AppleTV+ playback loses colour on Panasonic TV

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imd6662

119 posts

Master Geek

#315349 5-Jul-2024 18:43

We are trialling AppleTV for a couple of months (free with just a new iPhone!) and using the AppleTV+ Android app on a SmartVu A7070 connected to a 2019 Panasonic OLED.

Quite a few times when we play content, most of the colour is washed out. The Panasonic's info display implies that it's a hi-res but not HD signal. In the AppleTV program guide/launcher though it's fine (displays .... PQ(HDR)), but this disappears when you start playing the content -- and with it most colour.

And sometimes it works fine!

Any ideas?

wellygary

8312 posts

Uber Geek

#3256776 5-Jul-2024 19:31

Sounds like trying to play HDR content on a non HDR device??

Can you specify the output on the SmartVu A7070 to be SDR?

imd6662

119 posts

Master Geek

#3256778 5-Jul-2024 19:46

Pretty sure it's not that, since - as I say - some days it works; and it works fine all the time with netflix etc.

lxsw20

3552 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#3256779 5-Jul-2024 19:57

Are you paying for 4k Netflix? If not that may be why you only notice it struggle with A TV+

Got another hdmi cable you can try?

mp52

1 post

Wannabe Geek

#3266860 1-Aug-2024 10:55

Bit late to this but I have exactly the same problem with the SmartVU+ A7070 device using the AppleTV app connected to a Sony Bravia KD49X900E (which supports HDR10).

I've tried swapping HDMI cables (ensuring use of High-Speed), changing input settings on the TV and output on the A7070. I plugged the device into an HP monitor and did not have the issue. Also tried clearing caches and reinstalling the AppleTV app.

My conclusion is that there is some bug in HDR signal handshaking between the A7070 and the chipsets in our TVs. Most likely requires a firmware update of the A7070 as it seems sensible that the Panasonic/Sony QA and support resources would have been more likely to address the issue. Also HDR content displays fine on the TV using other inputs such as 4K files in VLC.

I also have one of those cheap Chinese HDMI analogue audio splitters and put that between the A7070 and TV with no change in result. It's a pain because the WiFi networking on the Bravia is now unreliable and the hard networking is only 100Base for inexplicable reasons.

imd6662

119 posts

Master Geek

#3267148 1-Aug-2024 15:07

Hurrah! I thought I was going mad.

I think you are right on the mark, thought I'm a bit surprised this hasn't been identified before. I'm going to share this thread with the SmartVu people.

I've since recalled too that when I say I think it works sometimes, what I really mean is that it works if you use the AppleTV+ app loaded on the TV itself.