Apple TV 4K HDR frame rate limit?

[kendo88]

Is it true that the ATV 4K is limited to 4K HDR 30fps? And cannot playback 50fps and 60fps?
Obviously it can output 50hz and 60hz in 4K HDR, but 50fps and 60fps source content?

 

[-Gonzo-]

No not true

For the best experience, a TV that supports 4K and HDR at 60Hz (50Hz in Europe) is required, but it works with 4K Standard Dynamic Range, 4K High Dynamic Range, and 4K Dolby Vision.

The Apple TV 4K also works with a TV that has a 30Hz HDR refresh rate (25Hz in Europe) but lower refresh rates can result in choppy video, so Apple's recommendation for TVs that don't support HDR at 60Hz is to lower resolution to 1080p at 60Hz and letting the television upscale to 4K.

 

[kendo88]

No not true

Ok. Reason I ask

https://community.bt.com/t5/BT-Spor...-Sport-App/m-p/1988901/highlight/false#M21680

This thread (unfortunately over quite a few pages) suggests the Apple TV is not supported for the BT Sport app and its 4K HDR 50fps stream. On Apple TV it can either play the 1080p HDR 50fps stream, or the 4K SDR 50fps stream but not the 4K HDR 50fps stream that is compatible on chrome cast ultra, Xbox One X and Samsung smart tv app.

the responses in that thread are suggesting it’s a limitation of the Apple TV box

 

[cynics]

Keep in mind content providers can decide what a particular device, user and/or region gets as far as resolution, dynamic range and FPS. The AppleTV is capable of decoding and outputting 4k HDR 50/60hz if the source is 4k HDR 50/60hz.

Something that can cause a limitation in frame rate or dynamic range is bandwidth limitations. You need to make sure you know the HDMI port of your AppleTV 4k and go into your TV settings and find something called UHD color, deep color, HDR range or something like that depending on your TV and turn it ON for that HDMI port. This setting will tell your TV that it there will be a 10-bit source on that HDMI port allowing the bandwidth required.

You also want to set the video settings to match the TV's video capability 4k HDR 50hz, 4k Dolby Vision 60hz etc....whatever your TV supports.

Keep in mind the AppleTV does it all. Out of the box it forces content to 4k 60hz (or 50hz). Depending on your TV's capacity to handle the mismatch in frame rate (ex 24 fps source sent to the TV as 60fps) will determine if the video is choppy, this is called 'judder'. Turning on matched frame rate in settings > video audio > match content > frame rate - on will cause the AppleTV to output sources frame rate. This is a setting that is typically better left on even if your TV handles judder really well.

And of course like all video transcoding you can always have a source that is too complex for the decoder (in the AppleTV in this case) to decode in real time. This typically only occurs with non commercial releases like a video you made and transcoded in handbrake or something...