VUDU App HDR and Atmos options listed on UHD films

[diamond204]

I noticed last night that on my Android app version of Vudu for 4k UHD titles for the technical details this was a common listing (like on LAST JEDI):

UHD - 4k, HDR10, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos (this is not surprising)
HD- Up to 1080p, HDR10, Dolby Vision, DD Plus (this is where it gets interesting)

What is the story with this? Are HDR features potentially being added to HDX encodes ? Perhaps only for new releases I would imagine?

[FelipeF]

Interesting, let me find out for you. I think it's an error of some kind. Will let you know.

UPDATE: This is a bug, will be fixed shortly.

[gamescan]

Interesting, let me find out for you. I think it's an error of some kind. Will let you know.

Would certainly be a plus if VUDU is doing this, as Apple already does it with iTunes when watching via the Apple TV.

HDR on HDX streams would certainly be a selling point.

[diamond204]

Wish it wasn't a bug!

[telljcl]

Would certainly be a plus if VUDU is doing this, as Apple already does it with iTunes when watching via the Apple TV.
.

Apple will add artificial HDR to everything it spits out if you set its output to HDR, and don't select "match range".

If you like how this looks, then it's a good thing, I suppose. But It isn't how it should look, and exhibits artifacts from the simulated HDR process being applied to encodes that are not in fact HDR, and don't have the proper encoding to then be properly decoded - HDR is not a single-ended process, meaning it has to be encoded as such on one end and then decoded properly on the other end. You can't just apply it on the viewing end (and have it work correctly).

With earlier firmware versions in the apple tv 4k, it was not possible turn this "feature" off.

Many (maybe most?) people don't want it as they don't think it looks good - and there was a general outcry against it.

That's kind of a big deal - given that apple products' users generally aren't after the cutting edge of technological capability and oftentimes are OK with apples' suggestions on how you should view and listen to things - so even the typical / more casual users of the apple tv 4k saw this as a real problem. Clearly this was unanticipated by apple.

This is why there is now a "match range" option on newer and the current firmware - to disable fake HDR on SDR content. I (and many other users) would never have considered buying an ATV4K without this one setting.

I think Apple deserves credit here for realizing their mistake and making the changes their users were asking for - oftentimes they are somewhat resistant to the suggestion that haven't done something right.

[gamescan]

Apple will add artificial HDR to everything it spits out if you set its output to HDR, and don't select "match range".

I was under the impression that Apple was simply using lower resolution versions of their 4K HDR encodes when using the new Apple TV, but lacking 4k rights (due to the auto-upgrade). They wouldn't be the first to offer 1080p HDR content on a stream. Netflix also does this in some territories.

[telljcl]

I was under the impression that Apple was simply using lower resolution versions of their 4K HDR encodes when using the new Apple TV, but lacking 4k rights (due to the auto-upgrade). They wouldn't be the first to offer 1080p HDR content on a stream. Netflix also does this in some territories.

And you might be right. I haven't used my ATV4K too much at this point with the HD streams, but in theory if you set HDR to match and watch an HD stream and the ATV spits out bt2020 color space, then presumably that source was encoded in HDR. "Presumably" being a big unknown though.

But unless something's changed recently, If you set the preferred output to any resolution, plus HDR, and have "match range = off" then the box will output everything, regardless of original encoding, in faux HDR.