Does the XG1v4 box support Youtube HDR?

[lesmikesell]

I recently switched to the 4k XG1v4 and know it is working properly because I can get 4k HDR on Amazon Video to the TV.   But when viewing Youtube 4k HDR content, my TV does not show that it is receiving HDR.  The picture looks pretty good anyway, but just not HDR according to the TV.    It is not that important since the TV has it's own app for Youtube (that also didn't do HDR until a recent update), but I'm curious about whether it is supposed to work or not.

[Comcast_Support]

Hello! Thank you for taking the time to reach out here. I think 4K content is super exciting. I was able to research this further and it does look like there is certain content on YouTube that is capable of 4K HDR: https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/uhd-4k-faqs. 

If you wish to manually change your settings, the video display must be set to 2160p30 or 2160p60 resolution on the 4K capable Xfinity TV Box. On the XG1v4 or Xi6 TV Box, this can be done in the Settings menu on X1, and the cables provided are compatible. 

[lesmikesell]

Thanks for the response, but I think you missed some details.  First, I am fairly sure the box and TV are configured correctly because the Amazon Video app shows the HDR indication on my Sony TV when I check using the action menu on the TV remote and then pick 'Picture Adjustments'.   And, for example 'The Man in the High Castle' Amazon episodes look very realistic.

However, while the Youtube app delivers 4k content which also looks 'pretty good', it does not show the HDR indication on the TV, so I am not convinced the XG1v4 is processing the VP9 profile 2 codec from Youtube and delivering it as HDR10 to the TV.    Youtube will deliver a non-HDR version to devices that do not handle their version of HDR content.   I am somewhat familiar with this issue because the Youtube app on the TV itself did not orginally handle HDR, but after some time was updated to have the necessary codec and now most Youtube content marked as HDR will show the indication when played throught the TV's own app (although some does seem to be mis-labeled...).

So, now I am curious as to whether I have missed some setup option or if everyone who thinks they are watching Youtube HDR content through the  XG1v4 is actually getting the non-HDR version instead.   Has anyone else been able to verify that their TV is displaying HDR - or is there documentation to show it handles VP9 profile 2?

[Comcast_Support · Accepted solution]

Hello, lesmikesell. I hope you are having a good weekend so far. After further digging into the XG1v4 it does not look it supports HDR from youtube at this time. I see we support it from Amazon (like you had mentioned) and Netflix at this time but not youtube. I'm sure there are plans on updating the Youtube app but a timeframe has not been established as of yet.

Keep in mind, YouTube 4K badging is based on the highest resolution available of the video. YouTube 4K badging may display on a HD device, as the video will automatically downscale to the best-supported resolution and continue playback.

To see which resolution the YouTube video is playing back on within the YouTube app, click on the Stats for Nerds menu option.

Additional information about 4K UHD & HDR with Xfinity can be found here: https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/uhd-4k-faqs

We apologize for the inconvenience. Please let us know if you have any further questions.

[RobertWy]

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@lesmikesell wrote:

Thanks for the response, but I think you missed some details.  First, I am fairly sure the box and TV are configured correctly because the Amazon Video app shows the HDR indication on my Sony TV when I check using the action menu on the TV remote and then pick 'Picture Adjustments'.   And, for example 'The Man in the High Castle' Amazon episodes look very realistic.

However, while the Youtube app delivers 4k content which also looks 'pretty good', it does not show the HDR indication on the TV, so I am not convinced the XG1v4 is processing the VP9 profile 2 codec from Youtube and delivering it as HDR10 to the TV.    Youtube will deliver a non-HDR version to devices that do not handle their version of HDR content.   I am somewhat familiar with this issue because the Youtube app on the TV itself did not orginally handle HDR, but after some time was updated to have the necessary codec and now most Youtube content marked as HDR will show the indication when played throught the TV's own app (although some does seem to be mis-labeled...).

So, now I am curious as to whether I have missed some setup option or if everyone who thinks they are watching Youtube HDR content through the  XG1v4 is actually getting the non-HDR version instead.   Has anyone else been able to verify that their TV is displaying HDR - or is there documentation to show it handles VP9 profile 2?

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Did you read this?

https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/x1-youtube-app-overview

[lesmikesell]

Thanks, @Comcast_Support, for verifying that the app does not yet support the VP9.2 codec, and @RobertWy  for pointing out the https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/x1-youtube-app-overview which does not mention HDR specifically but does show how to display 'stats for nerds' which reveals the codec being received, among other things.  When watching an HDR video using my (Sony)TV app, this will show codec vp9.2 and color bt2020, where the same video on the Xfinity app will show codec vp9 and color bt709.   Interestingly it also shows the TV networking isn't so great and drops some frames where the X1 box does not.

I'm not sure anyone would really know the difference without a side-by-side comparison but if anyone is playing those YouTube 4k HDR demos to show off  their new TV they should know that they aren't really getting HDR from the Xfinity YouTube app yet.   As I mentioned earlier, you do get HDR through the Amazon video app.  I can't verify Netflix since I don't have the premium subscription, but I'll take their word for it.

[thiagomacieira]

[Another user having similar problem]

I've just tried that Stats for Nerds and the Youtube App on the X1 says it's using a 720p viewport. The content is clearly at a lower resolution than the TV or with the TV's own Youtube App. Is there any way to make the X1 app use 1080p or 4K?

[MNtundraRET]

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@thiagomacieira wrote:

[Another user having similar problem]

I've just tried that Stats for Nerds and the Youtube App on the X1 says it's using a 720p viewport. The content is clearly at a lower resolution than the TV or with the TV's own Youtube App. Is there any way to make the X1 app use 1080p or 4K?

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Time for you to learn how to use the "stats for nerds" The widow view of the stats is 720p. The rest is shown in the stats window for the rest of the screen.

[thiagomacieira]

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@MNtundraRET wrote:

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@thiagomacieira wrote:

[Another user having similar problem]

I've just tried that Stats for Nerds and the Youtube App on the X1 says it's using a 720p viewport. The content is clearly at a lower resolution than the TV or with the TV's own Youtube App. Is there any way to make the X1 app use 1080p or 4K?

---

Time for you to learn how to use the "stats for nerds" The widow view of the stats is 720p. The rest is shown in the stats window for the rest of the screen.

---

Hello MNtundraRET

Thank you for your reply, but I didn't understand it. If the window view was 720 px tall, it should have been 1/3 of the screen at 2160px. It isn't. So what did you mean?

Also, the Youtube app on the TV has the same functionality and it says the viewport is 1920x1080 for 1080p video (same video). I can also clearly tell that the video quality is better with the TV app compared to the XG1v4.

[MNtundraRET]

It's clear to me you don't understand how to interpret the nerd specifications.

However; the best sound and picture wiil always come from using your "smart televison's" apps which get the signal directly over the high speed Internet. Getting the signal sent through another company's equipment (cable or otherwise), may end up with a degraded signal due to incompatiblities between equipment and coding.

The program coding used by You Tube, Netflix, etc., in not the same as the app found on your television in the recommended apps for your brand of television. There a way more viables that come into play. Using the correct HDMI cable carrying the largest frequency range; understanding your television's manual to obtain the best settings; connecting the S.S. sound sytem's correctly.

I have been using You Tube for 4K HDR and 3D since January 2016. It has all the test patterns, explanations, required to make sure your television has a fast enough broadband signal to get the best video or audio produced by your television.

The picture is in the eyes of the beholder. If it looks better one way you are most likely correct. I would never bother to watch something through other equipment (cable or satellite) if I can get it directly over broadband through the television. I have had no problem getting the best my 3D UHD curved television can produce.

I don't expect other companies to get all the bugs out due to the huge number and variation of UHD/HDR televisions coming on the markets. It's near impossible to make all tv's compatible with their equipment.

[thiagomacieira]

I'm pretty sure I can understand the details, if you explain your reasoning in more detail.

At this point, I'm just interested in knowing what the Viewport entry means and why it shows 1280x720 in the X1 YouTube App but 1920x1080 in the Android TV app. All other details are the same.

[lesmikesell]

Not positive, but I think 'viewport' is for the user interface GUI where you interact with the YouTube app - it is rendered to those dimentions and upscaled to fit the screen.

When a fullscreen video is showing, it is the current/optimum resolution that matter, where network bandwidth might account for a difference.   And as for HDR, youtube uses the vp9.2 codec for hdr which apparently the x1 version of the app does not support yet - possibly because Google hasn't included it in the app (which was originally the case with my Sony TV, but changed with an update) or the hardware isn't sufficient to handle it.

[thiagomacieira]

Got it. You're saying that the full screen video and the application control overlays may be rendered at different resolutions. The HW will do the blending after any upscaling, if necessary.

The "stats for nerds" say it's using the same codecs as the TV app, so I had assumed that it was downloading 1080p content, downscaling to 720p to fit the viewport, and then allowing the HW to upscale to 4K. If this is not it, then 

But if you're right that's not it. I still don't know why the video quality is objectively worse with the X1. 

[lesmikesell]

What setting are you using for your X1->TV connection?   And what current resolution do you see on the stats display?   On mine, I get 3840x2160@60 on both the TV and X1 apps on a video with that as the source (COSTA RICA IN 4K 60fps HDR is a good example).   And the resolution is pretty clearly the same on either app.    The difference is in the color depth and contrast in the extreme bright spots with the TV using the vp9.2 codec and bt2020 color space.   Youtube has different versions of each vidoe to match the capabilities of the apps on different devices.   The color on the non-HDR version is 'good enough' that you don't think anything is missing.   Most TVs can't display the full bt2020 color space or the nits of brightness HDR can deliver anyway, so the difference you see will depend on your TV set.

[thiagomacieira]

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@lesmikesell wrote:

What setting are you using for your X1->TV connection?   And what current resolution do you see on the stats display?   On mine, I get 3840x2160@60 on both the TV and X1 apps on a video with that as the source (COSTA RICA IN 4K 60fps HDR is a good example).   And the resolution is pretty clearly the same on either app.    The difference is in the color depth and contrast in the extreme bright spots with the TV using the vp9.2 codec and bt2020 color space.   Youtube has different versions of each vidoe to match the capabilities of the apps on different devices.   The color on the non-HDR version is 'good enough' that you don't think anything is missing.   Most TVs can't display the full bt2020 color space or the nits of brightness HDR can deliver anyway, so the difference you see will depend on your TV set.

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I'm seeing 3840x2160@60Hz in both the Xfinity menus and the TV's., even while playing videos on YouTube at lower rez. Anyway, I chose a 1080p video so the codec wouldn't be an issue: the "stats for nerds" shows the same information except the Viewport on both apps.

[lesmikesell]

I that case the only difference "should" be the upscaler on the TV vs the X1 box.  I'd expect a high end TV to be better, but I really can't see any difference on my Sony XBR55x900E which has pretty good video processing.     How does your other video content look?    When I first connected the XG1v4 box I thought it looked worse than the non-4k box it replaced especially with motion blur, but then found I had to connect to HDMI 2 or 3 only, and make a settings change to get HDR @60hz to the TV.  I don't understand why I had any picture at all with mismatched settings but maybe the box autoadjusts or something.  In any case I don't see any video quality problems from the X1 box now.   Do you have Amazon Prime so you can do a similar comparison with those apps?    The scenery in 'The Man in the High Castle' episodes should be good enough to show any differences and to see if your HDMI cable can carry HDR @60hz (an 18Ghz signal).

[thiagomacieira]

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@lesmikesell wrote:

I that case the only difference "should" be the upscaler on the TV vs the X1 box.  I'd expect a high end TV to be better, but I really can't see any difference on my Sony XBR55x900E which has pretty good video processing.     How does your other video content look?    When I first connected the XG1v4 box I thought it looked worse than the non-4k box it replaced especially with motion blur, but then found I had to connect to HDMI 2 or 3 only, and make a settings change to get HDR @60hz to the TV.  I don't understand why I had any picture at all with mismatched settings but maybe the box autoadjusts or something.  In any case I don't see any video quality problems from the X1 box now.   Do you have Amazon Prime so you can do a similar comparison with those apps?    The scenery in 'The Man in the High Castle' episodes should be good enough to show any differences and to see if your HDMI cable can carry HDR @60hz (an 18Ghz signal).

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I have a Sony XBR65x850E. So almost the same HW... The content from the TV channels themselves looks fine, as good as the previous decoder.  On your suggestion, I tried Amazon Video, the same scene from The Man in the High Castle. There's a difference, but not as glaring as with YouTube.

The display is also darker, which the TV input has always been, as I configured the brightness and contrast differently (I read somewhere that it could help reduce the audio/video lag that this TV has). So I suppose the TV is applying some post-processing that could account for this, because it definitely reverts to the defaults when starting one of the built-in apps.

I'll play with the settings and see what happens.

[lesmikesell]

Your TV is probably the same in needing to use HDMI 2 or 3  with the 'enhanced' setting to get 4K HDR  @60hz input.   I picked the 900E mostly because rtngs.com said it was brighter (I'm not a movie purist - it's in a room with a lot of windows...) and it has good local dimming.   But yes you should have to look pretty closely to see any difference.   Note that the picture setting adjustments are for your selected port or the default so they stick to the input and can be set differently (wish you could do that with audio).   I had trouble with the TV Amazon app stuttering on 4k input until the last update and it still struggles a bit where it plays perfectly on the X1 app.

[googler75]

Getting Pink Screen on most on Demand HDR content except tv channels. Using a HiSense UHD 55" TV with an ONKYO Dolby Atmos Receiver. Switching HDMI cables is not making a difference. It mainly shows up in HDR Theater Picture mode; Standard and Vivid are fine when viewing regular TV.

Plz advise.

[lesmikesell]

I don't know much about HiSense TV's but a quick google search found some youtube videos about having to update at least some models of the TV to enable HDR.  Have you looked into that?  It may also make a difference if you are connecting to the TV or the receiver.  If you go through the receiver first it has to be able to handle the 10-bit color of HDR video.

[googler75]

Looked thru all videos pertaining to TV. Nothing works whether connecting it thru tv or receiver. HDR10 working well with AppleTV and ROKU. Not sure how to get the HDR to function on my tv from he Xfinity 4K box. 

TV model: 

Hisense - 55" Class - LED - H6 Series - 2160p - Smart - 4K UHD TV with HDR

Model:55EU6070

‘Receiver: Onkyo - HT S3910 5.1-Ch. Hi-Res 3D Home Theater Speaker System - Black

Plz provide link to any videos relating to the TV model. Set the resolution to 1080p 60 which is bing upscaled to 4K by the Receiver

[lesmikesell]

If you want HDR you probably want 3840x2160@60Hz  all the way through.

[googler75]

TV shows 3840x2160 as current resolution 

[lesmikesell]

But you said the receiver was upscaling and the X1 was set to send 1080.   You might also try connecting directly to the TV until you get the right settings for the picture.

[googler75]

Setting back to 4K 2160 connected to Receiver. See pics. Even if connected to TV the same result. The tv automatically upscales everything even if it’s 480p.

Box Setting TV UnknownStandard HDRHDR Theater Pink Screen

[lesmikesell]

Don't think the pics posted right.   If you use the youtube app with 'stats for nerds' displaying you should be able to see if you are getting 4k from the source through ( the 'current' resolution numbers).   But, as per the point of this thread, the  X1 YouTube app doesn't send HDR so you'll need some other source to see if the 10-bit color is working.    The Amazon Video and Netflix apps should do that, but they don't have a way that I know of to see the details of what they are sending.  On my TV, I can tell HDR because if I go to the picture adjustment menu it displays 'HDR' but other TV types will be different.

[googler75]

Will check YouTube app later. Amazon and Netflix give me HDR Pink screen.

[lesmikesell]

Have you made the 'enhanced' setting here? 

https://gregglestech.com/2018/04/25/hisense-4k-tv-how-to-enable-hdr/

Also, older HDMI cables might not handle the 18Ghz data rate, although it would be unusual for a short run.

[googler75]

Yes the HDMI Function is set to enhanced. The display shows 3840x2160 even on YouTube app with box set at 2160p 60fps. The pink screen still occurs with HDR Theater Mode. On the AppleTV all modes function properly with HDR 10 mode enabled. Using 4K cable from Amazon and one that came with the box stating high speed Ethernet.

[lesmikesell]

I don't know what 'HDR theater mode' means.  Is that a TV setting?  Most TVs should auto-detect HDR and only a few xfinity sources are going to send it (certain videos on Amazon and Netflix).   Perhaps you are forcing 10 bit color when most videos are going to be 8 bit.    I think the Apple TV has an always-on HDR mode where it upconverts everything to make it work with that setting.   The X1 is only going to send HDR when the source video has it and it expects the TV to recognize and switch.  You could check this theory by starting something you know is HDR before switching the TV to HDR mode - like Amazon's The Man in the High Castle episodes.  But even that might not work if you have to manually switch the TV because I think the X1 will auto-detect capabilities.  Some devices actually have to have the cable removed and replugged or be power cycled to re-check the capabilites at the other end.

In any case it probably is not worth fighting that battle since your Apple TV probably has apps to play all of the content that you can get in HDR on the X1 anyway .  Just leave HDR off when watching xfinity - or find a setting that will auto-switch. 

[googler75]

The TV contains various HDR modes. The Theater setting shows in pink as does any Amazon/Netflix HDR content. I will mainly use Apple TV for now and hope when ATSC 3 arrives that the cable channels won’t be affected. Will try swapping coax cable with old white one that is attached with one that came with the box (black)

[lesmikesell]

One other possibility - maybe "HDR theater mode' forces Dolby Vision.   The XG1v4 will only output standard HDR10.

[googler75]

Doubt tv has Dolby vision since the logo doesn’t appear on 4K VUDU titles with Dolby Vision. It’s most likely a budget HDR 10 tv that upconverts to 10 bit

[googler75]

Hisense Specs via Best Buy where I got my 4K equipment:

Specifications
Key Specs
Display Type
LED
Vertical ResolutionInfo
2160p (4K)
Screen SizeInfo
54.6 inches
High Dynamic Range (HDR)Info
Yes
High Dynamic Range TechnologyInfo
HDR Compatible
Refresh RateInfo
60Hz
Motion Enhancement TechnologyInfo
Motion Rate 120
Specific Manufacturer TechnologiesInfo
4K upscaling
Smart PlatformInfo
Hisense Smart TV
Number of HDMI Inputs
3
Works WithInfo
Amazon Alexa
Dimension
Product Height With Stand
30.7 inches
Product Width
48.9 inches
Product Depth With Stand
9.6 inches
Product Height Without Stand
28.6 inches
Product Depth Without Stand
2.9 inches
Product Weight With Stand
31.5 pounds
Product Weight Without Stand
30.9 pounds
Stand Width
40.1 inches
Stand Depth
9.6 inches
Box Dimension
Height
33.3 inches
Width
54.1 inches
Depth
5.6 inches
Display
Display Type
LED
Vertical ResolutionInfo
2160p (4K)
Screen SizeInfo
54.6 inches
Screen Size ClassInfo
55 inches
High Dynamic Range (HDR)Info
Yes
High Dynamic Range TechnologyInfo
HDR Compatible
Curved Screen
No
Refresh RateInfo
60Hz
Motion Enhancement TechnologyInfo
Motion Rate 120
Closed Captioning
Yes
Language(s) Displayed
English, French, Spanish
Feature
Specific Manufacturer TechnologiesInfo
4K upscaling
Smart CapableInfo
Yes
Smart PlatformInfo
Hisense Smart TV
Smart Device CapabilitiesInfo
App store, Web browser (full)
Streaming ServicesInfo
Amazon Video, Netflix, YouTube
TV TunerInfo
Digital
Connectivity
Number of HDMI Inputs
3
Number Of USB Port(s) (Total)
1
HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC)Info
Yes
Number of USB 2.0 Ports
1
Number of Digital Optical Audio Outputs
1
Number of Analog Audio Outputs
1
Number of Component Video InputsInfo
0
Number of Composite Video InputsInfo
1
Number of DVI InputsInfo
0
RF Antenna Input
Yes
Network Compatibility
Built-in Wi-Fi, Ethernet
Ethernet Port(s)
Yes
Bluetooth EnabledInfo
No
Headphone Jack
Yes
Compatibility
Wall Mountable
Yes
VESA Wall Mount StandardInfo
300mm x 200mm
Works WithInfo
Amazon Alexa
Audio
Surround Sound Supported
DTS TruSurround
Built-In Speakers
Yes
Speaker Output
20 watts

[googler75]

Changing the coax and trying all hdmi cables I have the 2160p hdr setting is still pink on HDR content from the box unless the resolution is set at 1080p 60. Ordered compliant hdmi 2.3 cable hopefully that fixes the 2160 hdr issue.

[CCAndrew]

Per this article, doesn’t mention Youtube app supporting HDR. I always thought it was just Netflix and Prime
https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/x1-youtube-app-overview

The link @Comcast_Support posted above also doesn’t mention HDR on YouTube app just Netflix and Prime

[googler75]

This indeed confirms 4K content on YouTube is not in HDR or I would have encountered a pink screen such as a 4K program on Amazon/Netflix