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Max app, no DolbyVision

E

Edd70

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 16, 2018
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Anyone noticed the new Max app not triggering DolbyVision when it should? I’ve got the top subscription tier and should definitely be seeing DolbyVision turned on when playing certain programs but nothing.

I looked up the issue and using an iPhone to watch and cast to the ATV using AirPlay does enable DolbyVision. Going to contact Max about this but checking here to see if anyone has figured this out.

Using an ATV 4K (2nd gen) and LG OLED CX TV.
 
So I called, they just took the info and said they’d get back. No troubleshooting steps. The CSR didn’t admit it but I suspect they are very aware of the issue.

I had the ad-free w/4K plan on HBO MAX. When it all switched to Max recently I lost my 4K so I upped the plan to the Ultimate to get it back. But I don’t have it back. I learned from the CSR that I was actually supposed to keep the 4K for an additional 6 months after the switch to Max to sort of soften the blow. Feeling pretty screwed at the moment.
 
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armandxp said:
V1.1.1 fixed this for me. I was able to download the update today around 12pm EST.
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Thanks for this. I also updated the app and it’s only working intermittently. Shazam 2 successfully kicked on DV a couple of times but not always. Avatar 2, Reality, and The Idol all failed to trigger it. These should all be in DV.

I rebooted the ATV after updating, BTW. I think Max still has work to do here.
 
Edd70 said:
Thanks for this. I also updated the app and it’s only working intermittently. Shazam 2 successfully kicked on DV a couple of times but not always. Avatar 2, Reality, and The Idol all failed to trigger it. These should all be in DV.

I rebooted the ATV after updating, BTW. I think Max still has work to do here.
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Yeah. After playing with the app some more, it’s working pretty terribly. Because of my TV, I have match frame rate and dynamic range turned on.

At least for me, now when I play a movie, let's say the new avatar movie, it switched to 24 frames per second and Dolby Vision, as it should when watching the movie. When I stop the movie, the app and menu are still in Dolby Vision and at stuck at 24 fps instead of 60 fps and SDR, as I have it set up in the video/audio settings in the Apple TV.

So, another crappy release, with half baked solutions and more problems introduced, is what it’s looking like.
 
Yeah, it’s a pretty sad presentation throughout. The home page is festooned with reality show garbage. In the future I’d love a mode to ignore all post HBO Max content. Let’s pretend this never happened.
 
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FWIW on Max, I had dolby vision/atmos on my Lg CX oled app and on my Nvidia shield app just the other day but on my apple tv no DV. Today i have no DV/atmos on any device. Max is rather a joke at this point. Video quality is pretty bad too on each device.
 
MAX app version 1.1.1 which I just upgraded to on my Apple TV 4K finally allows frame rate / dynamic range matching to work. Had to upgrade my Max sub to Ultimate to get 4K HDR / Atmos on "Idol". I also have a free sub through DIRECTV which had 4K HDR / Atmos working a few days ago when AirPlay from my iPhone.
 
I have mine through ATT. Does that mean they just turned off what i had a few days ago with Max? No more UHD/atmos/DV Even though the episode lists those capabilities?
 
audiomixer said:
I have mine through ATT. Does that mean they just turned off what i had a few days ago with Max? No more UHD/atmos/DV Even though the episode lists those capabilities?
Click to expand...

MAX was supposed to keep 4K HDR / DV and Atmos capabilities for 6 months after the transition to MAX on the ad free tier provided through providers such as AT&T. For some reason this is no longer the case. The shows / movies that list 4K, HDR / DV, Atmos at this time can only get those capabilities on the ULTIMATE tier for $19.99. The AD FREE tier provided through AT&T is MAX's middle tier which is limited to HD and 5.1 Dolby Digital. Hopefully MAX will restore the 4K HDR / DV, Atmos for another 5 months at least on the AD FREE tier provided by AT&T or allow the ability to pay the difference to get Ultimate.
 
audiomixer said:
I have mine through ATT. Does that mean they just turned off what i had a few days ago with Max? No more UHD/atmos/DV Even though the episode lists those capabilities?
Click to expand...

SAMtheGAM said:
MAX was supposed to keep 4K HDR / DV and Atmos capabilities for 6 months after the transition to MAX on the ad free tier provided through providers such as AT&T. For some reason this is no longer the case. The shows / movies that list 4K, HDR / DV, Atmos at this time can only get those capabilities on the ULTIMATE tier for $19.99. The AD FREE tier provided through AT&T is MAX's middle tier which is limited to HD and 5.1 Dolby Digital. Hopefully MAX will restore the 4K HDR / DV, Atmos for another 5 months at least on the AD FREE tier provided by AT&T or allow the ability to pay the difference to get Ultimate.
Click to expand...
The 6 month grace period I only found out about by calling them, which I did because I’d lost my DolbyVision. I’d read multiple articles about the switch to Max and new tiers and none I read warned me about the grace period.

So when it switched to Max and I lost DolbyVision I’d assumed that was intentional. Nope, turns out it was technical problems. I upped my subscription to the top tier and it’s STILL messed up.

As far as Max ultimately keeping DolbyVision only for the top tier, Netflix has shown them the way. They’ve been doing that for awhile. Max matched their price and everything. When you look at the quality of content, Max is looking a lot like Netflix there, too.
 
I updated my Max app last night and HDR/Dolby Vision is fixed for the Apple TV 4K although I have to say it doesn't really look right on my TV. It loses contrast and the color seems off especially faces. I do have a Samsung QLED that doesn't do Dolby Vision so it's the HDR10 stream that looks bad. Perhaps Dolby Vision looks better. I have yet to try it on my Sony which does do Dolby Vision.
 
19.99 for ultimate just to get DV/atmos? I don’t find the content of max worth it and struggling to even keep netflix at the 19.99 price.
 
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So interestingly, my lg max app, nvidia shield pro max app, and my apple tv max app all show dolby vision, dolby atmos 4k on those programs that have that available. June 17 4:23 pst. ATT subscription.
 
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audiomixer said:
So interestingly, my lg max app, nvidia shield pro max app, and my apple tv max app all show dolby vision, dolby atmos 4k on those programs that have that available. June 17 4:23 pst. ATT subscription.
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Did you play the content on the Max Apple TV app or are you just referring to the description on the information page of the show?

Because the information pages on mine say it’s got DV, but doesn’t trigger DV on when the content is played.
 
I actually played it on the max apple tv app. Both my apple tv 4k devices are triggering DV on my TV on those programs so listed when updated to max version 1.1.1.
 
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