case#) and tell them the thread # (254813871), so they can read the details.  1st tier support are useless unless it’s something they can look up in 2 min on their help site.  They generally have no technical expertise and are of little use to anyone but novice users.

If you’ve seen any of the Apple Community support replies to this same issue in other threads, their only suggestion is to increase the screen brightness, and then think they’re brilliant.  Gee, never thought of that! :/

I had a case open w/ a senior advisor in 2021 about this, but if I reply to it now, it bounces back.  It was an outbound case though (he reached out to me) rather than standard inbound, so I may have to open a new case.  I will call them and report back here if I cannot find a way to followup on this old case, which has extensive notes and a long email history.  The problem was that I had very limited info on this issue back then, and since it was an outbound case he said that he wasn’t able to provide me w/ a response after submitting it.

Some interesting insights👍

After contacting Apple TV+ support via chat, I communicated with 2 operatives who fit the "1st tier support" you describe. Then because they couldn't find a solution I was asked if I'd be happy to receive a call from "a senior advisor". The senior advisor was the guy I described in my last post. 🤷‍♂️

As I said, Apple service and support isn't as I remember it. Other than visiting an Apple Store where I've always found the staff well informed and very helpful.

Update:  The Apple TV+ app on macOS actually doesn't have this issue anymore.  Every Apple Original title I tested looks perfect/normal now.  Note that I didn’t try playing any of these on my laptop before my previous posts, just on my phone.

At some point they fixed it for macOS, and I'm still using the same version of the app (w/ default settings) on the same version of macOS (Catalina 10.15.7) on the same MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) as before when it did not display properly.  The last time I had a subscription (when I opened the case w/ Apple) and played these same titles, they looked just like they did on the phone as they still do now, which is how I described the HDR contrast/brightness issue above.  The same titles on my iPhone now (11 Pro Max, iOS 16.6) are about twice as dark as on my laptop, and they’re unwatchable.

Is anyone still having this contrast issue on macOS?

@aaronmarks:  Every support rep in the Apple TV dept. should have access to info of industry professional caliber like this, which they can then provide as answers.  Instead, the best that most of them can come up with is to increase the brightness.🙈 Thanks for the highly detailed suggestions on behalf of those w/ TVs :)

Well, I'm referring to 2 different platforms.  It definitely has not been resolved on iOS, but at some point, probably over the past year, they resolved it with the macOS app, at least w/ v1.0.6 on Catalina 10.15.7.  The delay in my realizing this is b/c this is the first time I’ve tried using the macOS app in ages, since I haven’t had a subscription.  That’s why I was inquiring to see if others using specifically the macOS Apple TV+ app (on a laptop or desktop computer) are still having this issue.  If so, please list the version of both your OS and the Apple TV+ app, so I can share this w/ Apple.

This is the same situation with Showtime, actually.  Videos look fine playing on their site in macOS browsers, but the HDR is totally off and picture very dark on the iPhone.

How about it’s not our settings on our tvs no matter the result of 4k or whatever tv brand you got it’s simply as this… that apple needs to do a better job at broadcasting there shows and movies a different way that way we can watch a dramatic scene in a movie or show rather then just seeing some figures move in the dark if really takes the enjoyment of watching a show or movie so much that I’m probably just going to stop paying apple for the service and just start finding stuff online that’s broadcasted in a much more enjoyable viewing experience

I am having the same issue, and I see that many other people are having the same experience. What puzzles me is, why doesn't Apple fix it? Because of this viewing issue, I probably will not subscribe after my three months free trial.

Hi, I wanted to provide an update.  Now that I know this, I wish I could edit my previous post, but the same HDR contrast issue is actually happening on both the Disney+ and Paramount+ iPhone app.  Therefore, the videos are rendered unwatchable on the iOS app, while they all play just fine on their websites using a macOS browser.  This is still using an iPhone 11 Pro Max w/ iOS 16.6 (though I’ve found that the phone model and iOS version don’t matter), and it’s really strange that 3 of the biggest video providers have the same exact same issue only on the phone app.

I sent extensive bug reports w/ links to this thread to both of them over the past couple months, but haven’t heard back yet on the status, though they did confirm the reports were passed on to the dev teams.  The reason I included these 2 apps before in the list of ones that don’t have this issue, is b/c another user said that they were fine.  But I wasn’t able to test them before, b/c I didn’t have access thru an account.  My cable TV provider added both of them to their channel lineup earlier in the year, so at that point I was given full access to their content.  I haven’t personally tested Netflix either.

I also want to reiterate that in the Apple TV+ iOS app, I have not had this HDR contrast issue happen w/ films that came from other channels, including Paramount+, AMC+, and Starz, which were viewed thru either rentals or free trials, only w/ Apple Original titles (both series and movies, and it’s 100% of the ones I tested).  This has to be b/c the other titles are not hosted by and delivered directly from Apple.  And yes, it’s also strange that Paramount+ titles play fine thru the Apple TV app, but not thru their own app.  It’s a truly convoluted issue.

Side note: Does every other streaming video app have to add a plus sign after it’s name? 🙄 This has become standard practice.

[Edited by Moderator]

I'm having the same problem. Movies and shows are unwatchable if they have a lot of dark scenes except at night when I can get my room pitch black. This is true on my 2023 16" MacBook Pro and my Samsung S90D (OLED) TV.

I've watched The Matrix deja vu scene dozens of times in both the Apple TV App and in Netflix. Netflix is about 3 times brighter. Some things that appear black in the Apple TV App are actually visible (probably orders of magnitude brighter) in Netflix - things like the left half of Trinity's face and the walls in the background.

I've gone through all the settings for the TV and the Apple TV App (both on my MacBook and TV)... nothing helps.

Hi Jason, did you ever end up getting a solution?

my TV suddenly started doing this yesterday, only on movies and shows that are HDR though. But a few days ago the same movies were completely watchable, now the screen is basically pitch black even on bright cartoons, or bright scenes.

I can’t find any settings to change, and it only seems to be on the Apple app, only on my TV too, on my iPhone the same things will work perfectly fine! I’m at a complete loss.

I don't see that option in settings. I think it only applies to external displays?

Oh bummer. That's not a good response. Might as well listen to a radio broadcast of the show...

I'm sorry, but I'm confused by your post. It sounds like you are saying the issue is both resolved and not resolved. And it sounds like you are saying that it was resolved without updating your OS?

I see the solution, but I don’t see “Video and Audio” under settings.

It used to work, but the last 6 months or so that setting does nothing.