To HDR or not to HDR?

I am using CE 9.2.7 on s912 hardware. When I play downloaded HDR content colours are dull and washed out. My TV is a Sony X7002 series TV and it doesnt even have an indication for HDR. Some may say HDR in downloaded content is questionable, but even Youtube HDR is not really vibrant.

So,

  1. Does 9.2.7 support HDR?

  2. Does S912X support HDR?

  3. Is there any way to watch HDR in SDR in such a config?

  4. There is an option to send video in 4:2:2 in CE settings. Does this mean that, to begin with, CE is sending HDMI data in 4:4:4 or 4:2:0?

  5. Would my problems be solved if I moved to S905X3 hardware and one of the ng builds?

Do you mean a Sony X7002G? The G stands for a relatively recent model that supports HDR10 and HLG HDR.
But keep in mind that the X70G Sony models are low-end (can’t get very bright). Most (all?) of them had IPS LCD panels, which have inferior contrast and black levels, which can make the image look washed out, especially if you watch TV in the dark.

  1. Yes, HDR10 is supported by the 3.14 kernel (used in 9.2.7 non-ng)
  2. Yes.
  3. HDR in youtube (VP9 codec) is not supported by the 3.14 kernel, it was only recently implemented in CE 19.x releases, which cannot run on a S912)
  4. This option is there for compatibility purposes. By default, the HDMI 2.0 standard indicates up to 4K@30P at 4:4:4 chroma and up to 4K@60 at 4:2:0 chroma. Sometimes different combinations or TVs and/or AVRs don’t handle this very well, and the force 4:2:2 chroma option is required in order to fix related issues.
  5. Depends. With a S905X3 you will get the following benefits: Kodi Matrix, HLG HDR support, support for HDR in YouTube and VP9 codec in general, better video decoding (newer encodes often don’t work very well on the old 3.14 kernel), more future proof and is under active development and improvement.
    But with that said, I doubt you will see much of an improvement with HDR content on that model of TV. HDR benefits greatly from a high quality display.
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Hey, thanks for breaking it down.

The TV is a 7002F, so one generation older than the G.

I know this is getting off topic which TV would you recommend for great DV and HDR support, decent brightness and a price tag that doesnt break the bank?

Not sure I can recommend one as it depends a lot on what’s available in your area, your budget and the screen size that you want to have.

If You want good quality, You must pay the price.

Like 4K, HDR, to some extent is the latest industry con.

The standards are so lax that the vast majority of TV’s that have the HDR label just don’t cut the mustard, partly because of the type of panel and additionally the brightness (nits). So many have between 250 and 350, which essentially renders any improvement null.

Realistically you need 600+ nits to start to see the real benefits of HDR.

Having an OLED panel can compensate for having less nits than the ideal 1000 as it is better when it comes to the blackest or blacks and whitest of whites.

As Tim_Tayylor says, on this occasion you really do seem to have to spend more than a budget to get good quality HDR.

I spent a few hours last year in a popular retails store in the UK, who are prepared to let you try out a wide range of TV’s.

Most under £700 were garbage.

It was only when I tried out the LG OLED55BX6LB/55CX5LB models that HDR really looked worth it, but it was over £1000 and whilst some consider it a budget TV compared to the real top end models, I suspect that for many, it would not be seen as budget.

The other thing that will also affect the quality is how content is created in the first place, which seems to vary greatly.

3 Likes

Agreed. Just to add an additional opinion, I’m extremely happy with my LG C9 & CX. There hasn’t honestly been a day where I’ve felt my money was misspent. Additionally I’d add that if you’re going to shell out on a new fancy display and will be expecting the only the best from it, equip it with better (higher bandwidth, spec compliant) HDMI cables instead of the ones you’ve kept in a box in your closet since who-knows-when. Speaking from experience. :upside_down_face:

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I have a budget Toshiba 4k HDR TV that cost less than £299 back in 2018-2019. TBH, I’ve tried HDR playback on it and it’s only ok. It has 350 nits. However, the SDR picture is fantastic.

In a few years, I guess that budget 4k HDR TVs will probably have over 600 nits and HDR may be worth revisiting, but as for now, I’m very happy with this budget TV and SDR video.

If you are still looking for TV, try this website: Reviews and Ratings - RTINGS.com
Really complex tests of tons of TVs with comparison to each other. They have a unified testing technique.

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