Apple TV No HDR in Prime Video or Movies Anywhere

[mfrank29]

I just updraded a first gen ATV 4K with a 3rd gen and bought another for a different room, so I now have 2 of the new 3rd gens.

I know there have been on and off issues with Amazon prime and HDR. I do remember rings of power did send HDR10 a few months ago. Now, I only get SDR. Same with movies anywhere. I have my ATV set at 4k60 SDR with match frame rate and dynamic range on.

Best guess is this is due to some change in TVOS 16 that breaks the Amazon apps ability to trip the HDR flag.

Netflix, Disney+ and the TV app all pass Dolby Vision and Atmos just fine.

Can anyone else confirm?

 

[shakopeemn]

I just updraded a first gen ATV 4K with a 3rd gen and bought another for a different room, so I now have 2 of the new 3rd gens.

I know there have been on and off issues with Amazon prime and HDR. I do remember rings of power did send HDR10 a few months ago. Now, I only get SDR. Same with movies anywhere. I have my ATV set at 4k60 SDR with match frame rate and dynamic range on.

Best guess is this is due to some change in TVOS 16 that breaks the Amazon apps ability to trip the HDR flag.

Netflix, Disney+ and the TV app all pass Dolby Vision and Atmos just fine.

Can anyone else confirm?

Will be interesting to see what you hear. I noticed this week too, that Amazon HDR content is not coming through to my LG OLED using ATV 1st Gen.

 

[mfrank29]

I have an LG OLED as well. ATV->Denon 4700->LG C8. But since other apps work fine, It's not the chain or any device in it.

My other ATV is direct into an LG C2....same issue there.

I'd say it could be related to HDR10+ support by Amazon, but then MoviesAnywhere isn't passing HDR either.

I really think it's the prime apps compatibly with the ATV match dynamic range setting. IF you put the ATV in 4K60HDR mode, I'm guessing the TV will say it's getting HDR, but it may just be SDR being "converted" or flagged incorrectly as SDR.

Why Apple has made this so stupid I don't know.....same with using Dolby MAT for ATMOS.... WHY?!

 

[Mikey86uk]

Same issue with mine using Prime.

First gen Apple TV 4K connected directly into receiver or my LG C2

 

[mfrank29]

Same issue with mine using Prime.

First gen Apple TV 4K connected directly into receiver or my LG C2

Well that eliminates the need to plug my 1st gen in to check 😂😂😂😂

I'd wager this issue started with TVOS 16... I've had many issues since that update.

 

[w5jck]

I have the new Fire TV Cube 3rd gen and the Amazon Prime app on it uses Dolby Vision, so it shouldn't have anything to do with HDR10+. I think it is just the crappy tvOS 16.x that is the problem. I'll test out today using my ATV 4K 2017 and see what it does with the Prime app. I rarely use the ATV 4K any more except for Apple TV programming, and that rarely has anything I care to watch.

 

[WilliamG]

Can confirm no HDR working on the Prime app. Just silly how often this happens. Workaround is to set the Apple TV to HDR in the video settings, and turn off the dynamic range matching (can leave frame rate matching on). This triggers HDR when starting shows.

You’ll want to revert this change for Dolby Vision content on e.g. Netflix, of course.

 

[bozzykid]

I have the new Fire TV Cube 3rd gen and the Amazon Prime app on it uses Dolby Vision, so it shouldn't have anything to do with HDR10+. I think it is just the crappy tvOS 16.x that is the problem. I'll test out today using my ATV 4K 2017 and see what it does with the Prime app. I rarely use the ATV 4K any more except for Apple TV programming, and that rarely has anything I care to watch.

Prime disables HDR every few months on Apple TV and most other non-Fire TV devices. Then a few weeks later they fix it with a server update. This isn't a tvOS bug.

 

[mfrank29]

Prime disables HDR every few months on Apple TV and most other non-Fire TV devices. Then a few weeks later they fix it with a server update. This isn't a tvOS bug.

Not a bug per se, but if Apple changed something in TVOS that requires amazon to update its app, that is a likely cause.

 

[mfrank29]

I have the new Fire TV Cube 3rd gen and the Amazon Prime app on it uses Dolby Vision, so it shouldn't have anything to do with HDR10+. I think it is just the crappy tvOS 16.x that is the problem. I'll test out today using my ATV 4K 2017 and see what it does with the Prime app. I rarely use the ATV 4K any more except for Apple TV programming, and that rarely has anything I care to watch.

Let use know on your 1st gen.

 

[mfrank29]

Can confirm no HDR working on the Prime app. Just silly how often this happens. Workaround is to set the Apple TV to HDR in the video settings, and turn off the dynamic range matching (can leave frame rate matching on). This triggers HDR when starting shows.

Problem with this is we don't know for sure if that is just forcing HDR conversion or flag. Without look at the specs of the stream itself, we don't know if amazon is actually pulling the HDR stream.

 

[shakopeemn]

I have the new Fire TV Cube 3rd gen and the Amazon Prime app on it uses Dolby Vision, so it shouldn't have anything to do with HDR10+. I think it is just the crappy tvOS 16.x that is the problem. I'll test out today using my ATV 4K 2017 and see what it does with the Prime app. I rarely use the ATV 4K any more except for Apple TV programming, and that rarely has anything I care to watch.

Do you like the tvOS or not? You don't have to continue using the ATV as Apple TV Plus is offered as an application for the Cube.

 

[mfrank29]

Do you like the tvOS or not? You don't have to continue using the ATV as Apple TV Plus is offered as an application for the Cube.

The ATV does one thing that only the shield can do for me. In addition to my OLED I have a JVC Projector that I want to send a 4K Rec709 Stream and the ATV does a very good job tone mapping HDR BT2020 down to SDR 709. It also allows for naive 24fps content instead of forcing it to 60 like most other streamers.

So yeah, I want those features and generally have not had issues with my ATV until TVOS 16.

 

[WilliamG]

Problem with this is we don't know for sure if that is just forcing HDR conversion or flag. Without look at the specs of the stream itself, we don't know if amazon is actually pulling the HDR stream.

Sure, but I think the shows tell you what they are. Or you can look them up online, of course.

 

[w5jck]

Let use know on your 1st gen.

No HDR while viewing Grand Tour on the ATV 4K 1st gen, but has HDR on Fire TV Cube 3rd gen. See attached images. I’m using both streaming boxes on my Sony Bravia 4K HDR TV.

 

[mfrank29]

Sure, but I think the shows tell you what they are. Or you can look them up online, of course.

It tells you what it is capable of best case. If the Amazon app doesnt really send the HDR stream and you force HDR you're not really getting the correct image. That should look off, but some people wouldn't notice or care. There is a developer option to view the stream data that would show what is really being sent. I might delve into that, but it seems confirmed that TVOS16 and prime are not working together correctly now.

 

[Gator5000e]

I've truly believe this is an Amazon issue and i think it by choice, not by the failure to keep up with the tvOS. It seems as if it's a strategy of Amazon to push viewers to its own hardware or at least away from Apple hardware. This discussion popped up when Rings of Power started. The only way to get Dolby Vision was through the internal TV app. Now the issue is the ATV is not even getting HDR. Amazon programmers can't be that bad. tvOS 6 has been available since, what, June? So I will be the conspiracy guy. It's Amazon doing this intentionally.

But nonetheless, I will see what happens tonight with The Peripheral. I will check on the ATV and the Sony internal app on my TV to see what I get.

 

[Gator5000e]

No HDR while viewing Grand Tour on the ATV 4K 1st gen, but has HDR on Fire TV Cube 3rd gen. See attached images. I’m using both streaming boxes on my Sony Bravia 4K HDR TV.

What about on the Sony internal app? I have the A80J with Google TV. I will check tonight to see if the internal app gets HDR.

 

[mfrank29]

I've truly believe this is an Amazon issue and i think it by choice, not by the failure to keep up with the tvOS. It seems as if it's a strategy of Amazon to push viewers to its own hardware or at least away from Apple hardware. This discussion popped up when Rings of Power started. The only way to get Dolby Vision was through the internal TV app. Now the issue is the ATV is not even getting HDR. Amazon programmers can't be that bad. tvOS 6 has been available since, what, June? So I will be the conspiracy guy. It's Amazon doing this intentionally.

But nonetheless, I will see what happens tonight with The Peripheral. I will check on the ATV and the Sony internal app on my TV to see what I get.

This is also very possible and makes sense sadly. They have a competing streamer. Honestly prime isn’t where I spend much time so I’m not all that upset. More just seeing if it’s just me or not. I’m still buying uhd discs for anything I care about and renting through apple or Vudu for 4k24 SDR with Atmos for my projector based theater room. That’s where the Apple TV shines since it does a good job tone mapping and provides native 24fps.

Plus it remembers my settings for the oled and projector when I switch back and forth. The oled gets match dynamic range where the projector does not.

Since Netflix and Vudu work just fine it makes that case stronger.

You are correct I did use my lg app for ring of power since it got Dolby vision while the appletv app got hdr10.

 

[w5jck]

What about on the Sony internal app? I have the A80J with Google TV. I will check tonight to see if the internal app gets HDR.

Mine is the XBR49X800H. When using streaming boxes, the Display button on the remote displays the 4K and HDR information. It doesn’t do anything for the internal AndroidTV apps though. However, the Amazon app on AndroidTV shows UHD HDR if the Pause button on the remote, but no idea if the TV is actually using those or if it is merely the labels placed with the video. The Picture mode is not DV though, it is Cinema which can include HDR10, but no way to know for sure.

 

[mfrank29]

Mine is the XBR49X800H. When using streaming boxes, the Display button on the remote displays the 4K and HDR information. It doesn’t do anything for the internal AndroidTV apps though. However, the Amazon app on AndroidTV shows UHD HDR if the Pause button on the remote, but no idea if the TV is actually using those or if it is merely the labels placed with the video. The Picture mode is not DV though, it is Cinema which can include HDR10, but no way to know for sure.

I’m not a fan of the lack of information Sony tvs give you. They are fantastic but I like to see clearly what is being received and sent.

 

[niteflyr]

I'm getting HDR on my LG TV's Prime app, but not on my 2021 ATV4K Prime app.

 

[mfrank29]

Well this is odd. Tonight on my c8 ring of power played back in hdr 10. Stop and started several times and each time the hdr flag came on the c8 and info verified it. Rebooted the Apple TV and poof back to sdr only. Wtf?!

 

[B/D]

Well this is odd. Tonight on my c8 ring of power played back in hdr 10. Stop and started several times and each time the hdr flag came on the c8 and info verified it. Rebooted the Apple TV and poof back to sdr only. Wtf?!

The Apple TV app is broken (again). This is cyclical. They´ll fix it eventually. While they´re at it, Amazon could also add Dolby Vision support to the Apple TV app...

 

[Edd70]

The Apple TV app is broken (again). This is cyclical. They´ll fix it eventually. While they´re at it, Amazon could also add Dolby Vision support to the Apple TV app...

I think they did for a few shows including Rings of Power.

I just checked the Amazon app on my 2nd Gen 4K ATV and The Boys did not trip an HDR10 flag, which isn’t right because I remember this show did that specifically a few months ago.