TV app on mac playback video quality is only 720p for 1080 or 4k files

Old thread resurrected.

Issue: The tv app caps playback to 1080p when clicking on purchased movies in your library (even the 4k HDR folder). This seems to occur because the TV app appears to treat all movies in your library as "downloads", even if you haven't actually downloaded them. This is with the TV app on macos.

Solution: To play in full 4k/HDR/Dolby Vision, find the movie using the TV app's search bar instead and select it from the results. Now the movie is treated as a "stream" (all options in the top menu bar will be greyed out) and it will run at full resolution.

Very counter-intuitive but at least it works (for me)!

I'm having the same issue. iTunes movie rental (streaming) should be 4K Dolby Vision yet, the video details show 720p.

1. Your Apple TV app Settings will have options for video quality, separate for streaming and for downloads. Verify that those are set as intended.
2. Dowloaded iTunes Store content maxes out at 1080p. 4K is only available for streaming directly from Apple’s servers.
3. Additionally, for screens with resolution in between 4K and 1080p, the maximum video res for iTunes Store content is 1080p.

Downloaded content will play in the resolution as downloaded or lower. 4K content is not downloadable as 4K, but as 1080p max.

Streaming content can play in the resolution as supported by the screen, computer, and internet connection, if no other settings/​restrictions are in place. For 1080p the screen should be at least 1920×1080px, for 4K the screen should be at least 3840×2160px. This means that the 1080p stream is max for the 3024×1964px built-in screen of the MBP 14".

The default stream may be 720p, but you can set 1080p, and the TV app should remember that setting for that title.

Hi imnotluka. Your «bump» got this thread to my attention again. If others can share their insights, then I would welcome that as well!

LG 4K monitor with the resolution set to 3008x1692

That resolution is less than 4K, so your Mac will not be able to use to the 4K stream. But 1080p should then be the highest resolution alternative.

As I mentioned, my bandwidth is not an issue, so what other restrictions might I unknowingly be placing on playback?

See the sub-menu Video﹥Video Quality﹥. The checkmark is currently set to the ‘Default (HD 720p)’, but you can change the Video Quality setting to one of the other options, namely ‘High Definition (1080p)’.

The default as listed seems to be programmed for the app, separate from any user setting/​preference in the TV app. I don’t get the logic either.

And how do I set the default to 1080p if all other conditions are good?

The TV app would remember the changed Video Quality setting even after a restart. However, this setting will have to be configured for each streaming title.

Let us know how that goes for you.

I have the same issue. I'm playing 4K purchased movies from the TV app on my M1 MacBook with a 4k display which is set at 3840 x 2160 and it only ever offers the 1080p option in the menu, just as the OP is experiencing.

I use the monitor for 4K content regularly without any issue (for example with Plex, Netflix, etc.) which is going from the same computer to the same display over the same cables. But the macOS TV app doesn't ever offer 4K as an option.

Likewise bandwidth is not an issue.

I'm having the same issue. I'm using an ASUS 4K monitor connected to an M1 MacBook Air via USB-C. The image quality is very poor, looking like 720p to 1080p to my eyes.

I suspect the issue might be related to the monitor and device not properly establishing an HDCP connection. thus Apple TV+ refuses to stream high quality video.

I'm experiencing the same problem with Netflix, where the maximum playback quality is 1080p when connected to the monitor, confirmed in debug mode.

I'm having this issue also, I have bought the latest model M3 imac 4.5k screen, I'm using it straight out of the box.

I'm trying to playback/stream 4k movies through the apple TV app, and the video settings only give me up to a 1080p option.

I've tried changing the screen display to it's biggest option, but the video playback menu still only gives me upto a 1080p option, don't think this is the problem as YouTube happily plays 4k video.

Glad to see more people highlighting this issue. I'm almost at a point of returning my imac. Though I need to go to ana pole store to actually see if their machines have the same issue.

They said wait for updates, but I've had two major updates since December and nothing has changed.

Crazy that apple cannot play 4k though apple TV on their latest machines. False advertising

Hi, you have replied to this issue a number of times but never mention this is a known issue that the apple TV app is not playing back at 4k when it should be.

This isn't the users fault it is a known issue for some people that apple are working on but don't want to publicly acknowledge.

But honestly I don't see a resolution coming soon

Interesting.

I have just tried this, and yes the options for resolution are greyed out , but why is this?

Where in the app can you check it's playing at full resolution also?

This is still an issue , as I don't think the options should be greyed out.

Thanks though

I can 100% visually see it's running 4k with HDR using this method--zero doubt. It's a night and day (especially with HDR, pun intended) difference on the 5k HDR monitor the mac is connected to.

As for the "greyed out" options, it's like that when watching on a normal set-top box anyways (no real options) --another sign that it's using the full-res "streaming 4k" option vs the limited "download" (where you can control the file size) option.