Apple 4K TV Black Screen Audio Only in Netflix

Same issue here. Using Sony XBR 930e. Apple 4K TV works fine until it has been turned back on from sleep. Restart fixes problem. Hulu plays for a few seconds then the stream freezes, and sometimes will play black screen with audio. HBO will play black screen with audio only. Stuff bought through ITunes Store works.

I also contacted apple support. I happen to have a Samsung 40in TV with another 4K Apple TV. I swapped out the apple TVs, and the problem persisted on the Sony TV. I also bought new HDMI cables, now have it connect to Audioquest Forest cables, and still have the problem. I think I used to get some HDCP errors prior to upgrading cables, but my memory is a little fuzzy on all the issues i’ve had with this.

Seems to be a problem specific to my Sony, as the Samsung does not have the problem.

Apple support could not help me reach a solution so I just restart it everytime i go to watch TV, quite a pain.

My problem with Sony 930e seems to have resolved with most recent tv OS update.

Thank you Apple for finally fixing this.

The problem seems to have gone away for me. My TV did an update and it’s been working fine after that. There are moments coming out of a video wher the screen holds black for a second but then it resolves itself.

D

Same issue. First starting up it happens frequently then it seems to stop doing it after 10-20 minutes, weird. Have an LG OLED with a new Yamaha receiver in-between. I can watch the HDMI light go on and off on the Yamaha when the screen goes black. Only happens with the Apple 4K. Blu-ray 4k player passes through across the same cables just fine.

Same problem, no fix. Actually had two ATV 4Ks and they both have the exact same problem. When I talked to Apple support they just referred me to the Genius Bar after blaming everything from my internet to my TV. Even though I get video to play for hours at a time without a problem. Unfortunately, even after numerous restarts there is no promise that the picture will come back. I asked the woman at Apple support if she’s heard of these issues as there are literally hundreds of people online complaining about them and she just said, well that could be anything. I explained this was a very specific problem and that all video playback works if it’s purchased from the iTunes Store, just not within apps like Netflix, Hulu, or directv now. No one seems to have any answer or fix in sight. Very disappointed in Apple. There are tons of other streaming devices that work flawlessly, so I might be ditching this and just upgrading my Xbox to the 1s.

On a side note, when you use Apple support there is an option to have them contact you, which I only assumed would save time as they would call you when an agent was available. No, the only convenience of having them call you is to save the time of having to type in their phone number. They called me and I just sat on hold for 15 minutes. I know I’m just whining at this point but I’m so frustrated with this ATV that I’m just angry at Apple in general.

Hi again Pduncan

Do you also experience that the screen goes black (just for a very short moment) when you changing video content. Often when you change content with different resolution which I also think it's whats happening (Apple TV scaling).

I've attached a drive-folder with 3 videos were I illustrate my problems. Let me know what you think: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jhH1ZOQKPn139OSP1TWfKOtaU4hzxgsd?usp=sha ring

I was watching netflix on a regular ATV4 first generation. During playback netflix screen went black. Audio was available, menue still visible, subtitles still visible, just no video.

Video through infuse app works fine.

Restarted ATV4 and Receiver and Projector

Checked ATV4 for updates - No updates

Deleted netflix app

Restarted ATV4
Reinstalled Netflix app

Restarted all, took all power off the devices

No luck. Still not working.

factory-reset and update on the ATV4 - it did updates!?

Reinstalled everything. NO CHANGE!

I am having the same issue

Sony A1 4K tv

AppleTv4k

Seems to have been an issue since the update to tvOS 11.3 or 11.4

Can Apple please fix this? I had been enjoying using the AppleTV as the “hub” for everything (the “TV” app in particular is great) but this issue is forcing me to use the Netflix app on the Sony TV instead and live inside the AndroidOS.

same issue since November. Sony XBR75X850E 75", Apple TV 4K, 25' Amazon Basics high speed HDMI (I assume this is my weak link and have always thought this might be the issue).

Every couple of days, i get a black screen when playing netflix or amazon. the on screen text (ratings, overlays) DO display and sound is present, but the screen is black. A system restart fixes it.

Daboneyard,

We have the same problem, I was using a mono price fairly cheap cable and thought that may be the problem. I replaced the cable with a much more expensive audio quest forest and it did not fix the issue. I did get a new video setting available on Apple TV with the better cable though, now I can do Dolby vision which was not available with the budget priced cable.

Same for me, I am sure the cable is right because it worked it just some time I need to go back to the menu, go back to Netflix and do like this 10/15 times, sometime just reboot works but it's random... Really annoying as you spend more time trying to fix the problem than watching the TV... And only appears with Netflix so I'm pretty sure it's something with their certificate.... Hope it will be fix at a point

I think this is the same as this issue:

Apple TV 4K Random HDMI Signal Loss

Did you try updating to tvOS 11.4.1?

I have the exact same issue connected to a Sony TV, XBR65A1E. I’m oh HDMI-2 with Enhanced HDMI enabled.

Spent a lot of time on the phone with Netflix support answering questions. Called Apple support. No one seems to be able to nail this thing down. They all give you the impression that your the only person in the world that has that issue.

If Apple is monitoring this thread they are either stumped or Hopi g it just goes away.

I’m having the same problem with HBO and Hulu, screen is black but I can hear audio. I tried everything, reset to factory settings, updated software, upgraded cable, I even bought a completely new ATV. It worked for a few hours then again stopped working. I have a Sony XBR-49X700D TV. This is insanely annoying, I’m going to ditch Apple TV completely.