iPad 2 Video playback Quality Issue (Low Contrast and grayish black)

I have the same issue. I just got my iPad2 and the issue you are having is the very same to me. I also noticed if you rotate it, it seems "fixed" for a few secs, then back to crappyland. I thought maybe it was just the way I was ripping the movie, but tried on 3 different computers, iMac and pc & 4 different ripper programs. All with the same result, plays well on computers but terrible on iPad 2. Not sure where to go from here as only a handful of people have this prob. Still on 4.3.1, have not updated yet, not sure if that will help. Kivut go for a complete format . Dunno

For those without the problem, basically a perfect dvd rip or bluray rip especially for iPad format looks like a very bad rip on the iPad, lots of pixelation , like a 2 gb dvd rip looks like a 700mb semi good rip..

I'm on the phone with apple support right now. I work at a post production house, and we/our clients keep having this issue - everything looks great on screen and on the ipad 1, and theres a huge gamma shift on the ipad 2. they need to fix this ASAP. like Jls21 already said, a lot of us use ipads for work purposes - unacceptable!

this thread ( https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2811788?answerId=15100980022#15100980022 ) seems to blame the h.264 codec/compression settings…? does anyone know of another codec that prevents this gamma shift on the ipad 2?

this is from the tech specs page:

Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format

is there anything that jumps out to anyone regarding workarounds for this issue?

we've used both Compressor and MPEG Streamclip - there's no quality difference between them, in case anyone is trying that.

okay so, i was transferred to a senior technical rep and he looked it up - apparently apple is getting a bunch of complaints about this issue and they've submitted it to their developers. the more people that call and complain, the higher up on the priority list it goes to be fixed in a software update. there is no workaround known, and it's a standard issue across all ipad 2's.

Same here. It's really annoying. The issue doesn't happen on iPad 1.

And if you look carefully the video goes to correct gamma during rotation (from portrait to landscape mode)

They better come up with a bug fix soon.

I've noticed though that apple trailers are fine, whereas all other video (vimeo, YouTube.....) is washed.

Everybody on iPad2 has this problem! some people just don't see it. I went around launching videos on every iPad2 in 2 different apple stores and they all had the issue.

We're now 2 updates down 4.3.3 and still no fix.

Please apple do something!!!! I'm a director and this iPad is supposed to be a work tool for me but I can't work with washed out visuals. The strange thing is that pictures look amazing, proving it's a software problem having to do with the video graphics engine.

Yes, there is DEFINITELY a gamma bug on the iPad 2 during video playback. The iPad display is so contrasty that it is less noticable than on other monitors, but if you get the HDMI AV connector and play on a properly calibrated home theater projector or larger LCD (I have done both), the problem becomes extremely obvious and annoying. I am not sure Apple actually reads these forums, though. Is there any way I can let my complaint be heard by someone who can send this back to the engineers to take a look at?

Ive been having the same issues! I thought it was just me lol! Its like whenever i try to play a movie or music video, the color starts off normal (for a split second), then becomes all washed out with horrible black levels. Rotating the orientation corrects it for another split second, then goes back to the washed out look. I really hope they fix this somehow because I primarily use my iPad to watch videos.

Throw it away or donate it to a school or children's hospital.

I do not have this issue.

The blacks I am seeing are actually black-not gray.

I too have poor video performance on my new iPad2. I have 30 to 35 music videos purchased from the iTunes store and they look fantastic on my iPad. Just got my iPad2 (64, wifi, black) four days ago and same music videos play in extremely poor quality. No other screen or apps appear to be affected...just videos.

Pretty disappointing

Greg

As one of the earlier posters to this thread, I been playing around with various things on the ipad2. I went ahead and bought the AirVideo app and had it connect to my iMac and played a 720p Game of Thrones episode I had. It looks to me (using live conversion) through the app, the episode came out pretty clear, like it does on my iMac, which was pretty suprising. 😕 I decided I would then take that same episode and run it through the normal channels of turning it into a format the ipad can play. it looked fine before I added it to iTunes. Which kinda has me wondering if iTunes is somehow distorting it when it converts it to the library.. Because after adding it to library and syncing it with my iPad2, it was back to crap.. Dunno, just something I noticed..

There is a lite version of AirVideo for free if anyone wants to back me up on my findings..

Good luck!

Yup, same here. 16gig Wifi version and the videos are looking like the gamma gets jacked and blacks get "noisey" and pixels start jumping... ha ha ha.

Glad to find out is wasn't my coding or output, but what a huge bummer. I can't use the iPad 2 to show clients my video work, at least not now. They will have to see it on my monitor before I would show it on the iPad.

Sad that a YouTube compressed version is BETTER than the same file on the iPad 2... FAIL.

Just sayin,

c

I have admired, lusted after and used Apple products for many years.

The thought and attention to detail that goes into both design and technology is first rate.

Having made that point, I find it strange that the iPad2 would be released with such noticably poor video playback quality.

Like many of the previous posters, I have spend hours playing around with encode setting trying to figure out "what I was doing wrong", until at last it dawned on me that the great Apple in the sky had dropped the ball on this and started me searching the web for answers.

When a YouTube video looks better than h.264, 720p video @ 4000kbps, therein lies a problem that for my $800 bucks deserves immediate intervention.

I hope that Apple has someone actually reading these threads.

The first post is from April and no one from Apple has issued a response.

This should not be the case for such an important issue.

An update to the OS driver software is what's sorely needed here to improve anti-aliasing, improved auto brightness and turning down the gamma (image contrast) a bit.

A couple weeks after I noted this bug, I got an iPhone 4 which plays video perfectly fine. Since the iPad 2 couldn't do the same, I just took it back to Target for a refund. Apple is either not listening or just plain stupid to let this one sit. Given the larger screen, comfortably watching video on it is a key feature of the iPad over their existing lines of products. The fact it is screwed up on the iPad 2 and Apple just sits there like they have for so many other hardware and software bugs in the past is really sad. Apple makes some wonderful products, but continued support of those products, be them software or hardware, in terms of bug fixes at least, is poor unless it directly impacts Apple's bottom line immediately - then it's fixed quickly. So I guess the only way to get this fixed will be a total public outcry that jeopardizes impinging the money flow in some minor way. A few more YouTube videos and websites detailing the problem might raise the general awareness sufficiently to make people who are on the fence about buying an iPad 2 wonder if they really want one given the video playback is poor on it and there is no sign that Apple even is aware of it. It seems the color green is the only thing understood by Apple.

Unfortunately domitron you are 1000% correct!

The post above yours is actually the first time I've ever been compelled to leave a message in this forum.

I just received my iPad2 3 days ago, but if no changes/updates materialize by say July (lots ot technical breathing room Apple) ... I will also follow your advice and post my first YouTube video and or blog to join the growing chorus of outraged consumers.

The strange thing is why have consumers resort to these measure when even a simple acknowledgement would go a long way in diffusing frustration?

This seems to be the current standard of customer service in many large US corporations.

Too big to fail ... too rich/arrogant to care.

It seems as this problem is solved in iOS 5 beta 1. Let's hope Apple will launch a public version soon, or at least an update for iOS 4.