Awful quality image Apple TV 4K

[simps100]

Hey all

I’ve recently noticed that when using my Apple TV 4K for Netflix the image quality is very poor especially in darker scenes - at first I thought it was my TV but I tried on another TV (With a different Apple TV) and have the same issue. Have attached some images below - the last image is the same scene but through the Netflix app on the TV rather than Apple TV showing how it should be! Any suggestions what it could be?

Thanks !

 

[ggibson913]

How is your internet speed? I have found that to be the number one reason that image suffers, this is why I put my router right next to the Apple TV so I could hard wire the connection in.

 

[gkarris]

How is your internet speed? I have found that to be the number one reason that image suffers, this is why I put my router right next to the Apple TV so I could hard wire the connection in.

This...

Hard-wire your AppleTV...

 

[MBAir2010]

my apple tv is so bad!
how bad is it?
It's playing "Debbie Does Detroit"!

is there a difference between appletv 2 or 3?

 

[Audit13]

Tried different HDMI cables and/or inputs on the tv?

 

[simps100]

Internet speed is pretty solid 70mbps - tried on 2 different apple TV’s both are hooked up with Ethernet will try it on a different WiFi network to rule that out mind in case it’s something internal !

 

[MBAir2010]

have we checked display settings?

 

[simps100]

have we checked display settings?

Checked all these and the Apple TV is set to the highest for my tv - as it’s happening on 2 TVs, I’m going to try run off a different network over a hotspot or something - in theory will be slower than the home network but interested to see if it has same issue.

 

[waw74]

you don't mention what kind of TV you have, and if you're trying to play an HDR movie or not.
can you give us what you were watching, and an approximate location so other can try? (looks like the psycho house)

what are your video settings In the aTV?
If you've got it set to HDR output, and have "Match Dynamic Range" set to off, the aTV will "upscale" SDR to HDR which it's not very good at.

can you hit the "info" button on the remote, and post a pic of that?
it should pop up what kind of video the TV is receiving,

I leave mine set at "4K SDR" with range and rate matching set to on.
--Since most of the things I watch are SDR, I don't get the 1-2 second blackout that the TV does when the source switches as bad.

Make sure you have HDR enabled on the port
-- for me (LG E6 OLED) it's Settings -> General -> HDMI ULTRA HD Deep Color -> (on/off for each input)

 

[simps100]

you don't mention what kind of TV you have, and if you're trying to play an HDR movie or not.
can you give us what you were watching, and an approximate location so other can try? (looks like the psycho house)

what are your video settings In the aTV?
If you've got it set to HDR output, and have "Match Dynamic Range" set to off, the aTV will "upscale" SDR to HDR which it's not very good at.

can you hit the "info" button on the remote, and post a pic of that?
it should pop up what kind of video the TV is receiving,

I leave mine set at "4K SDR" with range and rate matching set to on.
--Since most of the things I watch are SDR, I don't get the 1-2 second blackout that the TV does when the source switches as bad.

Make sure you have HDR enabled on the port
-- for me (LG E6 OLED) it's Settings -> General -> HDMI ULTRA HD Deep Color -> (on/off for each input)

It’s happening on my Samsung Qled tv and LG Oled - I’m watching Bates motel, the scene in the pictures is from Season 4
episode 1 at 30min 45 seconds.

Have HDR enabled on the port, on Apple TV it’s set to 4K HDR 60hz and chroma is 4:2:2.

What I’m watching is only HD - but then it displays fine on the 3rd picture which is the Netflix app inbuilt to the TV.

Is there a way to see the stream info within the Netflix app on ATV? I know you can on browser.

 

[waw74]

since bates is only SDR, you need to make sure dynamic range matching is on, otherwise the aTV will try to make it HDR, and doesn't do that well

if you hit the info button on your TV remote (at least that's what it is on my older Samsung) the TV should pop up what kind of signal it's receiving

on my LG, I spin the scroll wheel thing or shake the remote till the LG red cursor comes up, then click the screen, a small widow opens in the top left, I click that and it has the signal info.
when watching HD shows, you don't want to see "HDR anywhere"

I just tried it with my LG OLED.
it looks just like your pictures with the output set to HDR
when outputting SDR, it looks like the pic from your internal player.

you need to turn on dynamic range matching.
It's the aTV converting the SDR to HDR, that creates the banding.
The player in your TV is playing straight SDR

I leave my aTV at 4K SDR. with range and rate matching turned on.
When switching in an out of HDR/SDR the tv blacks out for a second or 2, since I watch more SDR content, it keeps that blackout from happening as much.

 

[simps100]

since bates is only SDR, you need to make sure dynamic range matching is on, otherwise the aTV will try to make it HDR, and doesn't do that well

if you hit the info button on your TV remote (at least that's what it is on my older Samsung) the TV should pop up what kind of signal it's receiving

on my LG, I spin the scroll wheel thing or shake the remote till the LG red cursor comes up, then click the screen, a small widow opens in the top left, I click that and it has the signal info.
when watching HD shows, you don't want to see "HDR anywhere"

I just tried it with my LG OLED.
it looks just like your pictures with the output set to HDR
when outputting SDR, it looks like the pic from your internal player.

you need to turn on dynamic range matching.
It's the aTV converting the SDR to HDR, that creates the banding.
The player in your TV is playing straight SDR

I leave my aTV at 4K SDR. with range and rate matching turned on.
When switching in an out of HDR/SDR the tv blacks out for a second or 2, since I watch more SDR content, it keeps that blackout from happening as much.

Just tried this on my LG Oled and yep it had HDR - turned on dynamic range matching and that sorts it - thank you really appreciate that!

 

[waw74]

No problem,
One would think having it setup to the "best picture" would give you the best picture

sometimes it's best to leave it with the older low quality signal and avoid the extra processing.