EE TV On Apple TV

[JP087]

Hi,

I recently took out EE TV and now have the Apple TV box to view in the main living room.

When I first set the Apple TV up, I set it to 4k Dolby Vision (in the Apple settings) I then realised this was somehow pushing everything in the EE TV app through as Dolby Vision (although it clearly wasn't that format my TV was displaying it in that way resulting in poor contrast/colour etc.)

I did some research and it seems the best way to have the Apple TV Settings are on 4k SDR, then enabling the 'match content' setting, this works with most apps, Prime/Netflix/Disney and when browsing the Apple TV menu it's SDR, when launching HDR in one of those apps its in HDR/Dolby Vision.

The issue I have is when I view TNT Ultimate in the EE TV app it does not seem to activate the HDR mode on my TV or push through that picture, I can only do this when using the Discovery+ app, EE TV seems to be UHD only without HDR.

Can anyone assist here with this? Is there any way to receive HDR channels through the EE TV app, or do you have to use the native provider app?

Hope that all makes sense! Thanks

[DarrenDev]

I've asked our Apple TV specialist to take a look at this @JP087 

He has some ideas, but is waiting to get confirmation from a colleague - we hope to have an answer for you later today, or tomorrow.

[JP087]

Thanks Darren! Please let me know if you need any more information. 

[JP087]

Hi @DarrenDev did you get any update on this one?

[Matadaw651]

Picture settings.

Match content and frame rate 

[JP087]

I already have these settings applied. The EE TV app still doesn’t push through HDR

[DarrenDev]

Sorry for the slow response on this one.

For our HDR channels, we broadcast both SDR and HDR in the same file - the Apple TV then chooses for itself which stream to display to you.  When the display setting is configured as SDR, it chooses to just display the SDR stream - this isn't something we can override.

I've been asked whether you'd be able to provide any examples/photos of what you mean when you say the contrast/colour is poor, when set to display Dolby Vision?  This isn't something we've had any other reports of, and not something anyone on the project has seen.  Does it just affect the EE TV app, or other apps too?  If just EE TV, is it specific channels/programmes that look bad?

[Midnight_Voice]

@DarrenDev 

My Apple TV box, Generation 2 and not an EE TV one, takes on a yellow cast when it switches to Dolby Vision, marking everything look like an episode of White Lotus (or Yellow Lotus, as we called it, as both series seemed to have this cast on Now, as a directorial decision).

This seems to be an Apple TV problem, not an EE TV one.

[JP087]

Hi Darren thanks for coming back to me.

The issue is when I set to Dolby vision in the Apple TV settings it makes everything in the EE TV app show in Dolby vision or think it’s in Dolby vision, even though it’s not. Such as bbc 1, itv etc. even with tnt ultimate that’s HDR10 and the tv settings show Dolby vision so it creates an unnatural picture on channels that should be SDR.

it seems as though the EE tv app is not pushing through the dynamic range type for the Apple TV to adjust accordingly. You’re either all in or all out.

its not a major issue at the moment as I can watch HDR through the discovery plus app, but could be an issue if more HDR channels are added into the EE TV app in the future. Hopefully there is a solution. 

[Profile closed]

As has already been mentioned by yourself at the start @JP087,  the recommended default setting of the Apple TV 4K is 4K SDR with Match Content and Frame Rate turned on. Changing it to anything else is just wasting time TBH, as proven by feedback from thousands of users.

When the box receives the meta data from the app, it will switch to the correct picture output. You have already seen this in action in other apps. If you are not seeing it in the EE TV app but are in the others, the fault can only lie with the app in my view.

The only other problems I have seen in this area are when apps don’t switch back as they should (looking at you Disney+) and when something is delivered live in HLG HDR (like NOW Sports with Ultraboost), where the box converts to HDR10.